Enough is enough. It’s time to seek alternatives to Spotify since the streaming service has sadly gone full MAGA. Specifically, they are showing ICE recruitment ads, which I find both extremely evil and racist.
What’s more, the tech giant donated $150,000 to the worst president in US history, Donald Trump. This corporate action exists alongside the music platform‘s ongoing willingness to maintain support for Fascist podcasters, too.
UPDATE (January 2026): As of early 2026, Spotify is no longer airing ICE recruitment ads. The company confirmed the ads ceased at the end of 2025 following widespread backlash from users and artists. However, the platform has not yet officially updated its policy to ban such ads permanently.
What is Diversity and Why It Matters
Diversity is essentially when you’ve got people from all different backgrounds, cultures, races, genders, and perspectives hanging out together in the same space. It’s super important because when everyone thinks the same way, you get boring ideas and miss out on a ton of stuff.
Different people bring different experiences and ways of looking at things, which makes everything better, from workplaces to schools to just life in general. Not to mention, the real world is diverse, so if your crew isn’t, you’re basically living in a bubble.
At the end of the day, diversity makes you smarter, more creative, and way less likely to screw things up because you only saw one side of the story.
Good Alternatives to Spotify
1. Apple Music
This one is complicated! Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple (Apple Music and iTunes), basically adopted a strategy of “keeping your enemies close.” He personally donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and often met with the President.
This wasn’t because they were golfing buddies; it was a business move. Cook successfully lobbied Trump to get exemptions from tariffs (taxes on imports), saving Apple a ton of money.
So, while Cook has personally pushed back against some of Trump’s policies (like those on immigration) and Apple still supports major DEI and social justice efforts, he was widely known for building a surprisingly effective working relationship with Trump to protect the company’s bottom line.
That being said, it’s up to you if you’re okay with the company playing political chess. The good thing is that they did not roll back their diversity programs, which is what matters most.
2. Tidal
Tidal is the opposite. Its whole vibe, originally tied to Jay-Z, has been about artist empowerment and social justice. You won’t find any public evidence of the CEO having a “good relationship” with Trump, and users often point to Tidal’s lack of political ties to him as a reason to choose it over other streaming services.
Tidal’s brand DNA leans more toward activism than political cozying up. However, it’s not available in all countries.
3. Qobuz
Qobuz is pretty quiet on U.S. politics. It’s a French company that focuses heavily on high-fidelity audio quality and paying artists fairly. There is no public information whatsoever suggesting that the CEO or the company has any relationship with or political connection to Donald Trump.
Therefore, it’s safe to say they’re mostly focused on audiophiles and staying out of the American political drama.
4. Bandcamp
Bandcamp is the closest thing you’ll get to an activist’s dream: it’s famous for giving artists the largest share of sales revenue (82%!), and they’ve hosted special “Bandcamp Fridays” where they waive their fee entirely to help artists out.
Their diversity perspective is baked into their model: they focus on empowering independent musicians outside the major label system. You also won’t find the CEO having any political ties to Trump, and the brand is widely celebrated for its progressive, artist-first policies.
5. SoundCloud
SoundCloud focuses on independent creators and equity for artists, promoting a diverse range of genres. They use “fan-powered royalties” (money goes directly to the artists you listen to), which is a fairer philosophy than Spotify’s “big pool” system. However, the payout per stream remains low.
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Hi, I’m Erick Ycaza — a music blogger with a BA in Advertising & Graphic Design. I created this blog to keep you updated with daily music news. Surprisingly, I’ve been writing about music since 2007. If you’re an artist and would like to be featured, feel free to reach out: info@electrowow.net
