Shoegaze-influenced indie band Hotline TNT has become the latest act to pull its catalogue from Spotify, aligning with a growing movement of musicians who are questioning the ethics of the world’s largest streaming platform.

Frontman Will Anderson announced the decision in a statement shared on the band’s Instagram page earlier this week. “We are leaving the Spotify streaming service,” Anderson wrote. “The company that bills itself as the steward of all recorded music has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that it does not align with the band’s values in any way. A cooler world is possible.”

While the band stopped short of specifying one single catalyst for its departure, their move lands in the middle of a long-simmering debate about Spotify’s business practices, artist compensation, and corporate investments. For years, artists and industry advocates have criticized the streaming giant for paying out fractions of a cent per stream, leaving independent musicians especially vulnerable. The National Music Publishers Association, which represents major publishers like Universal, Sony, and Warner Chappell, has pushed for government intervention to secure more equitable royalties.

But money isn’t the only issue. Spotify has also faced repeated boycotts over content hosted on its platform. In 2022, authors and musicians, including Roxane Gay, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell, pulled their works in protest of misinformation spread through Joe Rogan’s massively popular podcast. Both Young and Mitchell have since returned, but the episode highlighted the tension between Spotify’s role as a distributor of music and its controversial stance on editorial responsibility.

More recently, the backlash has centered on Spotify’s co-founder, Daniel Ek. Last year, Ek personally invested nearly $700 million into Helsing, a European defense tech company that develops artificial intelligence-driven military systems, including drone technology. That investment prompted bands such as Deerhoof and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard to pull their music in protest. Deerhoof summed up their reasoning in blunt terms: “We don’t want our music killing people. We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech.”

Against this backdrop, Hotline TNT’s departure feels less like an isolated decision and more like another brick in a growing wall of resistance. For a younger generation of bands working within DIY and underground music communities, the platform’s corporate entanglements can seem incompatible with their values, particularly in an era when fans increasingly expect transparency and social consciousness from artists.

Rather than simply disappearing from Spotify, Hotline TNT has crafted an alternative for its listeners. Alongside the announcement, the band revealed plans for a 24-hour livestream event set to begin September 5 at noon Eastern Time. The marathon broadcast, which will run across Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram, is modeled after a telethon and will feature special guests, prizes, and a Q&A session with fans. The band also intends to sell 500 limited-edition physical copies of its latest album, Raspberry Moon. Fans are already being invited to submit questions for the live session through the group’s Instagram story.

By hosting a direct-to-fan event and linking it to tangible merchandise, Hotline TNT is offering a model of sustainability that is a stark difference from the Spotify system.