Let’s talk about Spotify. A year ago, I would have said it was maybe the best thing on the internet save Wikipedia. Now, I’m filled with a terrible angst thinking about it.

     There are a lot of reasons to hate this app. I could spend this entire article detailing any one of the numerous grievances I have with it—pushing AI “artists,” the absolutely abysmal pay they give to musicians, how the “free version” is everything a music service shouldn’t be, where the CEO’s 600 million dollars went, bands leaving Spotify altogether, or any other thing on the long list of why not to give them money—but I won’t do that.

     Here’s the thing: no one cares about any of that, and no one has a reason to. Spotify is so unbelievably convenient, so unmistakably everywhere, that there isn’t really a better offer anywhere else on the market. What are we supposed to do when the worst option for artists is the best for consumers? In this day and age, the answer lies in convenience. According to Sam Wheedan, ‘28, “[Spotify] has the accessibility as well as the audio quality within itself, and the wide span of artists that you can listen to… you just have easy access.”

     So there it is. It’s the simplest, the easiest, the biggest. As stated by Zoey Busch, ‘28, “I pay for my own premium, I just think it’s easier than most things with ads or whatever. It’s kind of just the most popular thing, so I use it.” So what’s there to care about? Coming from someone who has given Spotify over four hundred dollars of my own money across the past two years—if you can, cancel your subscription. It’s hard, it’s tedious, it’s not ideal. However, in my opinion, it’s better than giving your money to a company who actively despises the very people who make it so successful.

     If you don’t know what to do, remember there are always other options. Even at school, where our phones have been put in caddies, on our iPads “students have Spotify, Pandora, [and] they can sign into their accounts there and get it,” stated Sara Martinson, a librarian in the port. With these limited options, I implore you to pick Pandora, or any platform other than Spotify.

     Realistically, I know that no one reading this will make a switch. This is more a futile exercise in public awareness. If I can’t convince you, I can make you more aware, and that’s the next best thing. There are things you can do as well. The best, and simplest, is switching. There are other options if you care enough to do your own research. If not, spread the word. Send this article to friends, do what you will. But if nothing happens, then nothing happens. And how bad would that be for you?