Electro-pop favorites Sylvan Esso have made their discography available to stream on Spotify, but have made it clear that it wasn’t a decision made lightly. The duo, consisting of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, removed their music from the streaming platform in 2025 during the mass exodus of artists. This latest purge was in protest of then-CEO Daniel Ek’s multi-million-dollar contribution to an AI military drone startup, among other grievances.
But over the past year, some artists have returned to Spotify, albeit reluctantly. That’s the case for Sylvan Esso, as Meath explained in an Instagram video. Spotify leads the global market with 31.7% of the subscriber share among streaming platforms, so its reach often feels unavoidable. For context, the second largest share accounts for only 14.4%.
Meath began her video explaining that while leaving Spotify “felt really good, it’s also been incredibly hard.” She continued, “It’s been incredibly hard in ways that we knew were coming and hard in ways that we hadn’t predicted.
“It has become more and more apparent that if we are going to continue to employ everyone that we employ, it is unsustainable for us to not be on that platform, so we are going to put [our music] back up on there,” Meath added.
Sylvan Esso Highlights Bleak Streaming Reality as They’re Forced To Return To Spotify To Support Themselves
Meath also made it clear that Sylvan Esso wanted fans to know the more intricate details surrounding the decision. For the group, it wasn’t a matter of backtracking on their values or changing their minds about protesting. But Spotify has successfully cornered the global streaming market, making it almost impossible for artists to survive without it. Despite the platform’s insulting payouts.
“Here is what I want you to know,” Meath continued. “[Our] political views have not changed. We do not want to support the business of war […] I’d rather you didn’t listen to our music on there. Please don’t.”
She explained further, “I still really believe in the decision to take our music off of there, and we just can’t figure out how to keep it off right now.” Meath then admitted that she’s aware Spotify is where most streams come from, “but I don’t like it.” She added, “And I’m really frustrated, but this is the reality. This is the financial reality right now.”
Sylvan Esso returning to Spotify highlights the bleak reality of how streaming has drastically altered the music industry. And no influence looms larger and more sinister than Spotify. Generally, Sylvan Esso could be considered a mid-level band, but they’ve built a devoted following since the 2010s. Just 10 years ago, a group with their reach could survive comfortably with a limited streaming presence, but with a moderate label and a loyal fanbase to keep them afloat.
In such a short time, the landscape changed so enormously, and not always for the better. It’s basically impossible for artists to expand beyond hometown unknowns without utilizing an overwhelming suite of tricks and platforms. Social media pandering, marketing schemes, licking Spotify’s boots for a nickel. And once they jump through the industry’s hoops because that’s all there is, social media erupts with depraved criticism. This is the music industry’s design.
Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images
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