Mexican rock band Cafe Tacvba performs on stage at Vive Latino Festival in Zaragoza, Spain, in 2022. The band wants its labels to remove its music from Spotify. File Photo by Javier Belver/EPA
With more than 7 million monthly listeners, Café Tacvba, one of the most influential and emblematic bands in Mexican rock, announced it has asked its record labels to remove the group’s music from streaming giant Spotify, citing practices the group says conflict with its artistic vision, ethics and the social role of music.
The request was made public by Rubén Albarrán, a founding member and lead singer of the band, through a message posted on social media.
Albarrán said he sent formal letters to Warner Music México and Universal Music México, which hold the contractual rights to exploit the band’s catalog, asking them to withdraw Café Tacvba’s music from the platform.
“I delivered letters to our record labels asking them to take our music down from the Spotify platform because it runs counter to our artistic vision and our ethics, both personal and as a band,” Albarrán wrote.
The musician said the decision stems from a combination of factors, including the presence of advertising linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investments associated with wars, royalty payments he described as unfair and meager, and the use of artificial intelligence tools that, in his view, directly harm musicians’ work.
Albarrán also questioned how the money generated by the streaming business model is used.
“We do not want our royalties or the money taken from us to be used to sponsor wars or other reprehensible actions,” he said.
In that context, he reaffirmed a view of music as a cultural expression with collective meaning. “Music should have significance, accompany people and communities, support them and give them strength,” he added.
The vocalist also encouraged the band’s followers to listen to its music on other platforms and, if they choose, to boycott Spotify.
“It is time to create a new world, more just and horizontal, where music continues to have value and meaning and can provide support, joy and hope,” he said.
Café Tacvba was formed in Mexico in 1989 and is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Spanish-language rock. The band made history by becoming the first Latin American group to record two albums in MTV’s Unplugged format, a series that shaped youth culture in Latin America for decades.
Its sound blends alternative rock, art rock and folk, with lyrics, stories and musical influences drawn from Mexican and broader Hispanic popular culture.
After seven years without new releases, the band returned in May 2024 with the single “La Bas(e),” a song dedicated to migrants and the courage of those who leave their homes in search of a better future.
Café Tacvba’s decision aligns with actions taken by other artists such as Massive Attack, which removed its music from Spotify in protest over what the group described as the company CEO’s significant investments in military technology in recent years and the platform’s use in contexts it considers ethically unacceptable.
Bands including King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof and Godspeed You! Black Emperor have also joined the movement, criticizing low per-stream payments, revenue concentration and the impact of streaming on music creation.
An economic analysis of the impact of such decisions was provided by Radamés Camargo, an analyst at The Competitive Intelligence Unit, who told Mexican newspaper El Sol de México that the debate over artist compensation in streaming has lasted more than a decade, but has gained renewed relevance with the expansion of music consumption and discovery channels.
According to Camargo, concerns extend beyond income to include competition among platforms and the potential fragmentation of audiences in an ecosystem that now includes streaming, podcasts and social media.
He warned that if more artists pull their music from these platforms, there could be a partial return to physical formats or direct sales, with creators choosing to market their work directly to fans.
Spotify responded to Café Tacvba’s claims and denied the allegations that prompted the removal request. In a statement, the company said it respects the band’s legacy and Albarrán’s position, but argued that several publicly circulated claims do not reflect reality.
“Spotify does not fund war. Helsing is an independent company that has been supplying defense technology to Ukraine. In addition, there are currently no ICE ads on Spotify; the advertising referenced was part of a U.S. government recruitment campaign that ran across major media outlets and platforms,” the company said.
Spotify defended its business model, stating that nearly 70% of its revenue is paid out as royalties to rights holders. The platform reiterated its respect for Café Tacvba and said it remains committed to connecting the band’s music with millions of listeners worldwide.
