EXTREMISMViolent Extremist Music Prevalent on Spotify, While Platform Largely Declines to Act
Music has long been an effective way to radicalize extremists, allowing artists to both entertain and indoctrinate vulnerable listeners. Researchers have identified 40 racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (RMVE) artists with a presence on Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform.
The Center on Extremism (COE) at ADL has identified 40 racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (RMVE) artists with a presence on Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform. Music has long been an effective way to radicalize extremists, allowing artists to both entertain and indoctrinate vulnerable listeners. At a time of increasing hate-motivated extremist violence, Spotify is not only allowing the racism and incitement of RMVE music, it is actively promoting that content on its own playlists.
In February 2022, the ADL Center on Technology and Society (CTS) published a report analyzing the Spotify platform rules. The report found these rules to be loosely defined and they did not live up to Spotify’s responsibility as a streaming platform.
Although Spotify updated their rules following the CTS report, adding a much more explicit anti-extremism policy, they do not appear to be strictly enforced. Users who want to proactively report problematic content are only able to do so on the Spotify desktop app and not on the mobile app, which constitutes a roadblock to flagging problematic content. This report seeks to show some of the RMVE content that remained on the platform as of September 21, 2022.
RMVE Music on SpotifyCOE identified RMVE bands from a range of musical genres and sub-genres popular among extremist artists. More on the three most popular RMVE sub-genres on Spotify:
Fashwave: A musical sub-genre of the Vaporwave movement (a non-extremist genre of electronic music), Fashwave was created to spread RMVE ideology (Fashwave is derived from the word “Fascism.”) COE found Fashwave bands on Spotify including Ironmensch, Elessar and OBNX. The genre has been boosted by RMVE figures including neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin, who founded The Daily Stormer. Anglin has called Fashwave “the whitest music ever.”
Rock Against Communism (RAC): RAC is a sub-genre of Punk, and its songs promote antisemitism and racism. Some RAC bands found on Spotify include Kushfrost, Pugilato NSHC, and 13 Knots. The movement started in the British punk scene in the late 1970s. RAC concerts are organized multiple times annually in the U.S.
National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM): NSBM is a sub-genre of Heavy Metal that focuses specifically on promoting fascism and white supremacy. NSBM artists on Spotify include: Übermensch, Wiking 1940, and Mayhem. The sub-genre grew in the early 1990’s with the rise of Norwegian Black Metal (ie. Death Metal). NSBM songs often glorify war.
