Spotify is one of the biggest music apps in the world. It now has 675 million users and 250 million paying customers. In the past year, its stock price went up 131%, and in 2025, it’s already 39% higher. Spotify is not just about music anymore, it’s adding audiobooks, video podcasts, and new ways to make money.

In late 2024, Spotify got 35 million new users, its biggest jump ever! Even ads on Spotify made 7% more money. Investors are happy, and big companies are buying more Spotify stock.

But not everyone is happy…

Spotify’s $650M Controversy

Spotify’s boss, Daniel Ek, sold $560 million worth of shares. In 2024 alone, he made $376 million, which is more than all U.S. songwriters earned from Spotify that year ($320 million).

Musicians are upset, and some people say that Spotify needs to pay artists more fairly.

Spotify has other problems, too. The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) says Spotify tricked the system into paying musicians less. A judge is now letting them fight this in court.

Also, Spotify wants to add AI-made music remixes, but some music groups say it needs new licenses first. And some people claim that podcasts on Spotify break copyright rules.

Spotify’s Legal Mess

Many investors think Spotify is a great company because it makes money from subscriptions and ads. Others think AI companies might be a better investment because Spotify has lots of legal problems and unhappy musicians.

Spotify is growing fast and trying new things. But it also has big challenges, angry musicians, lawsuits, and tough competition.

If you like high-risk, high-reward stocks, Spotify could be a good choice. But if you want something safer, AI stocks might be better.