No Music for Genocide is an international cultural boycott initiative launched in September 2025 by musicians and record labels to protest Israel's military actions in Gaza and treatment of Palestinians. The movement calls on artists to remove their music from Israeli streaming platforms through geo-blocking measures.[1] With over 400 initial participants including prominent acts like Massive Attack, Rina Sawayama, and Japanese Breakfast, the movement represents one of the most significant coordinated cultural boycotts against Israel since the beginning of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.[2][3][4][5]
The initiative describes itself as a response to Israel's genocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing of the Occupied West Bank, apartheid within Israel, and political repression of Pro-Palestine efforts."[1] Organized through a decentralized network of artists and independent labels, the movement employs geo-blocking techniques to restrict access to musical content on Israeli territory, with the dual purpose of symbolically rejecting normalization with Israel and applying economic pressure on the music industry to sever ties with Israeli entities.[6][7]
History
The No Music for Genocide movement was publicly launched on September 18, 2025, following months of organizing among artists concerned about Israel's military operations in Gaza and the limited response from the international music industry.[1] The immediate catalyst for the movement was the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly images of Palestinian children suffering from hunger amid Israel's continuing attacks.[8] Organizers cited growing global outrage over Israel's military actions, which had been described as genocide by organizations including Amnesty International and the United Nations.[9]
The movement emerged within the broader context of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which was officially founded in 2005 by Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti.[10] While operating independently, No Music for Genocide coordinates with the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), which oversees the cultural boycott aspects of BDS.[6] The initiative explicitly draws inspiration from the cultural boycott of apartheid South Africa in the 1980s, viewing artistic boycotts as historically effective tools for challenging state policies considered oppressive by the international community.[11]
A key precedent cited by organizers was the music industry's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Within months of the invasion, major record labels including Sony, Universal, and Warner had either removed their catalogs from Russia or closed operations entirely.[7] No Music for Genocide organizers questioned why similar measures had not been taken against Israel "after decades of illegal occupation and 23 months into Israel's accelerated genocide."[1] This discrepancy in treatment became a central motivating factor for the movement's creation.
List of artists and labels who joined the movement
Initial signatories
The initial list of the 400 artists who have signed up to the boycott includes notable acts such as:[1][12]
Topshelf Records - American independent record label specializing in emo, indie rock, and punk
Subsequent support and growth
Following its public launch in September 2025 with 400 artists and labels, the "No Music for Genocide" movement has grown significantly, attracting over 1,000 participants by the following month.[13] This section documents notable artists and entities who have publicly declared their participation after the initial announcement.
The movement has received support from Palestinian artists and cultural organizations. ZOHUD, a Palestinian musician from Gaza, stated: "As a Gazan musician, I have witnessed firsthand how essential music is to people's ability to live, recover, and maintain hope. It is never acceptable to use music to normalise oppression or to hide crimes against humanity". Ahmed Eid, another Palestinian musician, emphasized the need to "amplify Palestinian music" during this period.[6]
The movement has also been praised for providing a "tangible act" that artists can take when they feel "unsure how to use music in this moment". Organizers stated that one of their primary goals was to inspire others to "reclaim their agency and direct their influence toward a tangible act".[6][7]
Opposition
The movement has been criticized for potentially harming cultural exchange rather than political systems. Some argue that limiting access to music primarily affects ordinary citizens rather than government decision-makers. However, supporters counter that cultural boycotts aim to create a sense of international isolation that pressures governments to change policies.[10]
Another dimension of criticism comes from those who question the characterization of Israel's actions as "genocide," with some arguing the term is inappropriate for the conflict. Movement organizers consistently reference determinations by Amnesty International and United Nations inquiries that have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.[8]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
