Two years after pulling his music from Spotify, Neil Young is returning to the popular streaming platform.
What You Need To Know
- Two years after pulling his music from Spotify, Neil Young is returning to the popular streaming platform
- The folk-rock legend announced his plans in a message on his website Tuesday
- Young began his boycott of Spotify in January 2022 over his concerns about the platform allowing the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” to spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation
- On Tuesday, Young, 78, wrote that his decision to bring his music back to Spotify “comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at SPOTIFY"
The folk-rock legend announced his plans in a message on his website Tuesday.
Young began his boycott of Spotify in January 2022 over his concerns about the platform allowing the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” to spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.
“I am doing this because SPOTIFY is spreading false information about vaccines - potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” Young wrote in a letter to his management company and Warner Music Group at the time.
But the “Heart of Gold” singer has now had a change of heart.
On Tuesday, Young, 78, wrote that his decision to bring his music back to Spotify “comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at SPOTIFY. I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify.”
Spotify announced last month it reached a new multiyear agreement with Rogan that ends the streaming service’s exclusive rights to the podcast. The Wall Street Journal reported the deal is worth up to $250 million.
After Young withdrew his music from Spotify, Rogan apologized to anyone who was offended by his podcast’s coverage of COVID-19 vaccines, including Young. Rogan defended having guests on his podcast who “have an opinion that is different from the mainstream narrative” but promised to conduct more research before shows and invite guests who offer a counterview to his more controversial guests.
Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash and India Arie followed Young in boycotting Spotify, and 270 doctors, health care workers and public health experts sent a letter to the company calling on it to set a misinformation policy, citing “misleading and false claims” made on Rogan’s podcast. The company responded to the criticism by adding content advisories to podcasts that discussed COVID-19.
Spotify did not immediately respond to an email Wednesday from Spectrum News seeking comment about Young’s return.
As of Wednesday morning, Young’s albums did not yet appear on Spotify.
Young announced last month his band Crazy Horse will release a new album in April and go on a national tour.
