Folk-rock singer Neil Young announced on Wednesday that his music will be returning to Spotify nearly two years after he pulled his entire discography from the streaming platform in protest of the company’s partnership with podcaster Joe Rogan.
In early 2022, Rogan (who was midway through a three-year $200 million exclusivity deal with Spotify) was accused of spreading so-called “misinformation” about the COVID-19 pandemic on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” In addition to his existing library of controversial content—which included interviews with Alex Jones and other fringe figures—Rogan interviewed Dr. Robert Malone, a medical researcher banned from Twitter for questioning the COVID vaccine.
In response to the interview, 270 medical experts signed an open letter to Spotify demanding that the platform implement stricter disinformation policies and prevent “the propagation of false and societally harmful assertions.”
Shortly after, Neil Young issued an ultimatum, telling Spotify that he would remove his entire music catalog unless the company completely cut ties with Rogan.
“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” the “Harvest Moon” singer wrote in a since-deleted message to his management team. “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.”
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Despite the protest from Young and several other smaller artists, Spotify refused to break the contract with Rogan, which would have deprived them of his audience of 11 million listeners.
“We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID since the start of the pandemic,” Spotify said at the time. “We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.”
Now, two years after removing his music, Young will finally be returning to the platform—but he insists that this does not constitute a reversal of his original objections to Rogan.
In a statement posted to his website on Wednesday, Young did not address “The Joe Rogan Experience” by name, but he acknowledged that “music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I opposed at Spotify.”
Rogan’s exclusivity deal expired at the end of last year, allowing him to renegotiate the contract. The new $250 million deal kept Rogan on the platform but allowed him to expand distribution to other streaming sites.
Related: Joe Rogan Reaches New Spotify Deal Worth Up to $250 Million
“I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did with Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all,” Young continued. “So I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it.”
Young also labeled Spotify “lo-res,” referring to the app’s reduced sound compression as “less quality than we made.” Similar sound issues had led the singer to briefly contemplate leaving the platform in 2015. His statement urged Spotify to consider offering hi-res options for listeners, allowing them to “really be #1 in all ways.”
“You have the music and the listeners!!!!” he wrote. “Start with a limited Hi res tier and build from there!”
Young did not specify when his full discography will be available on Spotify once again.
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember a Southern man don’t need him around, anyhow! – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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