Spotify has chosen between Joe Rogan and Neil Young: the streaming platform has confirmed that the latter’s music will now be removed from its catalogue.
The legendary singer made waves this week when he voiced his disgust at Spotify containing “fake information about vaccines”, particularly taking issue with Joe Rogan and his podcast. “I want all my music off their platform,” Young demanded in an open letter. “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
Now, in a statement acknowledging the artist’s request, a Spotify representative insisted the platform has been doing its utmost to tackle the issue of disinformation (as per WSJ). “We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users,” the statement reads. “With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators.
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. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.” Young’s discography will be removed from Spotify later this evening.”
Young followed that up with a new statement of his own, expanding on his standpoint. “Spotify has recently become a very damaging force via its public misinformation and lies about COVID,” he said. “I first learned of this problem by reading that 200 plus doctors had joined forces, taking on the dangerous life-threatening COVID falsehoods found in Spotify programming.
I realised I could not continue to support Spotify’s life threatening misinformation to the music loving public. Before I told my friends at Warner Bros about my desire to leave the Spotify platform, I was reminded by my own legal forces that contractually I did not have the control of my music to do that.
I announced I was leaving anyway, because I knew I was. I was prepared to do all I could and more just to make sure that happened. I want to thank my truly great and supportive record company Warner Brothers – Reprise Records, for standing with me in my decision to pull all my music from Spotify. Thank You!”
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You can read Young’s new statement in full on his official archives website. At the time of writing, his music is still on Spotify: if you wish to stream masterful albums like Harvest, you better act quick.
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Check out ‘Harvest Moon’ by Neil Young:
