Neil Young’s Music Back on Spotify After Two-Year Hiatus
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After over two years of absence, Neil Young’s music is making a comeback to Spotify (NYSE: SPOT). The celebrated musician had previously removed his catalog from the music streaming service due to concerns surrounding Covid-19 misinformation allegedly promoted by Joe Rogan on his popular podcast.
Apple and Amazon Join the Fray
“My decision to return comes at a time when Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN) have also begun providing platforms for content like the controversial podcast that led me to depart from Spotify,” Young expressed on his website. The ‘Heart of Gold’ and ‘Harvest Moon’ singer highlighted the necessity of being accessible to a wide audience of music lovers, prompting his return to the streaming giant.
“I cannot just leave Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN) like I did Spotify (SPOT), as it would severely limit the availability of my music to fans,” he emphasized.
Quality Concerns and Musical Reconciliation
Critiquing Spotify’s (SPOT) music quality, Young referred to it as the “#1 streamer of low res music” and expressed hopes for improvement in the platform’s sound output. Young’s move signals a balancing act between advocating for integrity in information dissemination while ensuring his music reaches a broad audience of listeners.
Alongside Young, other prominent artists such as Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, and Nash had also withdrawn their music from Spotify (SPOT) in objection to Covid-related misinformation spread via Joe Rogan’s podcast.
A Legacy of Discord and Dialogue
In 2021, a collective of 270 medical professionals and scientists raised concerns about the Joe Rogan podcast’s dissemination of misleading information and urged Spotify (SPOT) to establish more robust content policies to address such issues. Amidst the controversy, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ remains Spotify’s (SPOT) leading podcast and recently inked a substantial $250 million partnership deal with the platform.