After more than two years of absence, Neil Young has declared his return to the Spotify streaming platform. The decision comes in the wake of the expiration of exclusivity terms for “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, the root cause of the previous rift between Young and Spotify. This development means that Rogan’s show will now be available on competing platforms like Apple and Amazon.
Addressing his decision, Young stated on Tuesday via his website, “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.”
The dispute between Young and Spotify began over concerns about alleged vaccine disinformation propagated by Joe Rogan’s podcast, which had struck a multimillion-dollar deal with Spotify. Young, along with other artists, pulled their music from the platform in protest. The controversy intensified when a group of 270 U.S. doctors and scientists called on Spotify to take action against what they deemed to be “mass-misinformation events” on its platform.
Young’s return to Spotify follows the recent announcement of a multi-year deal between Spotify and Joe Rogan, which ended the exclusivity of Rogan’s show, allowing it to be streamed on other platforms such as Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.
In his statement, Young also criticized Apple and Amazon for “serving the same disinformation podcast features” he opposed at Spotify.
The acclaimed musician, known for hits like “Heart of Gold,” “Old Man,” and “Harvest Moon,” took aim at Spotify’s audio quality, labeling it as the “#1 streamer of low-res music in the world.” He urged the platform to introduce a high-resolution tier.
Before his departure, Young revealed that Spotify accounted for a significant portion, 60%, of his global streaming revenue.
The return of Young’s music to Spotify marks a significant development in the ongoing tension between artists and platforms over content moderation and misinformation.
Other notable artists who withdrew their work from Spotify in January 2022 included Joni Mitchell, India Arie, and the group Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
Spotify’s decision to navigate between the demands of legendary musicians and the popularity of Joe Rogan’s controversial podcast underscores the complex dynamics shaping the streaming landscape. CEO Daniel Ek previously defended Rogan’s presence on the platform, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives.
Rogan himself issued an apology amidst the controversy, vowing to showcase a more balanced range of viewpoints on his platform.