Neil Young returns to Spotify after boycott over Joe Rogan
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Neil Young will return his music to Spotify after boycotting the streaming service for two years over its relationship with Joe Rogan
The singer-songwriter, 78, removed his entire catalogue in January 2022 in protest over Spotify’s exclusive hosting of Rogan’s chart-topping podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.
The show was criticised for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines by scientists and medical professionals. Young also criticised Rogan and, along with other artists including Joni Mitchell and India Arie, removed their songs.
At the time, Young described Spotify as “the home of life-threatening Covid misinformation”. He said: “Selling lies for money... they can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
Young’s change of heart follows a business decision by Rogan, who last month signed a new multi-year deal, believed to be worth $250 million, that will see his podcast distributed by other platforms, including Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Amazon Music. It means that The Joe Rogan Experience is no longer exclusive to Spotify.
Writing on his website, Young said: “My decision 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.”
Young said in January 2022 that Spotify represented 60 per cent of his streaming revenue globally, which amounted to “a huge loss” for his record company to absorb.
The Joe Rogan Experience is consistently the most played podcast on Spotify. Its host has previously spoken of his disappointment with Young’s boycott, insisting that he was not intentionally giving a platform to Covid-19 vaccine misinformation.
“I’m not trying to promote misinformation,” said Rogan when Young’s boycott began. “I’m not trying to be controversial. I’ve never tried to do anything with this podcast other than to just talk to people.
“I do not know if they’re right. I don’t know because I’m not a doctor; I’m not a scientist. I’m just a person who sits down and talks to people and has conversations with them.”
