Neil Young back on Spotify; criticizes ‘disinformation’

Rock star Neil Young left Spotify in 2022 in protest over podcaster Joe Rogan, but says he can’t continue the fight as Rogan expands distribution to Apple, YouTube, and Amazon

Neil Young is set to return his music to Spotify after keeping it off the streaming platform for more than two years.

Young made the decision to remove his entire catalogue from the world’s biggest streaming company in January 2022, in protest against Joe Rogan, whose chart-topping podcast was exclusive to Spotify.

Rogan faced widespread accusations of spreading misinformation about Covid vaccines via the podcast, not only from Young but also from a group of 270 scientists and healthcare professionals who stated that Rogan’s misinformation was “a sociological issue of devastating proportions, and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform.”

Referring to Spotify as “the home of life-threatening Covid misinformation” and accusing it of “selling lies for money,” Young stated, “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.” Consequently, his music was taken down, with a Spotify spokesperson expressing regret over Neil’s decision and hoping to welcome him back soon.

In January 2022, Rogan issued an apology, stating, “I don’t always get it right,” and expressing his intention to “balance things out” by inviting “experts with differing opinions.” Spotify’s chief executive, Daniel Ek, also apologized, acknowledging, “We have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely accepted information from the medical and scientific communities.”

As of February this year, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast is no longer exclusive to Spotify. Rogan signed a new multi-year deal, reportedly worth $250 million (£196 million), allowing the podcast to be distributed on other platforms like Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. Young has stated that he cannot continue his opposition across all streaming platforms and will therefore return his music to Spotify.

On his website, Young explained his decision, stating, “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.” He criticized Spotify for its playback quality, calling it “the #1 streamer of low-res music in the world,” and expressed disappointment that Spotify users would not experience the full sound quality of his songs. Young hoped that Spotify would introduce a high-definition tier to its service and suggested fans explore alternatives like Qobuz and Tidal for better audio quality.

Despite being 78, Neil Young remains as outspoken as ever, known for his musical critiques against war, the US government, and environmental destruction. In November, he boycotted X (formerly Twitter) after owner Elon Musk promoted an antisemitic tweet, urging Tesla to “fly flags of love – not hate.” Earlier in 2023, he criticized Ticketmaster, stating that artists have to deal with fans upset over Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers, making concert tours less enjoyable. Despite his criticism, he is embarking on a tour in April promoted by Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent company, performing 16 dates across North America with his band Crazy Horse.

Young is also gearing up for the April release of “Fu##in Up,” a live album recorded in November, featuring songs primarily from his 1990 album “Ragged Glory.” After the recording, he shared, “I had been playing with arthritis in my hand for years and years and finally discovered a way around the pain with no drugs that let me play as I felt.” Describing the last show as a lifetime experience, he added, “It was a very special night! We captured it. Nothing new. Just my old songs and the Horse, but I felt so great, my singing was free and easy. I can’t remember a night like that in decades, if ever.”

In February, Young released “Dume,” a collection of material recorded with Crazy Horse during sessions for 1975’s “Zuma.” This followed “Before and After,” an album of solo acoustic rerecordings of older Young songs, released in December 2023.