Neil Young Ends Spotify Boycott

Neil Young is ending his two-year Spotify boycott.

The celebrated singer is returning his music to the audio giant after Joe Rogan signed a $250m deal to make his podcast available on multiple platforms, rather than remaining a Spotify exclusive.

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Young withdrew his music from Spotify in January 2022 due to its support for Rogan, and a number of big-name artists including his former bandmates Crosby, Stills and Nash followed suit.

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Youngā€™s issue with Spotify was that the platform was backing a podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, helmed by someone who was spreading vaccine misinformation.

Young yesterday indicated that his musicā€™s return to the platform does not reflect a reversal of his stance against Rogan. He has previously said that Spotify represented 60% of his streaming revenue globally, leading to a ā€œhuge lossā€ for his record company.

ā€œOther music services [including] Apple, Amazon, Qobuz, Tidalā€¦ have started serving the same disinformation podcast I had opposed at Spotify,ā€ Young wrote on his website.

ā€œBecause I cannot leave all those services like I did Spotify, because my music would have no streaming outlet to music lovers at all, I have returned.ā€

Young is a decorated artist who has been making music for six decades with hits including ā€œHarvest Moonā€, ā€œHeart of Goldā€ and ā€œOld Man.ā€

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