Spotify has already begun removing all of Neil Young’s music from the platform, following a controversy caused by podcaster Joe Rogan. It was Young himself who decided that he did not want his discography to continue on the platform, since he points out that Rogan uses his podcast, one of the most successful, to spread false and harmful information.
Faced with Neil Young’s decision, a Spotify representative said:
“We want all the music and audio content in the world to be available to Spotify users. With that comes a huge responsibility in balancing the safety of listeners and freedom for creators. We have detailed policies and have withdrawn more than 20,000 Covid-related podcast episodes since the start of the pandemic. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but look forward to welcoming him back soon.”
The musician explained his decision to leave Spotify in an open letter, in which he accuses the platform of allowing the broadcast of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast: one that has already been questioned by members of the medical community for the views expressed. in it regarding vaccines against Covid-19.
“I first became aware of this problem when I read that more than 200 doctors had united to condemn the dangerous falsehoods about Covid that are in their programming,” the musician wrote. “I realized that I could not continue to support disinformation within Spotify, which puts people’s lives at risk and reaches audiences who love music.”
Spotify accounts for 60% of the world’s streaming plays, so Young said it wasn’t an easy decision for him and his label to make. “Still, my friends at Warner Brothers Reprise stood by me, acknowledging the threat misinformation on Spotify poses to the world, particularly to young people who believe everything they hear on Spotify is true. Unfortunately, it’s not.”
