Spotify is taking down Neil Young’s music after the singer issued an ultimatum they choose between his songs or removing the Joe Rogan podcast over vaccine misinformation, as politicians and comedians weigh in.
Spotify chooses to take down Neil Young’s music rather than remove the Joe Rogan podcast from its streams
In an open letter addressed to his management team at Lookout Management and Warner Bros. corporate leadership, Neil Young posted a since-deleted copy to his official website on Monday, in which the singer demanded the removal of his music from the streaming network, Variety reported.
“Please immediately inform Spotify that I am actively canceling all my music availability on Spotify as soon as possible,” reads Young’s open letter. “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading false information about vaccines — potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them.”
“Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule,” the statement continues. “I want you to let Spotify know immediately today that I want all of my music off their platform. They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
Spotify chooses Rogan over Young
The Daily Mail reached out to Spotify, and a representative for the streaming service confirmed that Neal Young’s music is expected to be removed later today.
It is worth noting that Joe Rogan signed a $100 million deal with Spotify in May 2020.
The Daily Mail also noted that Neil Young sold 50 percent of his catalog to U.K. investment fund Hipgnosis Songs last year for a reported $150 million. It remains unclear whether the split ownership of Young’s catalog means the singer retains any rights allowing him to make this type of demand.
“We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users,” a spokesperson for the company stated. “With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators.”
“We have detailed content policies in place, and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to [misinformation] since the start of the pandemic,” the spokesperson continued.
“We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify but hope to welcome him back soon,” a representative for the streaming service added, Pitchfork reported.
Senator Rand Paul, Donald Trump Jr., and others weigh in on the Neil Young vs. Joe Rogan spat
Senator Rand Paul took to Twitter to comment on the feud, writing: “Bye Bye, Hey Hey, Neil Young is gone today. It’s better to boycott than to obey. Bye Bye, Hey Hey,” Paul wrote, adding, “Seeya @Neilyoung.”
The Hill reported Paul continued, saying that Young’s song “Ohio,” an anthem written in the aftermath of the Kent State massacre, is “one of the greatest protest songs of all time.”
“Free speech is kinda important also,” Paul added.
Donald Trump Jr. also weighed in on the matter on Twitter, posting a picture of Young in Trump’s office, writing: “So Neil Young pulled his letter this Monday because it seems he doesn’t even own his music portfolio anymore & therefore has no control. That checks out because he was in our offices a decade ago trying to sell it. We passed! I know because I think I took this pic in DJT’s office!”
One of the funniest comments came from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, which delivered a truth bomb about Spotify allegedly not paying artists adequately for their content it uses, writing: “Neil Young is gonna regret this when his monthly Spotify checks for $1.37 stop rolling in.”
