Neil Young Demands Spotify Remove His Music Over 'False Information About Vaccines'

[George II]

Source: Rolling Stone

JANUARY 24, 2022 5:52PM ET

Neil Young has posted an open letter to his management team and record label demanding that they remove his music from Spotify. “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” he writes. “Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.”

“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” he continues. “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.” Young is referencing the steady stream of misinformation about vaccines that Joe Rogan has peddled on The Joe Rogan Experience. Last month, 270 doctors, physicians, and science educators signed an open letter asking Spotify to stop spreading Rogan’s baseless claims.

“With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE, which is hosted exclusively on Spotify, is the world’s largest podcast and has tremendous influence,” the letter reads. “Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy.”

Young removed most of his music from Spotify several years ago because he felt the sound quality on the service was too low, but he ultimately relented. “That’s where people get music,” he told Rolling Stone in 2019. “I want people to hear my music no matter what they have to get through to do it. I’m just trying to make it so they hear a lot more and enjoy it a lot more, but sell it for the same price because music is music.”

Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/neil-young-demands-spotify-remove-music-vaccine-disinformation-1290020/

[ZonkerHarris]

1. I wish every rational artist would do this and make spotify lose joey

[Kid Berwyn]

2. There were peasants singin' and drummers drumming

And the archer split the tree

[Zambero]

3. Be on my side

I'll be on your side

[dweller]

4. Sailing heart-ships through broken harbors

Out on the waves in the night
Still the searcher must ride the dark horse
Racing alone in his fright
https://m.

✌🏻

[Cha]

5. Excellent Statement form

Neil Young

[LoisB]

6. Excellent!

[nattyice]

7. Interesting, Spotify is a Swedish company. Having visited three schools in Sweden, they really

Value science and critical thinking. Surprised they haven’t given Joe Rogan the boot already.

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. Great! Now if only Taylor Swift and Beyonc would do the same...

Maybe Joe Rogan would have to find a new home to spew his misinformation.

[DanieRains]

9. I Am Surprised Someone Who Lost Someone To Covid Hasn't "Dealt With" Rogan By This Time

He is literally killing people's family members with his lies.

MURDER.

[Scrivener7]

10. That's impressive!

[StarryNite]

11. Good for Young!

[mcar]

12. Love Neil Young

[Skittles]

13. same

[Evolve Dammit]

14. Neil has always been on the right side. I respect him for standing up.

[Deuxcents]

17. As do I

It’s never been about money or fame with him. It’s been picket lines n equality n being about music that stirs us about the goings on of the day. Much respect from me, too.

[NurseJackie]

15. Am I mis-remembering, or does Rogan have a handful of fans and admirers here?

Surely I'm wrong... maybe I'm confusing it with something I read on Twitter.

[George II]

18. No doubt with his turnoff personality he's got a handful, but it's not fans, and it's not full!

[luv2fly]

16. If only some DUers felt so strongly about Facebook

But you know, apparently the insurrectionist-supporting anti-vax platform is okay as long as you're keeping tabs on family.

[Deuxcents]

19. Don't understand..

This DUer is not on Facebook.. or any other social media except here n I do read DailyKos. Maybe I’m misunderstanding ..

[NurseJackie]

28. Yawn.

[Evolve Dammit]

21. "Southern Man" has never been more relevant.

[SergeStorms]

22. Doesn't mean that much to me...

to mean that much to you, Spotify.

Nice touch, Neil. You always had a beautiful social conscience.

[IronLionZion]

23. We know where the music's playin'

Let's go out and feel the night

[Twoflower]

24. Giving back some glares!

[madville]

25. Gee, I wonder which one they will choose

The podcast that brings millions of listeners multiple times a week, or the musician who maybe attracts a few thousand to the platform in a year.

[Haggard Celine]

29. That's what I was thinking.

They gave Rogan a $100 million contract. I think they're going to get their money's worth before they get rid of him.

[rockfordfile]

26. Others should do the same

[Jose Garcia]

30. That would be the only way it would be effective

[ChazII]

27. k&R n/t

[BobTheSubgenius]

31. Rogan would have been deplatformed AGES ago from the major social media sites.

"Deplatform." Another word I never saw coming.

[Snackshack]

32. i used to like & listen

To rogan. Some of his older podcast with guests like Randall Carlson, Graham Handcock, Brian Cox etc were really good to listen too. its too bad he has let morals and values, integrity fall by the wayside.

[The Grand Illuminist]

33. One major problem....

He no longer has sole authority on his songs now that he sold 50% of his catalog to Hipgnosis. Realistically, Hipgnosis must go along with it, but highly doubt it will.