Neil Young returns his music to Spotify

Neil Young returns his music to Spotify, ‘except for the full sound we created’

Neil Young, with one hand raised and the other holding the neck of a guitar. He wears a beanie and flannel shirt

By August BrownStaff Writer

March 13, 2024 9:54 AM PT

After a two-year boycott, rocker Neil Young will bring his music back to Spotify.

Young withdrew his catalog in 2022 after lamenting the spread of medical misinformation on popular Spotify podcasts such as “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Young’s move prompted a few other artists, including Joni Mitchell and India.Arie, to do the same.

“I first learned of this problem by reading that 200 plus doctors had joined forces, taking on the dangerous life-threatening COVID falsehoods found in Spotify programming,” Young wrote in 2022. “I realized I could not continue to support Spotify life threatening misinformation to the music loving public.”

In a new statement on his website, Young wrote, “My decision comes as services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify.”

Last month, Rogan signed a new nonexclusive deal with Spotify, allowing his podcast to appear on more platforms.

Young said, “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.”

Young, a stalwart defender of high-fidelity audio, said he did so “in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it.”

The singer, who will hit the road with his band Crazy Horse next month, signed off with a delightfully catty flourish: “I hope all you millions of Spotify users enjoy my songs! They will now all be there for you except for the full sound we created.”

Neil Young returns his music to Spotify, ‘except for the full sound we created’

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