corona pandemic
After protest from Neil Young: Spotify removes his music
Canadian rock star Neil Young had already threatened to boycott the audio platform Spotify because she was said to have spread false information about corona vaccines.
© Nils Meilvang/SCANPIX DENMARK/dpa
He has already threatened to withdraw from Spotify. Neil Young does not want to have to share a platform with the US comedian Joe Rogan and his Corona fake news. Now the company has responded.
He did not want to be present on a platform that spreads misinformation about the corona virus: With this demand, the folk rock star Neil Young put Spotify under pressure. Now the company reacted and took the Canadian’s music out of its program.
“We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon,” the streaming service said in a statement Wednesday, quoted by the Wall Street Journal and other US media. Young had previously accused the Swedish company of spreading misinformation about coronavirus vaccines in podcasts, for example.
Neil Young: Comments are ‘life threatening’
The 76-year-old musician (“Heart of Gold”, “Rockin’ in the Free World”, “Harvest Moon “) on his website. Spotify accounts for about 60 percent of his music streamed worldwide, so the decision means a big loss for his record company. “In the name of truth” he took this step. In addition, his pieces can be heard on other platforms. Young is listed on Spotify with around six million monthly listeners.
In an open letter that later disappeared from the website, Young directed his criticism at US comedian Joe Rogan’s extremely popular podcast. “You can have Rogan or Young. Not both,” wrote the legendary singer-guitarist, who says he’s self-vaccinated. In another open letter to Spotify, a group of 270 scientists and health experts accused comedian Rogan of downplaying the corona virus and spreading conspiracy theories.
Spotify wants to make all music and audio content accessible to its users, the streaming giant said in a statement. “That brings with it a great responsibility in striking a balance between security for listeners and freedom for creators.” The company has a comprehensive content policy and has removed more than 20,000 Corona-related podcast episodes since the pandemic began.