Status: 01/27/2022 10:39 a.m
Neil Young doesn’t want his music to be available on Spotify like the podcasts by comedian Rogan – he’s not the only one accusing him of false information about Corona. That’s why Young has his works removed from the platform.
Singer-songwriter Neil Young’s music is disappearing from Spotify. The Canadian had put pressure on Spotify: he didn’t want to be present on a platform that was spreading misinformation about the corona virus.
“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, quoted by the Wall Street Journal and other US media.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Spotify has removed more than 20,000 podcast episodes related to Corona.
Image: AP
Young: Step “In the Name of Truth”
Young had previously accused the Swedish company of spreading misinformation about coronavirus vaccines in podcasts, for example. He hopes other artists and record labels will follow his example to stop the spread of “life-threatening misinformation” about the virus, the 76-year-old wrote 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.
Six million listeners a month
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 vaccinated.
A group of 270 scientists and health experts had previously accused Rogan of downplaying the corona virus and spreading conspiracy theories in another open letter to Spotify.
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.