Neil Younger attends a press convention for Farm Support 34 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on September 21, 2019 in East Troy, Wisconsin.
Gary Miller | Getty Photos Leisure | Getty Photos
Neil Younger on Wednesday mentioned his music will return to Spotify, simply over two years after he and different artists eliminated their catalogues from the music streaming platform amid a vaccine disinformation dispute.
Spotify has not confirmed the information. CNBC has contacted the corporate for remark.
The row that led to his departure centered on Spotify’s multimillion-dollar take care of Joe Rogan, whose eponymous podcast was accused by Younger of spreading “faux data” in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccines. A bunch of 270 U.S. medical doctors and scientist additionally referred to as on Spotify to “take motion towards the mass-misinformation occasions which proceed to happen on its platform.”
In an announcement launched Tuesday, Younger mentioned that his resolution to return was in mild of Apple and Amazon “serving the identical disinformation podcast options” he opposed at Spotify.
Spotify introduced a multi-year take care of Rogan final month that eliminated its exclusivity, that means “The Joe Rogan Expertise” will return to platforms, together with Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Amazon Music.
“I can’t simply go away Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, as a result of my music would have little or no streaming outlet to music lovers in any respect,” Younger mentioned on his web site.
The singer, whose hits embody “Coronary heart of Gold,” “Previous Man” and “Harvest Moon,” made a number of digs at Spotify in his assertion, calling it the “#1 streamer of low res music on the earth … the place you get much less high quality than we made.” He additionally urged the platform to introduce a high-resolution tier.
Younger beforehand mentioned Spotify accounted for 60% of his international streaming income, previous to his departure.
Different artists who pulled their work from the platform in January 2022 included Joni Mitchell, India Arie and the group Crosby, Stills and Nash.
The transfer positioned Spotify able to decide on between quite a few legendary musical figures and the controversial however massively standard Joe Rogan podcast, which was its most streamed present in 2023. On the time, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek mentioned that he didn’t consider in “silencing” Rogan.
Rogan issued an apology amid the furore, pledging to showcase a stability of views on his platform.
CNBC has contacted Apple and Amazon for remark.
