Singer and songwriter Neil Young announced his return to Spotify after removing his catalog from the platform two years ago in protest of Spotify hosting Joe Rogan's podcast.
In January 2022, Young cited Rogan's discussion and criticism of Covid-19 and vaccines as his reasoning for removing his content.
Young announced his return to the platform in a Tuesday post on his website. "Spotify, the #1 streamer of low res music in the world - Spotify where you get less quality than we made, will now be home of my music again," Young announced. "My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at SPOTIFY."
The announcement took jabs at Spotify's music resolution quality, though noted his music catalog was limited in scope by remaining off the platform.
"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, 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," he continued, touting high-resolution competitor streaming services Qobuz and Tidal.
"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," he continued. "Hopefully Spotify will turn to Hi Res as the answer and serve all the music to everyone. Spotify, you can do it! Really be #1 in all ways." "You have the music and the listeners!!!! Start with a limited Hi res tier and build from there!" Young added. In a now-deleted January 2022 announcement, Young gave Spotify an ultimatum saying, "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both." In another post to his website, Young elaborated on his decision to pull his catalog from Spotify. "Spotify has recently become a very damaging force via its public misinformation and lies about COVID," Young wrote at the time. "Most of the listeners hearing the unfactual, misleading and false COVID information on SPOTIFY are 24 years old, impressionable and easy to swing to the wrong side of the truth."Loading...
"I sincerely hope that other artists and record companies will move off the SPOTIFY platform and stop supporting SPOTIFY's deadly misinformation about COVID," he added.
Other artists who joined Young in protest of Spotify's hosting of Rogan's podcast included Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren, India.Arie, and Graham Nash along with David Crosby & Stephen Stills.
