Photo: Angela Weiss/Spotify / Getty Images
For: EFE Updated 26 Jan 2022, 26: 10 pm EST
The music of Neil Young is going to be removed from Spotify, after the veteran Canadian musician demanded to leave the platform if it did not stop broadcasting the presenter’s popular podcast Joe Rogan, whom he accuses of spreading falsehoods about covid-19 and vaccines against the disease.
This was announced this Wednesday by the artist himself through a message on his website and confirmed by a company spokesman to various US media.
“Spotify has become the home of dangerous misinformation about covid. Lies sold for money”, denounced Young today, who encouraged other musicians to distance themselves from the platform.
The author of “Harvest” had launched an ultimatum this week, demanding the withdrawal of their music if Spotify continued to broadcast “The Joe Rogan Experience”, which is considered the most popular podcast in the United States.
The program, which is offered exclusively on this platform after Spotify signed Rogan to 2020 for 100 million dollars, has been repeatedly criticized for promoting conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and encourage not to vaccinate.
A letter signed by 270 American doctors and scientists warned Spotify a few weeks ago that it was allowing the dissemination of messages that damage public confidence in scientific research and in the as health recommendations.
According to Young, after reading that letter, he decided that he could not continue supporting the streaming platform.
A company spokesperson today confirmed to several US media outlets that the company is in the process of removing Young’s songs from its service.
“We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but look forward to welcoming him back. back soon“, the spokesman told The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter.
The The company defended that it has the responsibility to find a balance between “the safety of listeners and the freedom of creators” and recalled that since the start of the pandemic it has withdrawn more than 20 thousand episodes of podcasts related to covid-19 in compliance content standards.
In his message today, Young thanked his record company (Warner) for supporting his decision despite the important economic losses that it will entail, since Spotify represents the 60 percent of streaming revenue generated by your catalog.
Continue reading
• Spotify Wrapped 2021: Bad Bunny dominates the global list of the most listened to of the year
• Daddy Yankee breaks record and is crowned the artist most listened to Spotify
• Luis Miguel is the first Mexican artist to exceed 5 billion plays on Spotify