Veteran singer-songwriter Neil Young recently urged “other artists and record companies” to “move off the SPOTIFY platform and stop supporting SPOTIFY’s deadly misinformation about COVID.”
Some of his music peers have answered the call.
On Jan. 26, Young made good on his threat to remove his songs from Spotify unless the streaming service agreed to cut ties with controversial podcast host Joe Rogan, who has drawn criticism for fueling conspiracy theories about COVID-19 treatments and vaccines on the wildly popular “Joe Rogan Experience.”
When Spotify failed to drop Rogan, Young pulled the trigger.
“Spotify represents 60% of the streaming of my music to listeners around the world … Yet my [record label] stood with me, recognizing the threat the COVID misinformation on SPOTIFY posed to the world — particularly for our young people who think everything they hear on SPOTIFY is true,” Young declared on his website.
“Unfortunately it is not.”
Others have since followed the “Heart of Gold” hitmaker’s lead — most notably singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, 78, who belongs to the same label as Young, 76, and entered the folk-rock scene around the same time as her contemporary.
The mounting opposition to Spotify has also sparked rumors that various big names — from Foo Fighters and Barry Manilow to Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — will be the next to walk. But none of that speculation has come to fruition — so far.
Amid rising pressure from musicians, healthcare professionals and Spotify users alike, the head of the streaming giant released a statement Jan. 30 addressing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and published the official Spotify rulebook “to help our users understand how Spotify assesses all content on our platform.”
“Based on the feedback over the last several weeks, it’s become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time,” said Spotify CEO Daniel Ek.
“We take this seriously and will continue to partner with experts and invest heavily in our platform functionality and product capabilities for the benefit of creators and listeners alike. That doesn’t mean that we always get it right, but we are committed to learning, growing and evolving.”
See who else has renounced Spotify in the wake of Young’s anti-Rogan stand.
Joni Mitchell
On Jan. 28, Mitchell became the first major music figure to side with Young by moving to scrub her catalog from Spotify.
“I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify,” Mitchell said in a statement. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”
Mitchell also cited an open letter signed by hundreds of doctors and medical professionals who warn that Rogan’s podcast promotes “baseless conspiracy theories and has a concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Nils Lofgren
On Jan. 29, guitarist Lofgren of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band announced that he had pulled 27 years’ worth of music from Spotify.
“Neil and I go back 53 years,” Lofgren said in a statement on his website.
“We encourage all musicians, artists and music lovers everywhere, to stand with us all, and cut ties with Spotify. … Pick up your sword and start swinging! Neil always has. Stand with him, us (Joni Mitchell!), and others. It’s a powerful action YOU can all take NOW, to honor truth, humanity and the heroes risking their lives every day to save ours.”
Brené Brown
Bestselling author and researcher Brown — who recently inked an exclusive multiyear deal with Spotify — stalled her podcasts “Unlocking Us” and “Dare to Lead” three days after Young left the platform.
“I will not be releasing any podcasts until further notice,” Brown tweeted Jan. 29. “To our #UnlockingUs and #DaretoLead communities, I’m sorry and I’ll let you know if and when that changes. Stay awkward, brave, and kind.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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