His songs have returned after two years
After a two-year boycott, Neil Young has returned his music to Spotify. In January 2022, Young demanded that the platform remove his music due to “fake information” regarding the spread of COVID-19 vaccinations on The Joe Rogan Experience. Now that Rogan’s podcast is available on additional platforms, Young says fans can stream his music on Spotify again.
“Spotify, the No. 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,” he writes on his website. “My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify.”
In 2015, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer pulled his music from Spotify and other streaming sites due to the low quality of streaming audio. He returned his songs in 2016 but still says Spotify needs to enhance the quality of sound for its listeners.
“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 says that “Qobuz and Tidal, where my music is present, are all high res as well,” and encourages the company to offer a hi-res tier.
“Hopefully Spotify will turn to hi-res as the answer and serve all the music to everyone,” he states. “Spotify, you can do it! Really be No. 1 in all ways. You have the music and the listeners! Start with a limited hi-res tier and build from there!”
