Spotify sides with Joe Rogan, eliminates Neil Young’s new music

Spotify has sided with its podcast celebrity over Neil Younger.

The legendary folks singer gave the streaming behemoth an ultimatum before this week, declaring he refused to allow his tunes on the exact same system as Joe Rogan. The “Heart of Gold” singer accused Rogan and his podcast of spreading fake data about COVID-19 vaccines.

Spotify reportedly compensated a lot more than $100 million to be the exclusive house of Rogan’s present. Younger, in the meantime, stands to lose 60% of his streaming profits from his defiant stance, he explained in a assertion on his web site.

“We want all the world’s new music and audio material to be available to Spotify people,” a spokesperson for the corporation instructed the Wall Road Journal. “With that comes great accountability in balancing the two security for listeners and freedom for creators.” 

Considering the fact that the start off of the pandemic, the spokesman observed, Spotify has eliminated extra than 20,000 COVID-connected podcast episodes. Continue to, Young’s protests were being not ample for it to drop its worthwhile star talker. 

“We regret Neil’s decision to clear away his new music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him again shortly,” the spokesperson added. 

Rogan’s podcast has captivated an believed 11 million listeners.

Young’s letter — which is now deleted from his website — did not mince words in accusing the streaming huge of offering an undeserved system to Rogan and his COVID-19 vaccine “misinformation.” 

“I want you to allow Spotify know promptly Right now that I want all my songs off their system,” wrote the 76-yr-outdated rock icon. “I am undertaking this because Spotify is spreading faux information and facts about vaccines — potentially leading to loss of life to all those who imagine the disinformation currently being spread by them.”

The be aware even integrated a official ultimatum: “They can have Neil Youthful or Rogan. Not Both of those.”

In a assertion posted on his site, Young thanked his publisher Hipgnosis and his label Warner Data/Reprise for supporting his ultimatum.

“Losing 60% of around the globe streaming revenue by leaving SPOTIFY is a incredibly large offer, a pricey transfer, but worth it for our integrity and beliefs. Misinformation about COVID is about the line.”

He went on to nudge other artists to take a identical stance.

“I sincerely hope that other artists can make a go, but I can’t truly be expecting that to come about,” Youthful said. “I did this for the reason that I experienced no alternative in my heart. It is who I am. I am not censoring anyone. I am talking my very own reality.”

Whilst Youthful did not precisely take note which episodes he took challenge with, Rogan did lately host Dr. Robert Malone, the “anti-vaxxer epidemiologist” who was a short while ago booted from Twitter for alleged dissemination of vaccine misinformation, The Post earlier described. 

YouTube removed the episode, in which Malone when compared the local climate encompassing US public health to 1920s and 1930s Germany.

Associates for neither Joe Rogan nor Spotify straight away returned The Post’s request for comment.