The company and composer said Wednesday that Neil Young's music is being removed from Spotify's streaming service after the singer-songwriter objected to him playing his songs on the same platform that offers Joe Rogan's podcasts.
Earlier this week, Young issued a letter addressed to his manager and record label, Warner Music Group, demanding that Spotify no longer play his music because he said Rogan was wrong about COVID-19 vaccines. spreads information.
On Wednesday, the "Heart of Gold" and "Rocking in the Free World" singer thanked her record label for "standing with me in my decision to pull all my music from Spotify," and she urged other musicians to do the same. encouraged to do.
"Spotify has become the home of life for COVID misinformation," he said on his website. "Lies are being sold for money."
The Swedish company said it worked to balance "both safety for listeners and freedom for creators" and removed more than 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 in accordance with its "detailed content policies".
"We regret Neil's decision to remove his music from Spotify, but look forward to welcoming him back soon," Spotify said in a statement.
Rogan, 54, is the host of "The Joe Rogan Experience," the top-rated podcast on Spotify, which holds exclusive rights to the program.
He has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic, government orders and vaccines to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Earlier this month, 270 scientists and medical professionals signed a letter urging Spotify to take action, accusing Rogan of spreading lies on the podcast.
Young, 76, said Spotify accounted for 60% of his music streaming to listeners around the world. The expulsion "is a huge loss for my record company to absorb," he said.