Neil Young took his music off of the world’s biggest streaming service, Spotify, two years ago. His beefs with the company were many, including a lack of high res audio, but his main concern with Spotify’s exclusive deal with Joe Rogan, whose podcast Young claimed spread “unfactual, misleading and false COVID information,” among other things. But now that Spotify and Rogan made a $250 million deal that his podcast will be available everywhere, Young has announced his music will return to the platform.
In a post on his Archives site titled “My Return to Low Res Spotify,” Young writes, “My decision comes as other music services, Apple, Amazon, Qobuz, Tidal, all high res, have started serving the same disinformation podcast I had opposed at Spotify. 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. Qobuz and Tidal, where my music is presented, are all High Res as well.”
Young continues, “I hope all you millions of Spotify users enjoy my songs! They will now all be there for you except for the full sound we created. Hopefully Spotify will turn to Hi Res as the answer and serve all the music to everyone. Spotify, you can do it!.”
As of this post, Neil Young’s music has not been put back on Spotify but it should be there in time to brush up on his catalogue ahead of his spring tour with Crazy Horse.