Rock legend Neil Young performs during a rally against the destruction of old growth forests in Victoria on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Two years after the "Heart of Gold" musician launched a boycott of the streaming music service over vaccine misinformation on Joe Rogan's podcast, Young says he intends to end his protest and return to the platform. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
TORONTO – Neil Young is coming back to Spotify.
Two years after the “Heart of Gold” musician launched a boycott of the streaming music service over vaccine misinformation on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Young says he intends to end his protest and return to the platform.
However, he says it is not a reversal of his original stance.
Young says on his website he decided to return to Spotify after the company ended its exclusive distribution contract with Rogan’s podcast, which means it’s now available on various streaming platforms, including those owned by Apple and Amazon.
Young says expanding the boycott to the other major streaming services doesn’t make much sense because his music would have “very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all.”
In January 2022, Young pulled his catalogue from Spotify after giving the company an ultimatum over concerns Rogan was spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on his show.
Shortly after, Joni Mitchell joined the boycott and removed most of her music from Spotify, where it remains unavailable today.
Both musicians contracted polio as children before a vaccine was developed in the early 1950s.
Young says he hopes with the return of his music, Spotify will improve the sound quality of its platform to support high-resolution audio. As of Wednesday morning, Young’s deep catalogue of albums had yet to reappear on the service.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2024.
