NEIL YOUNG RETURNING TO SPOTIFY

Young is bringing his music back to the streaming platform after Apple and Amazon picked up the Joe Rogan Experience.

Image by Per Ole Hagen (license link)

It seems hell has frozen over after Neil Young announced his music is returning to Spotify. After withdrawing his music catalogue from Spotify in January 2022 after a controversial episode of the Joe Rogan Experience spread misinformation about COVID-19, Young is reluctantly crawling back to the streaming platform. 

Young originally left after Joe Rogan signed an exclusive deal with Spotify for his hugely successful podcast. He’s also not a fan of the low-resolution versions of his music the platform uploads. “Why would I keep it on there when it sounds like a pixelated movie?” Young said in November 2022, as reported by NME. 

It appears Young has changed his mind now that the Joe Rogan Experience is no longer just on Spotify, with the podcast now also broadcast on Apple and Amazon. And like anyone with a grievance in the modern world, Young took to the internet to express his annoyance with Spotify, along with sharing his reasons for coming back to the streaming platform. 

“Spotify, the #1 streaming of low res music in the world – Spotify where you get less quality than we made, will now be home of my music again,” his statement began. 

“My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I opposed at Spotify. I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did with 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.”

Neil Young added: “Hopefully Spotify will turn to Hi Res as the answer and sever all the music to everyone. Spotify, you can do it! Really be #1 in all ways. You have the music and the listeners! Start with a limited Hi res tier and build from there!”

At the time of publishing this article, Young's entire discography is still yet to be uploaded to Spotify, but hopefully, it won't be much longer before we can all enjoy Harvest on repeat again.