Neil Young recently shared a statement on his Neil Young Archives website and announced his return to Spotify after a two-year absence, expressing hopes for improved sound quality on the platform.
Young made headlines in January 2022 when he publicly called on Spotify to remove his music due to concerns about the spread of vaccine misinformation on Joe Rogan’s podcast, which was exclusively hosted on the streaming platform at the time. The move was seen as a significant protest against Rogan’s content and Spotify’s hosting decisions.
A Change Of Heart
In his recent statement, the rocker revealed his decision to return to Spotify, explaining:
“Spotify, the #1 streamer of low-res music in the world — Spotify, where you get less quality than we made, will now be home of my music again. My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify.”
The singer continued, expressing optimism that the platform could evolve to offer higher-resolution audio in the future:
“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.”
Hopes For Improvement
He lastly said the following to urge Spotify to prioritize sound quality:
“Qobuz and Tidal, where my music is presented, are all high-res as well. 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! Really be #1 in all ways. You have the music and the listeners! Start with a limited hi-res tier and build from there!”
Rogan’s Response To Young’s Move
Joe Rogan, the host of the controversial podcast that sparked Young’s initial protest, responded to the musician’s decision to leave Spotify with understanding and no hard feelings in February 2022. Rogan expressed admiration for Young’s music and reiterated his commitment to diverse perspectives on his show. Rogan stated:
“Because of this controversy and I’m sure there is a lot of other things going on behind the scenes of these controversies. But Neil Young has removed his music from the platform of Spotify and Joni Mitchell and apparently some other people want to as well. I’m very sorry they feel that way. I most certainly don’t want that. I’m a Neil Young fan, I’ve always been a Neil Young fan. I will tell you the story at the end of this about that.”
Speaking to Howard Stern in November 2022, Young had stood by his decision to leave Spotify, citing concerns about Rogan’s content and the importance of sound quality in the digital age. He expressed confidence in other streaming platforms like Amazon, Apple, and QoBuz, which offer higher-quality audio.
