An open letter from Neil Young has sparked the #CancelSpotify Twitter trend and opened up a discussion about free speech on streaming platforms.
In the open letter, Neil Young criticized Spotify for enabling the spread of misinformation about the corona vaccination – particularly through podcasts such as Joe Rogan’s “Joe Rogan Experience”. In the past, he has urged his young fans not to be vaccinated.
As long as that’s possible, Young doesn’t want his music to be heard on Spotify. “I decided to make the call because Spotify is spreading misinformation about vaccinations – potentially killing people who believe this misinformation,” the singer said.
Young then received support from his fans and fellow musicians via Twitter with the hashtag “CancelSpotify”. Songwriter David Crosby wrote, “I’m proud of him for that.”
Makes me proud of him https://t.co/GUsXg2gwZz
— David Crosby (@thedavidcrosby) January 25, 2022
Young’s music can no longer be heard on Spotify
Meanwhile, almost all of Young’s song catalog has been removed from Spotify. The streaming service also announced, “We have removed detailed content guidelines and over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify but hope to welcome him back soon.”
A little later, Spotify competitors tweeted their – of course not entirely altruistic – solidarity with Young:
It’s always a good idea to stream @NeilYoungNYA.https://t.co/g4232DaRkF pic.twitter.com/VdBP6AwceQ
— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) January 25, 2022
Don’t mind me.https://t.co/J0Jd5lwHSB
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) January 27, 2022
We have a 100% Neil Young playlist, along with his discography on Deezer…
Just in case you were wondering.https://t.co/sfKOCXfyEJ
— Deezer (@Deezer) January 27, 2022
As a result, the streaming platform also received support from some quarters. For example, singer David Draiman wrote: “I applaud Spotify for upholding freedom of speech and not giving in under pressure. I don’t endorse all of the statements made by Joe Rogan and his guests, but they should have an opportunity to voice their opinions.”
@eldsjal I applaud you and @Spotify for making the RIGHT call, preserving #FreeSpeech and not capitulating to the mob. I may not agree with everything @joerogan or his guests say, but they’re entitled to have the forum to say it.
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) January 27, 2022
Young stands by his decision
Though Young says he gets 60 percent of his streaming revenue from Spotify, he’s remained steadfast so far. In another statement, the musician wrote: “I have realized that I can no longer support Spotify’s life-threatening spread of misinformation to the music-loving community. […] I was willing to do everything in my power to do that, and more.”