Neil Young Threatens To Leave Spotify: “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both”

Neil Young Threatens To Leave Spotify: “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both”

In a since-deleted open letter on his website, Neil Young instructed his manager and record label to remove his music from Spotify unless the streaming service ditches podcaster Joe Rogan.


Young wrote that Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, spreads misinformation about Covid vaccines


“Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy,’ he wrote, according to numerous media reports. “I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform … They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”

Young, who survived polio as a child, continued, “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them. Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.”

Rogan signed a $100 million deal with Spotify in 2020, giving them exclusive rights to The Joe Rogan Experience.


Young isn’t the first to complain about Rogan’s vaccine stance. Earlier this month, a group of 270 scientists, professors, doctors and healthcare workers wrote an open letter to Spotify expressing concern about “false and societally harmful assertions” made on The Joe Rogan Experience. The letter urged Spotify to “establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation on its platform.”


The doctors’ group took issue with what it calls Rogan’s penchant for “broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic,” specifically “a highly controversial episode featuring guest Dr. Robert Malone.” The group noted that Malone was suspended from Twitter for “for spreading misinformation about COVID-19,” and said he used his time on Rogan’s podcast to promote “an unfounded theory that societal leaders have ‘hypnotized’ the public.”


The crackpot “hypnotism” theory was recently endorsed by anti-vaxx rocker Eric Clapton.


As of Tuesday morning, Young’s catalogue of music remained on Spotify. Deadline has reached out to Spotify for comment.