Livid music fans DELETE Spotify over Joe Rogan row – but everyone is saying the same thing
SPOTIFY fans are quitting the music streaming service over its spat with rocker Neil Young.
The Swedish outfit on Thursday removed the Harvest Moon songwriter’s music from its service after he called for the dismissal of its top podcaster.
Young objected to his songs being played on the same platform as Joe Rogan, whose podcast has broadcast dangerous vaccine misinformation.
He said the 54-year-old was spreading life-threatening lies about Covid and jabs, telling Spotify this week: “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
After Spotify chose to remove the singer’s catalogue over the row, fans rallied around him, threatening to cancel their monthly subscriptions.
The hashtags “#DeleteSpotify” and “#BoycottSpotify” both trended on Twitter on Thursday in a tirade of posts that showed no sign of slowing down this morning.
One Twitter user said: “I just quit Spotify. Neil Young has been a beacon of integrity my entire life. Joe Rogan enables right-wing authoritarianism and pointless extra Covid deaths.”
Another wrote: “Dear @Spotify. because you chose to delete all of #NeilYoung’s recordings, an artist who has always supported progressive ideals, but are keeping Joe Rogan a complete right wing a****le, I have removed your app from mobile and desk and will not use you again, ever.”
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And a third tweeted: “It’s great so many deleted Spotify in solidarity with Neil Young to fight Joe Rogan’s COVID misinformation. Please also CANCEL your subscription as well.
They added: “@Spotify doesn’t care if you delete the app. They care that you unsubscribe and stop paying.”
A number of people have complained that they are unable to cancel their subscriptions. One person tweeted: “Why doesn’t Spotify have an option to cancel your subscription, without contacting anyone from @Spotify”.
Users gave tips to those struggling to delete their profiles, urging them to remove their credit card details from their accounts so they cannot be charged.
Earlier this week, Young had released a letter addressed to his manager and record label, Warner Music Group , demanding that Spotify no longer carry his music because he said Rogan spreads misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
On Wednesday, the “Heart of Gold” and “Rocking In the Free World” singer thanked his record label for “standing with me in my decision to pull all my music from Spotify,” and he encouraged other musicians to do the same.
“Spotify has become the home of life threatening COVID misinformation,” he said on his website. “Lies being sold for money.”
The Swedish company said it worked to balance “both safety for listeners and freedom for creators” and had removed more than 20,000 podcast episodes related COVID-19 in accordance with its “detailed content policies.”
“We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon,” Spotify said in a statement.
Young, 76, said Spotify accounted for 60 per cent of the streaming of his music to listeners around the world. The removal is “a huge loss for my record company to absorb,” he said.
Rogan, 54, is the host of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the top-rated podcast on Spotify, which holds exclusive rights to the program.
He has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic, government mandates and vaccines to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Earlier this month, 270 scientists and medical professionals signed a letter urging Spotify to take action against Rogan, accusing him of spreading falsehoods on the podcast.
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