Taylor Linzinmeir, a freelance journalist for Alternative Press Magazine and Loudwire and a recent OU graduate said artists have been removing their content from Spotify even before the controversy between Young and "JRE."
“I think it’s ironic what Neil Young said about spreading misinformation considering the comments he made about LGBT and AIDS in the 80s,” Logan Hancock, a student who graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in education from Ohio State University, said.Īccording to Rolling Stone, Young made offensive comments about AIDS in an interview with Melody Maker in 1985, using a queer slur and other expletives. The music was added back to Spotify 10 days later. Spotify confirmed to NME in March 2021 that Kakao M, a South Korean entertainment company, would be removing several Korean artists’ catalogs from the streaming platform. “Apart from the misinformation, it sounds similar to what’s happened with some K-pop groups and why their big time producers/whoever ‘owns' them in South Korea won’t let their music be shared on Spotify,” Caroline Rhude, a sophomore studying Spanish and social work at Ohio University, said in a message. Other popular figures on Spotify who are reconsidering their partnership include Brené Brown and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Several artists and podcast hosts are following Young’s lead, including Jodi Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. 27 after Spotify, which paid Rogan $100 million dollars to buy exclusive rights to his podcast in 2020, refused to remove "JRE" from its podcast library.
Author and Black, queer feminist Roxane Gay has also decided to remove her podcast "The Roxane Gay Agenda" from Spotify, also. 4, Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter India.Arie published a compilation of the comments on Instagram and has requested her music be removed from Spotify. Spotify has removed approximately 70 episodes of Rogan’s podcast after videos of him using a racial slur resurfaced. In an episode published April 23, 2021, Rogan said, “But if you're like 21 years old, and you say to me, should I get vaccinated? I'll go no.”Īccording to Spotify’s year-end statistics, "JRE" was the most-streamed podcast among Spotify listeners in 2021. The company had 31% of the 524 million music streaming subscriptions worldwide in the second quarter of 2021, more than double that of second-place Apple Music, according to Midia Research.Young wrote that he was inspired to take action after a letter published and signed by over 200 medical professionals called on Spotify to address Rogan’s “concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.” Spotify reports having 406 million active monthly users, up nearly 20% from last year, and advertising has grown largely because of podcasting.
#JOE ROXANE GAY TAKES LICENSE#
Spotify, which reportedly paid over $100 million to license Rogan’s podcast, said previously that it would soon add a warning to all podcasts that discuss COVID-19, directing listeners to factual, up-to-date information from scientists and public health experts.Įk said in his letter that he was committing $100 million to license and develop music and other audio projects from historically marginalized communities. Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress,” Ek wrote. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but cancelling voices is a slippery slope. Grammy-winning artist India.Arie posted it on her Instagram, using the hashtag #DeleteSpotify. Musician Neil Young asked to have his music removed because of concerns about COVID-19 misinformation and other artists followed suit, including Joni Mitchell and Roxane Gay.Ĭriticism intensified when a video compilation emerged last week showing Rogan repeatedly using racial slurs. Until Ek’s letter to employees was revealed, it was unclear how Spotify would respond to the latest scandal involving Rogan, who has faced scrutiny for nearly two weeks for promoting vaccine skepticism. Ek apologized to employees for the impact the controversy is having on them.