'They can have Rogan or Young. Not both': Neil Young demands Spotify removes his music because of vaccine 'disinformation being spread' by podcaster Joe Rogan on the streaming service
Neil Young has demanded Spotify remove all of his music from their streaming service in a blazing row over vaccine misinformation spread by podcaster Joe Rogan.
In an open letter to his manager and record label telling them to have his catalogue taken down the Heart of Gold singer writes: 'They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.'
Young hit out at the streaming platform, which offers 72 albums of his work, for 'spreading fake information about vaccines'.
However, making such a demand may be impossible after the singer sold 50 per cent of his catalogue to UK investment fund Hipgnosis Songs, reportedly for $150million.
It remains unclear whether the split ownership of Young's catalogue means he has the right to make this demand.
Neil Young has demanded Spotify remove all of his music from their streaming service in a blazing row over vaccine misinformation spread by podcaster Joe Rogan
In the now-deleted online letter he specifically took aim at comedian and podcaster Rogan, saying: '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'
MailOnline has contacted Hipgnosis Songs, Spotify, Joe Rogan and Neil Young for comment.
In the now-deleted online letter he specifically took aim at comedian and podcaster Rogan, who signed a $100million deal with Spotify giving them exclusive rights to his show, The Joe Rogan Experience.
'With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE [Joe Rogan Experience], which is hosted exclusively on Spotify, is the world's largest podcast and has tremendous influence,' he writes.
'Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy,' he wrote.
Young, who is married Blade Runner actress Daryl Hannah, added: '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.
'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.
Neil Young, who is married to American actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah (pictured together in 2018), added: '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.'
A total of 270 experts and medical professionals called on Spotify to adopt a misinformation policy after Joe Rogan (pictured) hosted the controversial Dr Robert Malone last month
'Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.'
The letter was addressed to Frank Gironda, Young's manager, and Warner Records which releases his work through Reprise Records.
Gironda confirmed the letter to the Daily Beast, adding: 'It's something that's really important to Neil. He's very upset … we're trying to figure this out right now.'
Young has been an advocate of the COVID-19 vaccines in the past, most recently when he cancelled his appearance at the Farm Aid concert in August 2021, citing that the event could be a super spreader for the Delta variant at the time.
Young had previously removed most of his music from Spotify in 2015 over 'sound quality' issues, but her 'ultimately relented,' returning to Spotify in 2016, the Rolling Stone reported.
Young is not the only artist to pull his music from Spotify. In 2015, Prince also removed his songs from the streaming service in 2015 in order to negotiate the rights to his music.
Prince's music returned to Spotify in 2017 nearly a year after his death in 2016.
In 2014, Taylor Swift famously removed her music from Spotify, claiming the streaming service did not provide enough money for artists. The singer returned to the service in 2017 after her management agreed to distribute their Spotify revenue from her songs to their other artists.
Young's letter is not the first time Spotify have faced criticism for their partnership with Joe Rogan.
Young's critical letter comes just weeks after Spotify was lobbied in a letter by 270 'doctors' to adopt a misinformation policy after the comedian hosted the controversial Dr. Robert Malone.
However days after the letter emerged it was revealed that not all the 270 were in fact doctors.
The numbers were in fact made up by engineers, podcasters and teachers as well as a veterinarian, a dentist, a social worker, and several psychologists.
During a three-hour and six-minute interview on the now-viral episode #1757 of The Joe Rogan Experience, Malone compared the US to Nazi Germany and said today's society was suffering from a 'mass formation psychosis' over the use of vaccines.
During a three-hour and six-minute interview on the now-viral episode #1757 of The Joe Rogan Experience, Malone (pictured on the show) compared the US to Nazi Germany and said today's society was suffering from a 'mass formation psychosis' over the use of vaccines
The 61-year-old doctor's account was suspended and Twitter cited a violation of the platform's rules
He also claimed to be part of the team that invented the mRNA technology used in the Covid-19 jab and said pharmaceutical companies administering vaccines - such as Pfizer and Moderna - have 'financial conflicts of interest'.
Hundreds of medical professionals have fact-checked Malone and demanded accountability from Spotify - which spent a reported $100million on exclusive streaming rights to the Joe Rogan Experience in 2021.
In an open letter, they said: 'With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE, which is hosted exclusively on Spotify, is the world's largest podcast and has tremendous influence.
'Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy.'
The letter claims Rogan has a penchant for 'broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic' and that the episode with Malone promoted 'baseless conspiracy theories', including 'an unfounded theory that societal leaders have 'hypnotized the public'.
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