Neil Young returns to Spotify two years after quitting over Joe Rogan's Vaccine comments

Neil Young is putting his music back on Spotify just over two years after he pulled it over vaccine misinformation in The Joe Rogan Experience. The streaming platform was Rogan's exclusive home, but they recently signed a $250 million deal with the podcaster which will make the show available on other platforms.

“My decision comes as other music services, Apple, Amazon, Qobuz, Tidal, all in high definition, have started offering the same disinformation podcast that I opposed on Spotify,” Young wrote to fans on The Neil Young Archives. “Because I can't leave all those services like I did Spotify, because my music wouldn't have a streaming outlet at all to music lovers, I'm back.”

That doesn't mean Young is happy with Spotify. His letter repeatedly accuses them of continuing to use low-resolution audio files. “[I have] sincere hopes that Spotify's audio quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it,” he wrote. “Hopefully Spotify will go back to Hi Res as a response and serve all music to everyone. Spotify, you can do it! Truly number 1 in every way. You have the music and the listeners!!! Start with a limited level of high quality and build from there!”

Young initially pulled his music from Spotify in January 2022. “I'm doing this because Spotify is spreading false information about vaccines,” he wrote, “potentially causing death to those who believe the misinformation spread by them.”

In response, Rogan said he was a longtime fan of Neil Young and didn't want to hurt anyone despite repeatedly questioning the safety and effectiveness of Covid vaccines to his massive audience. “I'm not trying to promote misinformation,” he said at that time. “I'm not trying to be controversial. I've never tried to do anything with this podcast other than just talk to people… I don't know if they're right. I don't know because I'm not a doctor. I'm not a scientist. I'm just a person who sits and talks to people and has conversations with them.”

At press time, Young's music had not yet appeared on Spotify.