Neil Young is returning to Spotify with his music. There's no excitement to return though. In fact in his statements to the matter, he seems to be insulting Spotify still.
In his words, the platforms where he transferred to - Apple and Amazon, both had "started serving the same disinformation" in podcasts, which caused him to leave Spotify more than two years ago.
But he still called Spotify the "streamer of low res music."
Neil Young Returns to Spotify
Young added that he cannot boycott Amazon Music and Apple Music now since that would leave fans with a "tiny streaming outlet to music lovers at all."
In January 2022, Young demanded that Spotify remove his songs from the service in protest at the company's inability to stop COVID misinformation on the podcast
The Joe Rogan Experience. Spotify "may have Rogan or Young," he declared. Not both.
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On January 26, Spotify took Young's songs down.
"Spotify has recently become a very damaging force via its public misinformation and lies about COVID," Young wrote at the time.
"Spotify, the #1 streamer of low res music in the world - Spotify, where you get less quality than we made, will now be home of my music again," Young announced Tuesday in a post on his website.
Young continued, "My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at SPOTIFY."
He further explained, "I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it. Qobuz and Tidal, where my music is presented, are all High res as well."
Apple and Amazon Disinformation - What Is It Exactly?
Young did not go into detail about what podcast "disinformation" it is claimed Apple and Amazon are selling.
However, that might be a reference to Rogan's multiyear contract renewal with Spotify, which was signed last month.
It means that "The Joe Rogan Experience" won't be available solely on Spotify going forward.
Neil Young Advice to Spotify
Even though he grudgingly returns to Spotify, he did not mince his advice for the streamer.
He urges Spotify to introduce a high-quality audio tier.
"Hopefully Spotify will turn to Hi Res as the answer and serve all the music to everyone," Young wrote. "Spotify, you can do it! Really be #1 in all ways. You have the music and the listeners!!!! Start with a limited Hi res tier and build from there!"
Young, after he exited Spotify in 2022, had criticized the quality of Spotify's audio compression as delivering a "shitty, degraded and neutered sound... If you support Spotify, you are destroying an art form."
