Photo — Neil Young: Per Ole Hagen (CC BY-SA 1.0) · Joe Rogan: https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/55220714857/ (Public domain)
The Short Version
In January 2022, musician Neil Young demanded Spotify remove his music back catalog, citing concerns that podcaster Joe Rogan was spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on the platform. Spotify fulfilled Young's request to pull his music. Young returned his music to Spotify in March 2024 after Rogan's show became distributed across non-exclusive platforms.
Latest Development
Joe Rogan reacts on podcast to Neil Young's Spotify return
Joe Rogan publicly noted Young's return during a podcast episode, playfully commenting on Young's explanation regarding multi-platform podcast availability.
March 14, 2024 · Public statement
The Beef
Chronological, newest first. Every entry cites a source.
Beef timeline
March 14, 2024
Joe Rogan reacts on podcast to Neil Young's Spotify return
Public statementJoe Rogan publicly noted Young's return during a podcast episode, playfully commenting on Young's explanation regarding multi-platform podcast availability.
Source ↗March 13, 2024
Neil Young announces return to Spotify
Public statementNeil Young stated on his website that his music would return to Spotify following Rogan's deal expansion to rival streaming platforms, explaining he could no longer boycott Spotify without forfeiting streaming distribution entirely.
Source ↗January 30, 2022
Joe Rogan responds to criticism and pledges more balanced guest perspectives
Public statementJoe Rogan released a video address stating he was not trying to promote misinformation, defended his guest choices, expressed respect for Neil Young, and pledged to feature differing opinions alongside controversial ones.
Source ↗January 26, 2022
Spotify removes Neil Young's music catalog
Verified eventSpotify agreed to Neil Young's request to take down his music catalog, expressing regret over his decision while noting content policies and balancing listener safety with creator freedom.
Source ↗January 24, 2022
Neil Young issues ultimatum to Spotify regarding Joe Rogan
Public statementNeil Young published an open letter to his management and record label demanding the removal of his music from Spotify, accusing Joe Rogan's podcast of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
Source ↗
Where It Stands
Resolved. The dispute was resolved in March 2024 when Neil Young returned his music catalog to Spotify. Young explained that because Joe Rogan's podcast was no longer exclusive to Spotify and had expanded to other streaming platforms, continuing to boycott Spotify alone was no longer practical.
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Sources
- 1.SourceJoe Rogan reacts on podcast to Neil Young's Spotify return · Mar 14, 2024
- 2.SourceNeil Young announces return to Spotify · Mar 13, 2024
- 3.SourceJoe Rogan responds to criticism and pledges more balanced guest perspectives · Jan 30, 2022
- 4.SourceSpotify removes Neil Young's music catalog · Jan 26, 2022
- 5.SourceNeil Young issues ultimatum to Spotify regarding Joe Rogan · Jan 24, 2022
Allegations are attributed to the party that made them and are not statements of fact.