Neil Young reportedly tells Spotify to remove his music over Joe Rogan

Neil Younger has reportedly demanded that his music be faraway from Spotify over vaccine misinformation shared on Joe Rogan’s well-liked podcast by means of the streaming service.

“They will have Rogan or Younger. Not each,” Younger, 76, mentioned in an open letter to his supervisor and file label that was posted to his Neil Younger Archives web site on Monday, in keeping with Rolling Stone journal.

Rogan, identified for his contrarian and infrequently baseless views on medication, has confronted widespread backlash for questioning vaccine security in the course of the pandemic.

NBC Information has not seen the unique publish and it’s unclear why it was faraway from Younger’s web site. A hyperlink to the unique publish labeled “A-Message-To-Spotify,” at the moment results in a clean web page. A consultant for Younger didn’t instantly reply to an in a single day request for remark.

Within the letter, the Canadian American singer mentioned he needed his supervisor and file label “to let Spotify know instantly TODAY that I need all my music off their platform.”

He mentioned he was “doing this as a result of Spotify is spreading pretend details about vaccines — probably inflicting dying to those that consider the disinformation being unfold by them,” Rolling Stone reported.

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Younger made clear that he was particularly referring to “The Joe Rogan Expertise,” which is Spotify’s hottest podcast in the meanwhile. Rogan signed a $100 million deal in 2020 giving the streaming service unique rights to the present.

“With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE, which is hosted solely on Spotify … has large affect,” Younger mentioned. “Spotify has a accountability to mitigate the unfold of misinformation on its platform.”

Demanding that his music be taken off the platform, he mentioned: “Please act on this instantly in the present day and maintain me knowledgeable of the time schedule.”

As of seven a.m. ET Tuesday morning, Younger’s music was nonetheless accessible on Spotify.

Each Spotify and Joe Rogan didn’t instantly reply to in a single day requests for remark from NBC Information.

Younger isn’t alone in condemning Rogan’s present over vaccine misinformation.

Final month, round 270 docs, researchers and different well being care professionals signed an open letter demanding that Spotify introduce a coverage on misinformation, particularly citing Rogan’s “regarding historical past of broadcasting misinformation, notably relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“All through the Covid-19 pandemic, Joe Rogan has repeatedly unfold deceptive and false claims on his podcast, upsetting mistrust in science and medication,” the letter mentioned.

“By permitting the propagation of false and societally dangerous assertions, Spotify is enabling its hosted media to break public belief in scientific analysis and sow doubt within the credibility of data-driven steerage supplied by medical professionals,” it mentioned.

The letter’s authors particularly took concern with an interview Rogan held with a physician, Robert Malone, who mentioned Individuals had been “hypnotized” into carrying masks and getting vaccinated.

In an April 2021 episode, Rogan additionally appeared to discourage younger individuals from getting vaccinated.

He additionally appeared to advertise the usage of ivermectin to fight Covid-19 final September after saying he was utilizing the extensively discredited drug himself after testing constructive for the virus. The drug is usually used on livestock and well being specialists have urged the general public to keep away from utilizing it to deal with Covid-19.

Rogan has mentioned that he isn’t “an anti-vax individual” and that he shouldn’t be the supply of medical recommendation, as he isn’t a physician. He has additionally mentioned he believes his feedback had been blown out of proportion.

CORRECTION (Jan. 26, 2022, 5:46 p.m. ET): A earlier model of this text misstated the yr that Joe Rogan signed his take care of Spotify. The deal was reached in 2020, not 2021.