Neil Young > Joe Rogan

[thagler]

Please consider keeping Neil Young instead of Joe Rogan. The amount of covid-related misinformation, misogyny, and vitriol that Joe Rogan produces is not productive and is not something I will listen to on Spotify. However, Neil Young is a music LEGEND and has a significant fan following (none of which applies to Joe Rogan). If keeping one or the other, the choice is clear -- keep Neil Young and dump Joe Rogan.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-60124003

[marlene435]

I agree Spotify should be removing Pod casts like Joe Rogan that promote misinformation and false statements. This is not free speech, free speech is stating opinions. It's hard to respect a company when they in courage pod casts like Joe Rogan.

[robintel]

As far as I understand, it's all about the money. Why Spotify Chose Joe Rogan Over Neil Young (makeuseof.com)

[Caleb-M]

All of you should cancel your memberships and stop whining. Show up or shut up, spotify doesn't care about Niel Young or you (0.01% of their subscriber base maybe?) cancelling. Buh bye

[billsatterwhite]

So because our opinion is different from yours, we're "whining"?  This isn't about whether or not someone is a fan of Neil Young's music.  It's a matter of whether or not Spotify wants to be an ethical company and a responsible member of the larger society, or if they just want to scrape as much money as possible off the table and into their own pockets and just say to **bleep** with everybody else. That's the issue.  If you're still confused, find a grown up and have them explain it to you in more detail and then come back to the discussion when you know what we're talking about.  "0.01% of their subscriber base"? Sounds like you go the the same school of pulling made-up facts out of the air as Joe Rogan.  Thanks for helping us make our point.

[AlferdPacker]

Who are "normal" people. Huh?

Are they just straight white American men?

Because as a British woman, joe rogan absolutely is a misongynist. And well, he's absolutely a xenophobe from some of the shite ive heard. I choose to avoid his content absolutely. 

Your opinion of what is and what isnt "normal" because you like him, is troubling - and that's why Joe Rogan is problematic 

[AlferdPacker]

You do realise that Spotify is WORLD WIDE right? 

What he says has incredibly far reaching consequences. 

[libo1949]

I am going to cancel my account and will switch to Apple

[gppe]

If Spotify is choosing Rogan, I'm choosing whichever other music provider.

[vind1]

you're gonna lose subscribers because of this. Joni Mitchell removing her songs, who next? If this turns into a flood, I'm off

[eggyjsc]

So do I... considering to leave % shame on Spoty (must fight misinformation)

[1tahoegal]

And when did music apps become a podcast app? Make a SEPARATE app dedicated to podcasts for pete sake!! I've been a premium aka paying subscriber since its infancy. I think it was $5 a month then with no podcasts I can remember. With Amazon. Pandora, Google music platforms why anyone is saying with this **bleep** company is beyond me. Well, except for forgetting to cancel! Lol!

[1tahoegal]

Yes! When i started with Spotify it was a MUSIC app!! Not a place for grandstanding on my dime!!

[gg412]

If anyone has a problem with Joe Rogan, then they should leave a comment on one of his podcasts, or on Twitter, or publish their own podcast. It takes effort, but it's a better alternative than letting Neil Young fans decide what you get to see, hear, or say.

In the meantime, we should all stop conflating the platform with the content on the platform, and we should stop using paying Spotify customers as props in political battles. It is fully insane to suggest (as other commenters have below and elsewhere) that paying one's Spotify bill is tantamount to killing people with Covid as long as Joe Rogan is on the platform. I don't know how anyone with such tenuous reasoning makes it past their own front door every day. Neil Young is just another big name throwing his weight around, and he is abusing his fans when he gets them to coerce what other people can see and hear on Spotify. It's that simple.

[eggyjsc]

Neil Young is right... is not about freedom ...is about misinformation

[Nene4]

I'm having a hard time defending Spotfiy here and my continued subscription. I've loved the service for a decade, despite knowing artists themselves have a love/hate relationship, but their apathy in the face of dangerous claims and misinformation is totally in their control to change. They have an opportunity to be strong in the face of all these debates, to clearly state in a code of conduct what is protected speech on their platform and what is not (spouting lies and misinformation on an app without consequence is not anyone's right). 

I would really appreciate a thoughtful response from Spotify (or any other new media app for that matter!) on why we shouldn't expect them to take responsibility for content that THEY make more popular through additional investments and algorithmic preferences. Their profit model implies liability.

A song is not a podcast. And a podcaster is not typically an actual research professional. And when these formats falsely claim to present "both sides", as if the 2 sides should be equal, that's irresponsible. They're not. 20 yrs ago, like 3% climate scientists denied we were the problem, right? The same amount of healthcare professionals don't want to get vaccinated. Does that mean there are 2 reasonable sides? In the face of overwhelming, documented evidence to the contrary? Come on. They're just trying to remain relevant (clickbait vultures) like all the other outrage machines destroying our capacity for real, empathetic discourse. It's gross. 

While it may not be Spotify's duty to tell a content producer what they should feature, it should be their duty to flag (and yes, possibly censure) dis/misinformation so its harm can be mitigated. Radio and television waves are already subject to this accountability. So there is a model for standards. They're just not bound to follow them... yet. 

Do your jobs Spotify. Keep the faith of your reasonable subscribers. (Who don't actually want to quell democratic speech and contribute to the demise of society as we know it - despite what I've read on here.) We just want to sleep well knowing our $10/month isn't contributing to more death and hate.

[wasawusu]

I’ve been a Spotify member since 2011 and love the service. Came close to joining the company as an employee a few years back and like the people too. But today I’m following the lead of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/28/arts/music/joni-mitchell-neil-young-spotify.html) and shutting down our premium family plan. 

Some are claiming that hosting the Joe Rogan podcast is promoting free speech and fighting censorship. No, as Michael Corleone said, “it’s strictly business”. This is a $100M deal. The cost of Covid sickness and death from Rogan’s misinformation is an externality, it doesn’t appear on the spreadsheet. No one is challenging Rogan’s right to free speech. The question is whether we, the listener community, choose to support him financially. All of us have a right to speak, but also responsibility for the consequences of that speech.

[wasawusu]

This is a confused argument. Politics is inseparable from life. Neil Young isn’t forcing anything on users, it’s still a free choice whether you want to subscribe or not. Paying one’s Spotify bill is indeed funding Joe Rogan - this is a $100M deal! - and supporting the spread of Covid misinformation, just as donating to a political candidate helps that candidate promote their viewpoint. Your choice.

[eggyjsc]

I'm shutting down my family plan too... No Neil Young & no Joni Mitchell...no party... Welcome Muzik Unlimited (my money goes to Amazon... podscats free... and 75 million songs)

[eggyjsc]

Absolutely agree ... equidistance in this matter is absurd ... Spotify should respect us

[eggyjsc]

jajajaja... a liar ... keep your free plan...  cateto