Neil Young to Spotify workers: ‘Get out before it eats your soul’

Neil Young has continued to criticise Spotify, following his departure from the platform in protest over their star podcaster Joe Rogan.

In a message posted to his website, Young wrote:

He also encouraged readers to divest from four US banks - Chase, Citi, Bank of America and Wells Fargo - "for their continued funding of the fossil fuel damage even as the global temperature keeps climbing".

He addressed "baby boomers", saying: "70% of the country's financial assets are in your hands compared with just about 5% for millennials. You and I need to lead."

Young, a consistently outspoken figure during his rock career who has taken stands against US presidents Richard Nixon, George Bush Jr and Donald Trump, left Spotify last month, describing it as "the home of life-threatening Covid misinformation. Selling lies for money." He cited Joe Rogan, host of the world's most popular podcast, who has been widely criticised for allowing misinformation about Covid-19 to proliferate on his show.

Other artists including Joni Mitchell joined his protest, with much of Mitchell's catalogue now removed from Spotify.

Young has since been pointing his fans towards streaming companies with their own ethical controversies: Amazon and Apple. He tweeted: "Amazon has been leading the pack in bringing hi-res audio to the masses, and it's a great place to enjoy my entire catalog [sic] in the highest quality available. Thanks also to Apple Music (I LOVE APPLE) and Qobuz for sticking with my high res music."