Spotify execs were like: “Neil who?”
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Someone who’s spent as many decades as Young dealing with the cesspit of corporate psychopathy otherwise known as the music industry understood exactly how this would turn out. He knew Spotify would choose the conspiracist platformer of fascists and science-denialists and has succeeded in making sure that everyone else does too.
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I doubt he thought they were going to boot Rogan over him because corporations.
He took a principled stand knowing it would hurt him. Stand up guy who deserves praise and support. Think I’ll go buy some of his music today.
Hopefully he’s showing others how to act. Someone had to be the first person.
Okay, boomer. Okay.
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I would of course quit Spotify if I were using it. Still rocking Pandora over here. I’m too lazy to switch.
Good for Neil. Not the biggest fan of his music, but he’s a good human being.
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No offense, but why would you ever use Spotify to listen to podcasts? It’s not a podcast service, as much as they’re trying to market themselves as one. Use a dedicated podcast app such as Pocket Casts that actually lets you import and export RSS feeds and podcast lists.
(I say that as a podcast listener from back when you had to download files from web pages and load them manually onto your MP3 player because smartphones didn’t exist yet)
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Laziness mostly. In the past i used Soundcloud, yes i know its also not great for podcasts but used it out of habit. I started using Spotify recently because its just the first thing that came to mind, but with the couple of recs i got on here i got better alternatives 
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I’ll throw in a recommendation for Podkicker.
Really any app that takes RSS feeds and isn’t an aspiring monopolist is likely to be a good one.
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I’m honestly not sure. He might have not quite understood the popularity of podcasting and might have thought “surely they will choose the musician over the person who speaks into a microphone. Who listens to that anyway?”
Musicians tend to have a blind spot towards people who don’t really care that much about music. And Spotify is popular exactly because the vast majority of people don’t. They (we) care enough to want to have music available via streaming services when the mood strikes them, but not enough to curate a music collection. And as a day to day listen, podcasts win out over music for many people.
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Yep. If it was someone like Taylor Swift or Lil Nas X or someone super popular NOW, there may have been a chance.
If it was anyone who Spotify didn’t pay $110 million dollars for exclusive rights, they may have had a chance.
Spotify has too much invested in it to pick Neil Young over Rogan. Not that they “picked”. Young left on his own, no one else was making him leave. 
The company says it has taken down 20,000 podcast episodes for breaking that policy since the start of the pandemic.
There is still a chance specific episodes are taken off Spotify.
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I concur about podcasts, Podcast Addict is easy and pleasant to use.
Does anyone have a good alternative for music, though? I was just about to join spotify for the music, but now I think I’d rather pick someone else for my $10 a month (or whatever).
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Honestly I just use the podcast app that came with my phone OS (google podcasts) because I find it easy to use on the phone and works just fine from a PC too.
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Alternately, he may very well have understood it was unlikely and stood on his principles. And is continuing to do so with the help of his music company. I know, it’s rare, but hey… some people actually do that I hear.
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I give him the benefit of the doubt that some one he works with explained to him how this might go and he made his decision based on his principles and the legacy he hopes to leave. He’s an old man and I respect him taking a stand even if the Covid Death Cult grinds on.
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Thank you Mr. Young for shining light on this shitty company. Those of us who wore out your vinyl as kids haven’t forgotten you, and we still respect you.
I may not make you as much money as I once did, but I won’t be giving them another cent.
#deletespotify
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Young folks
Look at my life
I’m a lot like
You should be
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Maybe that wasn’t the entire point though… maybe he knew that this might be the outcome, but he’d rather go with his morality and lead the way for others to make the same moral choice.
To be fair, I don’t think we have to necessarily be fans in order to think this is a good move on his part.
In addition to what @anon15383236 said… no one gives a shit… and also, you’re factually wrong…
But seriously, why does wealth equate to “good”?
or maybe he did it out of conviction that it was the right thing to do?
I’m thinking that’s more likely!
Nah, apparently we’re all just driven by $$$ and clicks… 
Can’t he have understood that aspect on his own?
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I’m pretty sure Mr. Young knew exactly what he was doing. He can make his catalog available to other streaming services if he wants to, or not - he obviously doesn’t need the income.
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Right? I think he’d make that same choice, even if he did. He’s always struck me as a principled person.
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