This little side story reveals how ahead of his time the artist has always been. Back then, his label refused his request to use a LP sleeve that biodegrades. To take responsibility for content would cut deeply into profits, probably driving many platforms out of business.Music industry – One step closer to being accurateĥ0 years ago, Neil Young was recording the iconic album Harvest. But the complexity and cost of moderating content can’t be overstated. Like so many other major platforms (including Substack, where I write), the company defends its party line with a focus on protecting free speech. ad revenue annually.įinally, and perhaps most critically, Spotify doesn’t want to slide down the slippery slope of booting Rogan and his ilk when there are so many others who are equally problematic. The episodes can live on a platform in perpetuity and are quite popular with advertisers, generating $1 billion and counting in U.S. In most cases, big names get a flat fee and that’s that - no pesky royalties to pay out, no renegotiations. Unlike recorded music, which is encumbered by a byzantine morass of agreements among singers, songwriters, producers, record labels and copyright holders, podcasts are generally simpler and more profitable. He’s the centerpiece of Spotify’s years-long push to become the Netflix of audio. The company reportedly paid more than $100 million to bring him aboard at the time, Rogan claimed he was clocking 190 million downloads a month. Spotify doesn’t need Young, but it does need Rogan. Young’s audience of lefty Boomers is not a key demographic for the streaming business.

That’s especially true for the acts with younger followings, whom Spotify would be more stung by losing. For those musicians, it’s hard to give up one of the few remaining sources of income. Most other musicians are still hurting from the lack of touring opportunities amid the pandemic - which, ironically, would almost certainly be over sooner without misinformation spread by the Rogans of the world. So is Warner Music Group, home to his records. Merck Mercuriadis, the guy who bought Young’s copyrights, is standing by him. 11 on my list of the world’s highest-paid musicians).

Young stood to gain even less from Spotify after selling half of his music catalog en route to a career-best $78 million in earnings last year (ranking him No. The “Heart of Gold” singer has never really needed Spotify, earning just 10% of his income from the service. To begin, as admirable as it was for Young to put principles ahead of profits, he’s risking less than many of his peers would be.

Neil young spotify ranking