Neil Young has urged Spotify employees to leave the company “before it eats up your soul” in the latest stage of his campaign against the streaming giant.
The Grammy-winning musician said the firm’s chief executive Daniel Ek is the “problem” with the streaming service, rather than controversial podcast host Joe Rogan.
Young previously requested his entire back catalogue be removed from the platform due to the spread of coronavirus misinformation on the site, which he attributed in part to programme The Joe Rogan Experience.
But on Monday he wrote: “To the workers at Spotify I say Daniel Ek is your problem – not Joe Rogan. Ek pulls the strings.
Neil Young performs during the British Summer Time festival at Hyde Park in London.
Isabel Infantes
“Get out of that place before it eats up your soul. The only goals stated by Ek are numbers, not art, not creativity.
“To the musicians and creators in the world I say this: You must be able to find a better place than Spotify to be the home of your art.”
The singer’s campaign to remove his music triggered a wave of similar action from fellow artists and content creators, including Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash and the Science Vs podcast.
His latest criticism of Spotify and its chief executive comes after Mr Ek told his employees that cancelling Rogan was “not the answer” and that he was “deeply sorry” for the impact the controversy was having on them.
To the workers at Spotify I say Daniel Ek is your problem – not Joe Rogan
“While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realise some will want more,” he said in a note to staff.
“And I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.”
Spotify reportedly paid 100 million dollars (£74 million) to exclusively host The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020.