Hey hey, my my. Neil Young's music is leaving Spotify.
Young, 69, is pulling his entire catalog from streaming music services like Spotify and Apple Music, according to a post to the singer's official Facebook page on Wednesday.
But his reason for leaving the streaming audio scene isn't the same as fellow top-selling artists like Taylor Swift and Radiohead's Thom Yorke. It's not the royalty fees Young is decrying, it's what he calls "the worst [audio] quality in the history of broadcasting or any other form of distribution."
Streaming has ended for me. I hope this is ok for my fans.It's not because of the money, although my share (like all...
Posted by Neil Young on Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Losing Young will represent a significant blow to those streaming services, as his output has been virtually nonstop since the 1960s. As of Wednesday, Young had 44 albums and hundreds of songs available on Spotify. According to the company, his track "Heart of Gold" has been played over 39.9 million times by Spotify users.
Digital audio quality has long been a point of contention for the iconoclastic rocker. In 2014, Young founded PonoMusic, a digital music store akin to iTunes that promises high-quality audio.
"When the quality is back, I'll give it another look," Young said in his statement. "Never say never."
Clint Davis is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis.
