COMBO Board Members Jamie Krutz and Alex Teitz sent a few articles that deal with the entertainment business elsewhere. We felt the information contained in these articles could be relevant to musicians and hope that you will take the time to read them.
Mark Tomon on Fb, 2/01/22: So… Neil Young contracted polio as a child in the ’50s. He had to relearn how to walk, it left him permanently disabled and contributed to a serious anxiety disorder that he still deals with today. He has epilepsy and so does his daughter. He has 2 sons with cerebral palsy. The album TRANS was written as a way to communicate with one of them. He founded The Bridge School for kids with severe disabilities and still organizes annual benefit concerts for the school.
Neil Young understands post viral syndromes and disability better than most. He understands public health and the importance of messaging, platforms and how they can be used to create good and to also cause harm. In today’s world, it’s amazing to see someone with a huge platform use it to send such a loud and powerful message. I have mad respect for this man and wanted to use my teeny tiny platform to shed light on some of the things that have shaped this good human who has provided the background music for so many of our lives ?
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Taylor Swift Fans Urge Singer to Pull Music from Spotify Amid Joe Rogan COVID-19 Criticism
By Julius Young | Fox News | The Swifties are speaking out for their fearless leader Taylor Swift, calling on the star to pull her music from Spotify in solidarity with other artists protesting the music streamer’s handling of the Joe Rogan and Neil Young feud.
The call to Swift to eschew Spotify came after Joni Mitchell stood with Young’s decision by announcing she too would be removing her catalog from the platform, followed by Bruce Springsteen guitarist Nils Lofgren also stepping forward to remove his music.
A number of high-profile artists, including Madonna and Adele, were named in a tweet with Swift urging them to do the same.
“It’s time for Taylor Swift to leave Spotify!!” said one person. Another social media user said that if Swift threw her “hat in the ring,” then “there might be some meaningful change.”
Wrote another, “Just need Taylor Swift to follow suit and I think Spotify may act.”
Graham Nash and India Arie also announced Tuesday that they plan to have the platform remove their music as well. Nash, who performed with Young in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, provided a statement to Fox News Digital explaining that his decision comes after hearing the content on “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
“Having heard the COVID disinformation spread by Joe Rogan on Spotify, I completely agree with and support my friend, Neil Young, and I am requesting that my solo recordings be removed from the service,” Nash said in a statement.
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Read the full story here:
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-fans-music-spotify-joe-rogan-covid-19-criticism
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Why Did Spotify Choose Joe Rogan Over Neil Young? Hint: It’s Not a Music Company.
By Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post | In one corner was Joe Rogan, the stand-up comedian and former “Fear Factor” host turned provocative podcaster.
In the other stood Neil Young, the multi-Grammy-winning rock legend with a lifelong passion for progressive causes.
The battle lasted two days, and Rogan won without making a peep.
Young started the scuffle when he posted a letter to his website Monday, addressed to his manager and an executive at his record label, demanding that his music catalogue be removed from Spotify in response to “fake information about vaccines.”
Specifically, Young cited Joe Rogan — who hosts “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast — and has suggested healthy, young people shouldn’t get vaccinated. After catching the coronavirus, Rogan also praised ivermectin, a medicine used to kill parasites in animals and humans that has no proven anti-viral benefits. “I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” he wrote. “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
Two days later, without a word from Rogan, Spotify began the process of removing the famed rocker’s music, including his best-known hits such as “Heart of Gold,” “Harvest Moon” and “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
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The Speed of Spotify’s Decision to Sideline Young was Jarring. So Why Did the Company Do It?
The answer is simple: This isn’t really a story about Rogan or Young. It’s a story about Spotify. And, despite public perception, Spotify isn’t a music company. It’s a tech company looking to maximize profits.
The company hasn’t been shy about its desire — in 2019, Spotify announced it was planning to spend up to $500 million to acquire companies “in the emerging podcast marketplace.”
That year it purchased Gimlet Media, home of podcasts such as “Reply All,” “Homecoming” and “Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel,” for an estimated $230 million. It also spent more than $100 million on Anchor, a platform that lets users create and share their own podcasts.
The next year, Spotify spent nearly $200 million to acquire the Ringer. . .
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Read the rest of the story here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/01/28/spotify-joe-rogan-neil-young/
The Flap Over Neil Young, Spotify and Joe Rogan
