Apple’s music streaming platform claims to be the “home of Neil Young” after his music was removed from Spotify. The singer issued an ultimatum to the Swedish streaming service.
The departure of singer Neil Young from Spotify does not go unnoticed and the competition wants to take advantage of it. Earlier this week, the Canadian-American singer accused the Swedish streaming giant of disinformation about Covid-19. He protested against the presence of the popular and controversial Joe Rogan’s podcast, going so far as to issue an ultimatum to Spotify. The world leader in music streaming preferred to keep the host – who signed an exclusive contract – and dispense with the many titles of the prolific singer.
Its competitor Apple Music was quick to react and is now courting fans of Neil Young. Apple’s service multiplies tweets, playlists and sends even push notifications. He presents himself as the “Neil Young’s house” and recalls that the singer’s entire catalog is available on his platform. During his career, Neil Young has released around forty albums and crossed the 1,200-track mark. Something to give ideas to Apple Music, which highlights the “We Love Neil” playlist (we love Neil) on its service and has tackled its main competitor on Twitter.
The home of Neil Young.
Listen to his entire catalog on Apple Music: https://t.co/sUGtz4JbB9 pic.twitter.com/YgRMygUqhi
— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) January 28, 2022
Neil Young’s decision has so far met with little response and will not be without consequences for the septuagenarian. The latter had 2.4 million subscribers and 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify and can find himself deprived of 60% of his streaming headphones. With its status as the world leader in music streaming, Spotify does not have to fear for its future after this departure. Despite his status as an icon of American music, his departure does not have the same impact as that of current stars such as The Weeknd, Taylor Swift or Kanye West.
Podcasts louder than music
Spotify’s position also reflects the platform’s desire to focus on podcasts. It multiplies the announcements to dominate this booming market. For example, the firm struck a deal worth more than $100 million to have the exclusivity of the podcast Joe Rogan Experience. The latter has many episodes that are listened to by several million people.
Last April, Spotify also unveiled its paid podcast offer so that you no longer depend solely on music. In this area, the Swedish service is still far ahead of the competition.
