Joni Mitchell wants her songs off Spotify ‘in solidarity with Neil Young’

Joni Mitchell is the latest musician to remove her music from Spotify following controversy over the spread of coronavirus misinformation.

In a statement published on her website, the Grammy award-winning singer said the streaming giant was allowing “irresponsible people” to spread lies that were “costing people their lives”.

The Big Yellow Taxi singer added: “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”

Mitchell also shared an open letter signed by a coalition of medical professionals criticising The Joe Rogan Experience, a Spotify-exclusive podcast.

The open letter made reference to a specific episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, released on December 31 2021. The letter said “baseless conspiracy theories” were "promoted" during the episode.

Mitchell removing her songs from the platform follows Neil Young pulling his music from the streaming service over their partnership with Joe Rogan.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Following Young’s reported concerns Spotify said it aimed to balance “both safety for listeners and freedom for creators” and had removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to Covid since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Barry Manilow has shut down rumours that he will be removing his music from Spotify. The Copacabana singer said he did not know where the reports had come from, but they had not come from himself or his representatives.

Spotify acquired The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2020, reportedly for more than 100 million dollars (£77m).

Rogan has previously attracted controversy for his comments on the coronavirus vaccines.

His podcast has also inspired parodies from the likes of The Daily Show.

The news of Young removing his songs last week prompted Senator Rand Paul to make a bizarre parody of Young’s song “My My, Hey Hey”.

With reporting by PA.

Indy100 has contacted Spotify for comment.