Neil Young is set to make at least $2 million annually on Spotify after returning to the steaming service following his boycott over Joe Rogan, a well-placed industry source exclusively tells Page Six.
The 78-year-old musician, who maintains nearly 6.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, is raking in roughly $170,000 each month on streaming profits alone, we’re told.
Page Six has reached out to reps for Young and Spotify for comment, but has yet to hear back.
Young announced his return to the music streamer in March, two years after cutting ties with it due to its then-exclusive relationship with Rogan, 56, who hosts the hit podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
“My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify,” Young wrote in part in a post via his website, making a clear reference to “The Joe Rogan Experience” even if the property isn’t mentioned by name.
“I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all,” he continued.
“So I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it.”
In January 2022, The “Down By the River” crooner published an open letter to Spotify, asking it to pull his catalog because he disagreed with what he deemed the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine on Rogan’s part.
Young inspired several other artists to do the same in the name of wanting to disassociate from Rogan. Iconic singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell was part of the roster, though her music has quietly been reinstated on the platform.
Notably, Young and his Crazy Horse bandmates have a new album, titled “FU##IN’ UP,” dropping soon on April 26.
The LP features performances of songs from the Canadian rocker’s 1990 album “Ragged Glory,” recorded live at Toronto’s Rivoli, seemingly during a much-rumored secret show last November.
Young is set to launch a North American tour on April 24 in San Diego, Calif.
