Spotify Newsletter #136

Your Weekly Dose of Spotify News

Nov 18

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Hello! Welcome to the latest issue of the Spotify Newsletter!

++ Iconic rocker/iconic blowhard Neil Young decided to make noise this week during a chitchat with the equally exasperating Howard Stern.

Young was sure to play all the hits: Spotify sucks, Covid, digital music sucks, Beck singing ‘Old Man’ for the NFL sucks, Spotify is evil, and Daniel Ek has lost his way.

It went about how you’d expect.

Maybe one day Young’s music will re-appear on Spotify but most definitely not in the short term. He doesn’t need to be on the platform and clearly he doesn’t give a damn.

Merck Mercuriadis and the team at Hipgnosis who shelled out big bucks for 50% of the worldwide copyright and income interests in his 1180 song catalogue might have a slightly different opinion on the Spotify/streaming issue, but so far Young’s boycott of the platform pushes on unchanged.

I think it’s ridiculous, and he’s being a big baby - as it relates to the sound quality argument.

Aside from hardcore audiophiles, is anyone going to be that overwrought if “Heart of Gold” doesn’t have first-class, high-fidelity sound reproduction when they click on the tune while sitting at their desk at work?

I want my music to sound as rapturous as possible, when possible, but I don’t need the spirit of George Martin to bless this stream of the Old 97s “Timebomb” I’m playing right now to sound like I’m in the studio at the mixing board with the band next to me in order to enjoy the damn song. (!)

In the end he’s only hurting his fans, or potential new fans.

I still have his music on albums, CDs, and iTunes, so I’ll be fine if I can’t stream On the Beach via Spotify. But it’s too bad.

His view on people appearing on Joe Rogan and saying things he considers conspiracy theories is another issue. I think he looks bad and unwilling to engage in different ideas/opinions. The hissy fit he had earlier this year around the Joe Rogan / Spotify / Covid nonsense was downright embarrassing. That he dragged Joni Mitchell and a few other of his aging rocker friends into the hubbub - and off Spotify as well - made the episode even more infuriating.

It’s Neil’s way and that’s it. God forbid anyone else has a different interpretation of life and how to live it.

Song Cue!

Life And How To Live It

R.E.M.

++ With the holiday next week there’s a good chance the newsletter is going to hop into your loving arms on Wednesday.

Song Cue! #2

Loving Arms

Elvis Presley

++ A new feature or two forthcoming. So that will be fun. Thank you very much for taking a few minutes to check out the newsletter. I am very appreciative of the support. Have a super day.

★In the SPOTlight★

🔥 How Spotify stayed No. 1 in streaming audio

Spotify remains the No. 1 streaming audio service with a sizable lead over Apple, Amazon and YouTube Music in reported paid subscribers. It has branched out into audiobooks and podcasts and now has nearly 200 million paying customers.

🔥 If you like it, Spotify got it

Don’t judge a person’s Spotify playlist from their appearance is the message in Machine’s playful new spots for the music streaming platform.

🔥 Spotify’s Sulinna Ong Talks Trends, Trigger Cities and Timelines

As it stampedes to the 200 million subscribers milestone, Spotify has the international community to thank.

🔥 ‘A celebration of audio’: Inside Spotify’s Colorful New Offices

Stepping into Spotify’s office in Los Angeles’s Arts District feels a bit like walking into an art gallery. Completed earlier this year, the space is filled with brightly colored murals and interactive art displays that light up and sound off as people pass by.