Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak shared on Twitter that he’s deleted his Spotify account.
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The tech wizard and personal computer inventor stated on the social media platform to his 634,000-plus followers, “I cancelled my Spotify account. There are plenty of alternatives. It’s not just Joe Rogen or Neil Young. Recently our Tesla SiriusXM radio went out so I listened to a favorite song on Spotify. The sound was tinny and awful. Spotify doesn’t care about the same things that I do.”
While it’s noteworthy that Wozniak (co-founder of Apple Inc.) would make this decision public (the tweet has earned thousands of “likes” and hundreds of retweets to date), it may also be a ploy (at least to some degree) to highlight Apple Music, which is one of Spoitfy’s competitors.
Yet, either way, it’s one more example of a high-profile, influential person taking a public shot at the popular streaming platform.
The issues with Spotify came to light recently when legendary songwriter Neil Young announced an ultimatum for the platform, saying that he was upset with what he perceives to be misinformation spouted from popular podcast host Joe Rogan, whom Spotify paid $100 million for the exclusive hosting rights for his podcast show, The Joe Rogan Experience, which brings in about 10 million listeners each episode.
After Young announced his ultimatum, Spotify chose Rogan. In the wake of that choice, others like Joni Mitchell, guitarist Nils Lofgren and Young’s former bandmates, Crosby, Stills and Nash, have announced their departure from the streaming platform.
R&B singer India.Arie also publicly criticized Spotify for hosting Rogan, who has ranged from “insensitive” to “racist” on his show. Arie shared a video of Rogan using the N-word seemingly dozens of times while hosting his podcast.
Along with the 71-year-old California-born Wozniak, Young has also been critical of Spotify for its sound quality. Not only does Young find Rogan and the platform dangerous—as an artist, he said, he thinks the sound quality is bad on the platform. He’s since pushed listeners to Amazon.
Young has also more recently called for Spotify staff to “get out.”
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Like I care if Wozniak, Young, Mitchell, etc deleted their Spotify accounts. Amazon, iTunes, etc also don’t care about the same things I do. Giving the impression they do is nonsense.
I agree, who cares. Spotify has probably gained more listeners from this fiasco that all the people who listed to these now obsolete artists. If these people don’t stop trying to strong arm the rest of us they are in for big trouble
This is starting to get ridiculous. What does this guy have to do with Songwriting? Is this a magazine about songwriting or about politics and intolerance?
He doesn’t have my views, so should I cancel Apple now? How about American Songwriter?
You guys are sounding more and more like media trying to politicize art in only one direction. Everyone has an opinion. And that is all it is! Who cares what Wozniak thinks about Spotify? What about what I think about it? What about what all the other of your readers think about it? Don’t we count more than Wozniak?
I am slowly losing any respect I have for American Songwriter. Please stay out of politicizing and/or runnign with your opinion on cancelling people or organizations. It stinks of cancel culture and that only leads to division and ultimately to everyone hating each other. Instead stick to songwriting which can only do good things.