Neil Young pulls his music from ALL streaming services claiming they have 'worst sound quality in history'
- Says music is being 'devalued by the worst quality in the history'
- Claims it 'doesn't feel right allowing this to be sold to my fans'
- Will continue to sell music to purchasers of his $399 Pono player
Neil Young has become the latest artist to pull his music from streaming services - but rather than arguing over money, he says the sound quality isn't good enough.
'I don't need my music to be devalued by the worst quality in the history of broadcasting or any other form of distribution,' the Canadian rocker said in a post on his Facebook page.
'I don't feel right allowing this to be sold to my fans. It's bad for my music.'
Scroll down for video
Neil Young has become the latest artist to pull his music from streaming services - but rather than arguing over money, he says the sound quality isn't good enough.
Young, 69, was one of the biggest rock stars of the 1960s and 1970s with bands like Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and a successful solo career that has included albums like 'Harvest' and 'Rust Never Sleeps.'
He has long complained about digital audio and, as a result, has developed Pono, a portable player that aims to lend a higher quality than streaming or MP3.
Young said his decision is 'not because of the money, although my share (like all other artists) was dramatically reduced by bad deals made without my consent.'
His criticism is a new blow to streaming services like Spotify, the target of criticism from artists who complain of meager payments for their work.
Most notably, top-selling pop star Taylor Swift withdrew her catalogue from Spotify last November, saying the business had shrunk the number of paid album sales drastically.
Last month, Swift agreed to put her latest hit album '1989' on Apple Music, days after Apple did an about-face, agreeing to pay artists during a free trial of its new streaming music service.
Young also left the door open to returning to streaming.
'When the quality is back, I'll give it another look.
'Never say never,' he said.
The move comes as U.S. government antitrust regulators are looking into claims about whether Apple's treatment of rival streaming music apps is illegal under antitrust law, according to three industry sources.
Apple recently launched a new music streaming service, Apple Music.
While $9.99 has emerged as the going monthly rate for music subscriptions, including Apple's, some streaming companies complain that Apple's cut forces them to either charge more in the App Store than they do on other platforms or erode their profit margins.
The Federal Trade Commission is looking at the issue but has not begun a formal investigation, said the three industry sources, who requested anonymity.
The agency has had meetings with multiple concerned parties, one source said.
The agency meets with companies routinely, and a formal investigation may not materialize.
Service | Cost |
---|---|
Apple Music | Apple Music will cost $9.99 a month or $14.99 for a family plan (up to six family members) - both with a three-month free trial |
Tidal | $9.95-a-month for standard sound quality and $19.99-a-month for 'lossless high fidelity sound quality' (£9.99 and £19.99 in the UK) |
Spotify | Free level with adverts, Premium $9.99-a-month service (£9.99 in the UK) |
Beats Music | $9.99-a-month or $99 per year |
Pandora | $4.99-a-month for Pandora's ad-free internet radio service |
Deezer | Free with adverts, $9.99-a-month for Premium+ (£9.99 in the UK) |
Rdio | Free with adverts, Rdio Unlimited costs $9.99 (£9.99 in the UK) and US users can also get Rdio Select for $3.99 a month with limited downloads |
It also provides the App Store platform for competing streaming services including Jango, Spotify, Rhapsody and others - and takes a 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases for digital goods, such as music streaming subscriptions and games, sold on its platform.
- Singer's hygiene pad falls from between her legs on live TV
- Pat Houston makes late night visit to Bobbi Kristina in...
- Mysterious tent erected outside Bobbi Kristina's hospice
- Shocking moment child no older than 12 executes ISIS captive
- Smoke billows from Egyptian Mediterranean patrol ship hit by...
- 13-year-old boy filmed being beaten to death in Bangladesh
- Surveillance footage shows moment of El Chapo's escape
- Video reveals El Chapo's motorbike on rails and escape...
- Bobbi Kristina with partner Nick Gordon back in 2012
- Dramatic moment drowning dog is saved by CPR in Florida
- Video retraces El Chapo's escape route through underground...
- Moment tourists bait wild pig into alligator infested waters
- EXCLUSIVE: Family members gather and wipe tears from their...
- REVEALED: Caitlyn Jenner's reps 'demanded ESPYs award in...
- It's not us, it's the Chinese! Iran's supreme leader mocks...
- EXCLUSIVE: Holly Madison was a 'weirdo' who had such a...
- Pictured: Gunman Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, 24, who killed...
- 'Trans people deserve something vital: your respect':...
- Secretive military operation 'Jade Helm' gets underway...
- Terror on the high seas: Egyptian navy vessel erupts in huge...
- Horrifying moment aggressive Arizona cop ‘illegally’ enters...
- EXCLUSIVE: Father of girl having Louis Tomlinson's baby says...
- Caitlyn Jenner's ESPY Courage Award win is SLAMMED by victim...
- The beauty queen wife of El Chapo and the OTHER beasts in...