The recent decision by Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to pull their music off Spotify amid a backlash over Joe Rogan’s podcast has put fans of the folk icons in an awkward position – and reminded us that music can find a home beyond the now ubiquitous Spotify playlist.
Rogan, who has been accused of spreading Covid-19 misinformation through his wildly popular podcast, has since promised to “try harder”, while Spotify has said it will direct listeners toward facts about the pandemic. But for some, it might be too little too late, especially if other artists follow in the boycott.
So for users wanting to join the musicians in protest and get their tunes elsewhere, here are some options.
Other music streaming services
At the risk of stating the obvious, Spotify isn’t the only place to stream. Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal all have hundreds of millions of titles. And Apple has already capitalized on the Spotify chaos by recently declaring itself the “home of Neil Young”.
Export your playlists
It takes some effort, but it’s possible to transfer your precious tunes from Spotify to other services. Through third-party tools like FreeYourMusic, Soundiiz, and SongShift, users can select which songs and playlists to transfer, and the software will do the rest. Many have success with the free versions of the software, but if you have an enviable library with thousands of songs, you may have to pay a premium.
Look to the early 2000s
Y2K mania is already in full force, and the technology of the aughts offers valuable alternatives to music streaming. And what better way to honor the early 2000s than dusting off that iPod Shuffle that your Gen Z cousin has been using as a hairclip? Pandora is another old favorite that can work its way back into the rotation, and you can get Neil and Joni’s music on it, too.
Podcast alternatives
For fans of podcasts, other options include apps like Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Audible, RadioPublic, and TuneIn, which probably have most of your favorite programs. TuneIn even offers access to 100,000 radio stations for your listening pleasure.
Last.fm – the music site with analytics
If sharing Spotify Wrapped playlists and stats has become an end-of-year ritual, fear not. Last.fm is a music streaming site (and app) where at-home analysts can still get their fix. The service has charts galore – it creates stats based on users’ own listening each week and has a myriad of other charts that track what everyone is listening to around the world, every day.
And if you’re in the mood to support lesser-known artists, you could turn to services such as Bandcamp and SoundCloud, which cater to independent musicians but also feature bigger names.
Good old-fashioned alternatives
Young people may prefer streaming over the radio, but with stations for nearly every genre and a professional DJ spinning, it could be high time to reconsider. You could even call into your local station and request your favorite Neil Young hits.
Or you could celebrate the remarkable resurgence of vinyl, which set a modern-era sales record in December – and play Neil’s and Joni’s classic albums the way they were meant to be played.
