He was quickly followed by Joni Mitchell, another musical icon whose cultural influence far outweighs her commercial impact online. He protested the company’s support for star podcaster Joe Rogan, who was criticized for promoting misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines. Last week, Neil Young unleashed a storm in the music business and on social media when he demanded that his music – including rock classics like “Heart of Gold” and “Cinnamon Girl” – be removed from Spotify.

It may also have put the company on a collision course with artists and left listeners with a less-than-complete library of songs. The move turned the service into a mishmash of audio entertainment - part music service, part newscast, part always-on gabfest. But a few years ago, it was all about adding a vibrant format to his portfolio: podcasts. Spotify remains the largest music streaming service. It made the platform a top power in the music business and ushered in competitors like Apple Music, Amazon Music and Tidal, reversing the industry’s nosedive. Spotify came up with a compelling proposition more than a decade ago: listeners could leave their CDs and downloads behind and stream virtually any song ever released.

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