Spotify shares recover from Joe Rogan vax row as Taylor Swift fans call on her

Spotify‘s share price climbed back up Monday after Joe Rogan addressed the controversy surrounding his views on the COVID-19 vaccine late Sunday night, as fans call for Taylor Swift to follow Neil Young and Joni Mitchell by pulling her music from the streaming service.

Spotify shares were going for $197.1 in after-hours trading Monday evening, after falling to about $165.2 on Friday following the blowback from several musicians. 

Last week, Young told Spotify in an open letter that he wanted his music off the streaming service because Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, ‘is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them.’ 

Spotify complied and began pulling the singer-songwriter’s catalogue from the service on Wednesday. On Friday, Joni Mitchell also demanded that her music be removed.

The Joe Rogan Experience is Spotify’s highest-rated show, with each episode bringing over 10 million listeners. The streaming service cut a deal believed to be worth over $100 million in late 2020 for the exclusive rights to host the former Fear Factor host’s podcast. 

Meanwhile, Swift fans are calling for the pop star, 32, to remove her music from the service in solidarity with Young and Mitchell. 

‘The fact is that Taylor Swift could probably end Joe Rogan with one tweet to Spotify,’ one fan tweeted on Sunday to more than 6,700 likes.

Swift owns the master recordings of her last three studio albums, but not of the first six albums that made her a bona fide sensation. Without rights to the official recordings, it is unclear if Swift could order those albums taken down.

Fans are calling for Taylor Swift to remove her music from the Swedish streaming giant

Singer-songwriters Neil Young (left) and Joni Mitchell pulled their music from the streaming service in protest of Joe Rogan’s spread of what they deem to be COVID ‘misinformation’ 

Much of the controversy was sparked by two recent episodes of the podcast in which Rogan spoke with an acclaimed cardiologist and expert virologist, both of whom were critical of the way in which the pandemic has been handled in the US

Share prices began rising on Monday after Rogan promised to ‘balance things out’ in an Instagram video posted late Sunday night (above)

Spotify stock prices have recovered, rising above what they were last Monday, when Young published an open letter asking Spotify to remove his music

Swift has more than 53 million monthly listeners on the platform, compared with Mitchell’s 3.7 million and Young’s 6 million.

Fans are calling on Swift to use her popularity to take on Rogan and Spotify

Some have suggested that Swift’s popularity would force Spotify to take more action against Rogan.

‘The way Taylor Swift could end Joe Rogan with a single tweet at Spotify… what is the hold up,’ tweeted journalist Carlos Maza.

An account by the handle @CallToActivism tweeted: ‘Who else thinks it would be AMAZING for Taylor Swift to punish Spotify by DITCHING them for choosing Joe Rogan’s Covid lies over Neil Young’s music? RT so @taylorswift13 hears you!’

Swift has not publicly commented on the blazing row that started between Spotify and Young.

Even so, she doesn’t own the master recordings for her first six albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation. 

Swift decided to re-record the albums after negotiations fell through with her previous record label, Big Machine. Red (Taylor’s Version) was released in November to critical acclaim.

Owning the official master recordings of a song allows an artists the right to license it and collect royalties on it. Because Swift only owns the rights to three original albums and two re-recorded albums, it is unclear how much impact a Swift boycott would have on Spotify.

Young and Mitchell removed their music from the streaming giant to protest its spread of what Young described as ‘deadly misinformation about Covid’. 

Spotify shares were trading at $193.6 each last Monday, when Young’s letter briefly appeared on his website before it was deleted.

Spotify’s market value dropped more than $2 billion in the days following Young’s announcement, with shares tumbling by around 12 percent. 

Share prices began rising on Monday after Rogan promised to ‘balance things out’ in an Instagram video posted late Sunday night. They are now higher than they were last Monday, coming in at 197.1 each in after-hours trading Monday evening. 

Swift, above in New York City on November 12, has more than 53 million monthly listeners on the platform, compared with Mitchell’s 3.7 million and Young’s 6 million

‘I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform … They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,’ Young said in his letter on Monday

Spotify stocks rose on Monday (above) after Rogan addressed the controversy…