Serves you right, Spotify: why some musicians are happy the heat is on

Kay Hanley talks about how musicians' push back against Spotify over Joe Rogan is leading to demands for musician rights too. — REUTERS/File Photo

Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Rogan. The musicians will take it from here.

When Neil Young gave Spotify his now famous ultimatum that the streaming behemoth could either enjoy the right to distribute his music or give a global platform to traffickers of disinformation and casual hate, but they could not have both, the internet exploded with accusations that Young was stepping out of his lane and stoking the flames of a culture war.

But it felt like a gift out of thin air, wrapped in a giant bow, impaled with a flashing neon sign screaming "USE ME STUPID!!!!" to musicians everywhere.

Because after years of suspecting that Spotify was becoming increasingly hostile to our interests but feeling powerless to do anything about it, an opportunity we couldn't have plotted or planned for just exploded into existence.

Now is our chance to seize the energy of a sideways moment and repurpose it to talk about the real problem: Spotify's consistent pattern of exploitation, devaluation and disrespect of music creators.