Neil Young pulls streaming catalog, says quality is worse than AM radio

Neil Young took to Facebook today with a crotchety diatribe against streaming music and a list of things he says sound better: AM radio, cassette tapes, 8 tracks, and apparently every other form of music delivery that isn't Internet streaming. He was blunt in his statements: "Streaming sucks. Streaming is the worst audio in history." And, it seems, his music is too good to be enjoyed through such inferior methods. He'll be back to streaming maybe someday, he says, but only when it sounds better than AM radio.

The post is a head-scratcher, in that all the things he lists sound nowhere as good as the music you'll be streaming from Spotify, Slacker, and similar services. In fact, he seems to have gone out of his way to pick some of the worst ways you could listen to your music. The full Facebook post reads:

I was there.

AM radio kicked streaming's ass.

Analog Cassettes and 8 tracks also kicked streaming's ass,

and absolutely rocked compared to streaming.

Streaming sucks. Streaming is the worst audio in history.

If you want it, you got it. It's here to stay.

Your choice.

Copy my songs if you want to. That's free.

Your choice.

All my music, my life's work, is what I am preserving the way I want it to be.

It's already started. My music is being removed from all streaming services. It's not good enough to sell or rent.

Make streaming sound good and I will be back.

Neil Young

And so marks the end of Young's music catalog on streaming services. If you want to get your fix, you'll need to head to your local library for a copy on cassette tape, your local Goodwill for a cassette player, and then you'll be able to listen to it in a way that befits such artistry.

In a separate Facebook post, he wrote:

Streaming has ended for me. I hope this is ok for my fans.

It's not because of the money, although my share (like all the other artists) was dramatically reduced by bad deals made without my consent.

It's about sound quality. I don't need my music to be devalued by the worst quality in the history of broadcasting or any other form of distribution. I don't feel right allowing this to be sold to my fans. It's bad for my music.

For me, It's about making and distributing music people can really hear and feel. I stand for that.

When the quality is back, I'll give it another look. Never say never.

Neil Young

SOURCE: Facebook