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On January 28, Both Sides, Now singer Joni Mitchell followed Neil Young and announced the removal of her music from Spotify over the COVID-19 misinformation controversy.
The Canadian singer took to her official website to make a statement directing the focus towards the medical community’s grievances with the music streaming platform.
The 78-year-old said,
“I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives.”
She further supported Neil Young’s stance, who removed his music catalog from the platform earlier this week.
“ I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”
In her statement, she also referred to an open letter signed by 270 medical professionals, who demanded that Spotify adopt policies to prevent misinformation on the platform.
The controversy originated from allegedly misinformed COVID treatment claims on Spotify’s Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast.
How much is Joni Mitchell worth?
As per the data pooled from multiple publications, Joni Mitchell is reportedly worth somewhere around $100 - $130 million. Most of her fortune originates from her extensive career in the music industry, spanning over 40 years.
Throughout her career, Mitchell has recorded 19 studio albums, from which she has garnered over 7 million in record sales in the USA, as per RIAA. Meanwhile, in the UK, she has sold over 1 million records. In 1997, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The nine-time Grammy-winning singer has five RIAA Gold-certified hit albums, with three of her albums garnering RIAA platinum certification.
Unlike other artists, Mitchell owns the publishing rights to her catalog, as she has produced all of her studio albums herself. This allowed the singer to remove her music from Spotify at her own discretion.
Mitchell’s publishing rights also include millions of royalties from streaming platforms, digital sales, and record sales. She also receives a cut when her songs are used in films and are reproduced or covered by other artists.
Joni Mitchell has toured for most of her career since her foray into the music industry in 1964. The 78-year-old musical icon has been on eleven concert tours, with ten of them being international tours.
Last year, the Canadian artist struck a deal with independent music label Reservoir, which became the “worldwide administrator” for her catalogue. The amount of compensation Mitchell received from the deal was undisclosed.
