Neil Young opens his music vault to Greenland residents

Veteran rocker Neil Young is offering a year of free access to his entire music catalog to residents of Greenland, calling it a gesture of “peace and love” amid rising geopolitical tensions involving the Arctic region.

Young announced the move Tuesday on his blog, saying he hopes his songs and music films can provide comfort during what he described as an anxious moment for the semiautonomous Danish territory, whose future has recently drawn attention from the United States and NATO.

“I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwarranted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government,” Young wrote. “It is my sincere wish for you to be able to enjoy all of my music in your beautiful Greenland home, in its highest quality.”

The offer is valid for one year, though Young said it could be renewed. To qualify, applicants must have a Greenland-based cellphone number. “This is an offer of Peace and Love,” he added.

Young’s manager confirmed to Associated Press that the announcement is legitimate.

A pointed contrast to recent streaming decisions

The move stands in sharp contrast to Young’s recent decision to block his catalog from Amazon Music, a protest aimed at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whom Young has criticized for supporting U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Amazon is owned by Jeff Bezos, a billionaire backer of the president,” Young wrote last week. “The president’s international policies and his support of ICE make it impossible for me to ignore his actions. If you feel as I do, I strongly recommend that you do not use Amazon.”

Young has a long history of clashes with streaming platforms. In 2022, he famously pulled his music from Spotify in protest of podcast episodes by Joe Rogan that discussed COVID-19 vaccines. He later reversed that decision and returned his catalog to the platform.

A complicated relationship with streaming

Even before those disputes, Young had been a vocal critic of streaming audio quality. In 2015, at his insistence, much of his catalog disappeared from Spotify for several months due to concerns about sound fidelity. Today, his music remains available on Spotify and Apple Music, while the Greenland offer carves out a rare, location-specific exception.

Known for politically charged anthems like “Rockin’ in the Free World” and classics such as “Heart of Gold,” Young has long blended music with activism. His latest move continues that tradition — using his songs not just as entertainment, but as a statement of solidarity.

Source: AP News