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"I don't need my music to be devalued by the worst quality in
the history of broadcasting or any other form of distribution,"
the Canadian rocker said in a post on his Facebook page.
"I don't feel right allowing this to be sold to my fans. It's
bad for my music."
Young, 69, was one of the biggest rock stars of the 1960s and
1970s with bands like Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills,
Nash and Young, and a successful solo career that has included
albums like "Harvest" and "Rust Never Sleeps."
He has long complained about digital audio and, as a result, has
developed Pono, a portable player that aims to lend a higher
quality than streaming or MP3.
Young said his decision is "not because of the money, although
my share (like all other artists) was dramatically reduced by
bad deals made without my consent."
His criticism is a new blow to streaming services like Spotify,
the target of criticism from artists who complain of meager
payments for their work.
Most notably, top-selling pop star Taylor Swift withdrew her
catalogue from Spotify last November, saying the business had
shrunk the number of paid album sales drastically.
Last month, Swift agreed to put her latest hit album "1989" on
Apple Music, days after Apple Inc did an about-face, agreeing to
pay artists during a free trial of its new streaming music
service.
Young also left the door open to returning to streaming.
"When the quality is back, I'll give it another look. Never say
never," he said.
(Reporting by Mary Milliken; Editing by Paul Tait)
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