Neil Young gives Greenland free access to his music and pulls it from Amazon

Neil Young has offered people in Greenland a year of free access to his music and documentary archive and has removed his music from Amazon Music, citing objections to Amazon's owner and donations linked to Donald Trump.

Neil Young has made a year of free access to his music and documentary archive available to people in Greenland through his Neil Young Archives. He said the gift was intended to ease what he described as unwarranted stress and threats linked to the territory's recent dispute with the United States. On 22 January, US president Donald Trump walked back his earlier insistence on claiming “right, title and ownership” of Greenland and said a framework for a future deal had been reached. Young also announced he had removed his music from Amazon Music, citing objections to Amazon's owner and the company's financial ties to Donald Trump. Key points: - Young has donated one year of free access to his Neil Young Archives for people in Greenland and said renewals would be available while listeners remain in Greenland. - He framed the offer as a gesture of peace and goodwill toward Greenlanders amid the recent political dispute over the island's future. - On 22 January, President Trump reportedly walked back his claim on Greenland and withdrew a related threat of tariffs after a diplomatic and military response by Nato allies. - Young said he is removing his music from Amazon Music because of Jeff Bezos's support for Donald Trump and referenced a reported $1m donation by Amazon to Trump's inaugural fund in 2024. - The artist previously removed his catalogue from Spotify in 2022 over content concerns tied to a podcast, and he returned to Spotify in 2024 when the podcast became available more widely. - Young has announced a European summer tour beginning on 17 June at the Eden Project in Cornwall, with Elvis Costello and the Imposters supporting on select dates. Summary: The donation provides Greenlanders with free access to Neil Young's music and films for at least a year, with renewals offered while recipients remain in Greenland. At the same time, Young's withdrawal from Amazon Music underscores his objections to the company's ownership and political donations. How other artists or platforms will respond to this sequence of actions is undetermined at this time.