Cancelling Joe Rogan not 'the answer', Spotify CEO says

Daniel Ek condemns controversial podcaster, but argues against silencing him

In a letter to Spotify employees, chief executive Daniel Ek condemned podcaster Joe Rogan's repeated use of a racial slur. Getty Images

Joe Rogan has put Spotify in a tough spot, but the streaming company is not ready to part ways with the popular podcast host despite intense criticism over his anti-coronavirus vaccine comments and use of racial slurs.

Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek also said in a message to employees on Sunday that Rogan’s racist language was “incredibly hurtful” and that the host was behind the removal of dozens of episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience.

“While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realise some will want more,” Mr Ek said in the note. “And I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.”

I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer

Daniel Ek,
Spotify CEO

The letter is the clearest indication yet of where Spotify stands on Rogan’s fate with the company as some musicians, including Neil Young and India.Arie, have pulled their work from the streaming service in protest and others could follow.

Spotify reportedly paid $100 million to exclusively host Rogan’s podcast, which now threatens the bottom line but is also a key part of the company’s strategy to be a one-stop shop for audio.

“We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but cancelling voices is a slippery slope. Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress,” Mr Ek wrote.

He said he was “deeply sorry” for the impact the controversy was having on Spotify’s employees. Rogan apologised on Saturday for his use of a racial slur on some past episodes.

Joe Rogan is in the eye of the storm, as various artists pull out of Spotify in protest against his podcast 'The Joe Rogan Experience'. Getty Images

Neil Young, who accused Rogan of spreading Covid-19 misinformation, was one of the first musicians to take his music off Spotify. AP

Joni Mitchell said she was also removing all of her music from Spotify in solidarity with Young. AP

India Arie has joined the fray, saying she's removing her content because she has issues with Rogan's 'language around race'. AFP

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have expressed their concern to Spotify about Covid-19 misinformation, but said they were committed to continuing to work with the company. Reuters

Essayist and 'Bad Feminist' author Roxane Gay announced that she has pulled her podcast, 'The Roxane Gay Agenda,' from Spotify. AFP

Bestselling author Brene Brown – host of the Spotify-exclusive podcasts 'Unlocking Us' and 'Dare to Lead' – said she would not be releasing any podcasts until further notice. AFP

Author and psychologist Mary Trump, niece of former US president Donald Trump, has also removed her podcast and has urged Spotify to ditch Rogan's show. Getty Images

Musicians Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills and Nash. Both Nash and Crosby have voiced their support of Neil Young, their former bandmate. AFP

Nils Lofgren, left, long-time guitarist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, has asked Spotify to remove his solo works. EPA

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has divided his fans for his praise of Rogan. AP

Trevor Noah dedicated a segment of 'The Daily Show' to the Rogan controversy, calling the podcaster's statement on the issue 'refreshing'. AP

Jon Stewart, who Noah succeeded on 'The Daily Show', said it was a 'mistake' for artists to remove their works from Spotify in protest, and called the backlash an 'overreaction'. AP

Singer-songwriter Jewel told Rogan to 'keep it up'. Getty Images

American DJ Kaskade also praised Rogan's stance following the controversy, saying Rogan 'nailed it'. AFP

In his letter, Mr Ek announced an investment of $100m to license, develop and market “music and audio content from historically marginalised groups”, without giving more details.

Rogan’s public troubles started on January 24 when Young asked to have his music removed over concerns Rogan was promoting scepticism about the Covid-19 vaccines. Other artists followed suit, including Joni Mitchell and Roxane Gay.

Spotify said it would soon add a warning to all podcasts that discuss Covid-19, directing listeners to factual, up-to-date information from scientists and public health experts.

The scrutiny intensified when a video compilation emerged last week showing Rogan repeatedly using a racial slur. Arie posted it on her Instagram account, using the hashtag #DeleteSpotify.

“They take this money that’s built from streaming, and they pay this guy $100m, but they pay us like .003 per cent of a penny,” the Grammy winner wrote. “I don’t want to generate money that pays that.”

Rogan apologised in an Instagram on video Saturday, saying that the slurs were the “most regretful and shameful thing” he has ever had to address and that he hasn’t used the word in years.

Mr Ek told The Wall Street Journal last week that he took responsibility for being “too slow to respond” to the criticism over vaccine misinformation. It took the company five days to respond publicly to Young.

“It’s become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time,” Mr Ek continued in a statement.

Spotify reports having 406 million active monthly users, up nearly 20 per cent from last year, and advertising has grown largely because of podcasts.

Musicians still generate the bulk of Spotify’s profits, experts say. The company had 31 per cent of the 524 million music streaming subscriptions worldwide in the second quarter of 2021, more than double that of second-place Apple Music, Midia Research said.