Joe Rogan’s statements have put Spotify in an arduous stance. But despite widespread condemnation of his anti-coronavirus vaccine comments and racial insults, the streaming giant appears unwilling to split ways with the popular podcast presenter.
Joe Rogan apologized on Saturday for using racialist terminology in the past also including the “N-word’. Also, he said at least one repugnant incident of his show had been eliminated from Spotify. Rogan’s odious wording is the latest conflagration to engulf Spotify and its star, who have both experienced outrage from the public over Covid-19 misconceptions on his broadcasts.
Spotify CEO: I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer
In a communication sent to staff, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek stated that the firm would not part ways with Rogan. “While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform. I realize some will want more,” Ek said in the note. “And I want to make one point very clear: I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.”
The letter is the most definitive indication yet of Spotify’s position on Rogan’s future at the firm. It paid $100 million to exclusively host the podcast. So eliminating Rogan puts the company’s bottom line at risk. But it’s also a vital aspect of the company’s plan to become a one-stop-shop for audio.
Whether Spotify restrains Rogan or draws ties, the intention is certain to infuriate one side or the other. According to Adia Harvey Wingfield, a sociology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, the alternative is between maintaining Rogan and giving the message that society has gotten too “woke,” or demonstrating that Spotify is more responsive to a multiracial culture.
John Wihbey is a Northeastern University professor and expert on emerging technologies. He said the streaming site must determine if unsuitable utterances are available elsewhere on its app, where music with racialist, homophobic, and anti-immigrant lyrics are accessible.
Spotify presently has 406 million monthly active users, up approximately 20% from last year. Advertising dividend has grown mostly due to podcasts. Media Research states the company held 31% of the 524 million music jetting subscribers worldwide. It was in the second quarter of 2021. It is more than twofold that of second-place Apple Music.
