Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in his prepared remarks that the company is working to tackle misinformation on the platform. “The last several weeks have presented a number of learning opportunities,” Ek said (via Engadget). In case you need a refresher, Joe Rogan and his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” are at the center of the whole controversy. Content on Rogan’s podcast has led multiple artists, including Neil Young, to remove their music from Spotify. Young cited “False Information About Vaccines” as the reason behind the decision. Spotify has so far defended the former Fear Factor host. But its tone with the investors appears to be slightly muted. “We’re trying to balance creative expression with the safety of our users,” the CEO said in response to a question. “While Joe has a massive audience – he’s actually the number one podcast in more than 90 markets — he also has to abide by those policies.”
The Spotify CEO took the blame for the delay in launching the content advisory
Spotify said it reviewed all episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience and found that they didn’t meet the criteria for removal. As of last week, the company decided to add a “content advisory” to any podcast episodes that discuss COVID-19. Spotify went on to say that it has so far removed more than 20,000 podcast episodes about COVID-19 since the pandemic began. However, Ek acknowledged that the company was late to release its content policy. “We should’ve done it earlier and that’s on me,” he said. Ek went on to say that these recent events are unlikely to cause a loss of customers, adding that such controversies usually take months to subside. Joe Rogan has apologized for the controversy while saying he would include a broader spectrum of opinions on upcoming episodes. “I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people’s perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view.” As for its revenues, Spotify is forecasting a decent next few months. “As we move into 2022 and beyond, the opportunities in front of us are large and we see a tremendous amount of greenfield on the horizon,” the company said in its Q4 2021 financial report. Spotify revealed that its monthly active users (MAUs) grew by 18% year-over-year to 406 million in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, it also witnessed a 16% YoY growth in Spotify Premium subscribers, reaching 180 million.
