Eventually, Spotify responded by implementing content advisories for COVID-19-related episodes. As a result, Young’s appeal rippled across the industry as contemporaries like Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills & Nash withdrew their catalogs. Young made his frustrations clear about the company’s decision to broadcast dangerous misinformation during a pandemic. In support of that open letter, legendary folk-rock musician, protest songwriter, and polio survivor Neil Young penned a letter of his own which has been archived, demanding his music be taken off Spotify. Robert Malone, who is notorious for making false claims about COVID-19. 12, Rolling Stone magazine reported that 270 medical experts signed an open letter directed at Spotify after Rogan brought up COVID-19 misconceptions during an episode with Dr. Needless to say, Rogan has a past of controversial remarks, so it shouldn’t be a shocker that his name is back in the headlines, this time alongside the equally controversial Spotify. Some noteworthy guests are Gavin McInnes, the founder of Proud Boys, and Alex Jones, a far-right conspiracy theorist. The episodes feature interview-like discussions ranging from combat sports, wellness, and narcotics to odd conspiracy theories and questionable politics. On average, Rogan sees around 11 million views per episode, appealing to a primarily conservative white male audience. The deal was first estimated to be approximately $100 million, but now the New York Times is reporting its value has doubled. Although the podcast has been thriving since the mid-2000s, it was the first time operating under an exclusive license.

Rogan joined Spotify in 2020 on a multi-year deal to diversify the platform, which is mainly used for streaming music.

He hosts one of the most popular podcasts, appropriately titled “The Joe Rogan Experience” on Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform. Rogan is the former host of “Fear Factor,” a comedian, an actor, and a commentator for UFC. Over the course of January’s final days, Spotify and Joe Rogan became the center of controversy for several weeks to come.

Joe rogan spotify scandal