Legendary singer Neil Young had his music removed from Spotify after demanding it be allowed if they kept Joe Rogan , which spreads misinformation, especially about the COVID-19 pandemic.
In support of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell also requested the removal of his music from the platform , arguing that "irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people's lives." With the movement gaining momentum, Spotify's decision outraged many, resulting in a loss of over $2 billion in market value last week (via Deadline ). Last Sunday, the 30th, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek published an open letter.
In it, the CEO says that the platform will begin adding a “content warning” to all podcasts that include information about COVID-19, and also that Spotify is making the company's “platform rules” public. He said the platform is “working to add a content warning to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19.”
On the same day that the Spotify CEO published the statement, Joe Rogan addressed the issue on social media, saying that he "doesn't always get it right" and promised to "do better in future episodes."
Rogan, who says he's a Neil Young fan, stated that he was "very sorry" to see iconic musicians feel they had to leave Spotify because of him. "I certainly don't want that," he said.
He also mentioned that his podcast, one of the most popular programs in the world, "isn't as prepared or developed" and thanked Spotify, with whom he has an exclusivity deal worth over $100 million, for "being so supportive during this time." Rogan concluded by saying he deeply regrets that "this is happening to them."
Rogan also agreed with Daniel Ek's disclaimer and content warning plan: “I would certainly be open to doing that. And I would like to talk to some people who have different opinions about podcasts in the future. I do all the programming myself and I don't always get it right. I don't know what else I can do.”