Spotify will invest $100M in content from underrepresented creators, says CEO Daniel Ek

Within the newest installment of the Spotify-Rogan saga, CEO Daniel Ek despatched out an organization memo on Sunday addressing Joe Rogan’s use of dangerous racial slurs in previous episodes of his podcast. Over 70 of those previous episodes have now been faraway from Spotify. Within the memo, which was printed by The Hollywood Reporter, Ek declared that Spotify will make investments $100 million within the licensing, growth and advertising of music and audio content material from traditionally marginalized teams. This is similar amount of cash that Spotify paid to Joe Rogan for his unique content material deal.

“I wish to make one level very clear — I don’t consider that silencing Joe is the reply,” Ek wrote to Spotify workers. “We should always have clear strains round content material and take motion when they’re crossed, however canceling voices is a slippery slope. Trying on the challenge extra broadly, it’s essential considering and open debate that powers actual and essential progress.”

Spotify signed “The Joe Rogan Expertise,” Rogan’s podcast, to an unique, multi-year $100 million deal in Might 2020, making 11 years of content material out there solely on the platform. However it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the already-controversial determine stirred up much more concern from Spotify customers after platforming visitors like Alex Jones, a far-right conspiracy theorist who has unfold misinformation about COVID-19.

Tensions escalated not too long ago when 270 medical professionals signed an open letter to Spotify urging the corporate to implement guidelines round misinformation after Rogan, who is likely one of the most-listened to podcasters within the trade, hosted Dr. Robert Malone, a virologist banned from Twitter for spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Excessive-profile figures like Neil Younger, Joni Mitchell and creator Roxane Homosexual pulled their content material from Spotify in protest of the corporate’s inaction in opposition to Rogan’s platforming of false public well being data.

“One of many issues I’m excited about is what further steps we will take to additional stability creator expression with consumer security,” Ek wrote. “I’ve requested our groups to develop the variety of exterior consultants we seek the advice of with on these efforts and stay up for sharing extra particulars.”

Up to now, Spotify has printed its platform guidelines — which have been beforehand not public — which prohibit content material that promotes “harmful misleading medical data,” like asserting that COVID-19 isn’t actual. The platform has additionally dedicated to including a content material advisory to any podcast that features a dialogue of COVID-19.

Regardless of its present PR nightmare, Spotify hasn’t but misplaced a lot of its market share in comparison with different streaming providers.