The policy was also regarded as a barrier to entry for some emerging artists. However, the policy drew criticism for being vague and seeming to only target Black men who had not yet been convicted of any crimes. Data from an internal newsletter obtained by Business Insider last year showed that The Joe Rogan Experience accounted for 4.5% of all podcast listening in September 2020, with users spending 14.9 million hours total listening to the show in that month. In Spotify’s first year hosting podcasts, Rogan’s show was crowned the No.

Up to now, the deal to distribute The Joe Rogan Experience appeared to prove its worth to the audio brand. As more platforms seek to differentiate themselves by offering bespoke content, Spotify’s apprehension over its role as a publisher is the start of a wider tech provider identity crisis. “From the moment they decide to be more than a distribution channel, inexorably, they will be charged as responsible for the content.”Īs the sole partner for The Joe Rogan Experience, which reaches 11 million subscribers, Spotify is viewed as uniquely responsible for that content. “They will need to redefine their value proposition for the artistic community and listeners: Is Spotify a distribution channel, a publisher or a content creator?” said Daniella Bianchi, executive director of branding consultancy Interbrand.

Joe rogan spotify issue