Spotify CEO Defends Joe Rogan as Vital to Platform’s ‘Bold Ambitions’ in Charged Meeting with ‘Upset’ Employees
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Spotify CEO Daniel Ek addressed the controversy surrounding Joe Rogan’s podcast during a heated town hall with employees this week.
“The debate around the conversations Joe Rogan has on his show about such issues, such as Covid-19, climate change, gender, race, has intensified and brought to light many questions around our role and responsibilities as a platform,” Ek said, according to audio obtained by The Verge.
“And based on your own lived experiences and the way you may see this impacting your fellow colleagues and communities, I know some of you feel disappointed, or angry, or even hurt, by some of this content and the fact that it remains on our platform.”
The meeting comes as several artists, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Graham Nash, their fellow Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates David Crosby and Stephen Stills, and India Arie, removed their music from the platform in protest.
According to Verge, an anonymous current employee said that those at Spotify are “upset” about the Rogan controversy, adding, “especially the people whose initiatives directly contradict what’s happening.”
“People are feeling increasingly frustrated that no matter what the company says messaging-wise, or no matter what people’s initiatives are, it all kind of ladders up to, ‘What’s the best for Joe Rogan and Joe Rogan’s audience?’” the employee continued.
While speaking to employees, Ek went on to claim that Spotify is “defining an entirely new space of tech and media,” explaining that while Rogan has an exclusive deal with the service, executives do not “endorse every word he says and believe the opinions expressed by his guests.”
Ek went on to explain he personally disagrees with some of Rogan’s takes:
There are many things that Joe Rogan says that I strongly disagree with and find very offensive. But let me go back to what I said earlier, if you want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with. Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas, and beliefs that we disagree with strongly and even makes us angry or sad.
He went on to highlight that some episodes of Rogan’s podcast that did not make it onto Spotify because they violate the service’s rules, noting that they have a history with handling “tough” content that includes reference to “violence, misogyny, and even murder.”
“So even if you can appreciate why we did this and the importance it had for us, and now understand why we consider our role in the Joe Rogan episodes and podcast as a platform and not as a publisher, I realized that the association with Joe Rogan is still a hard pill for many to swallow,” he said.
The CEO concluded by noting that Spotify’s deal with Rogan is especially hard for “those of you in. historically marginalized communities,” as it “feels deeply personal.”
“And I truly wish there was something I could say today that will make you feel satisfied and address everyone’s concerns,” he said. “But I know it’s not that simple. If we’re going to navigate these challenges together, we need your brilliance, your patience, and your thoughtful, constructive criticism.”
