Joe Rogan Breaks Silence on Spotify Controversy: 'Do I Get Things Wrong? Absolutely' The controversial podcast host posted a new video to his Instagram over the weekend.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Joe Rogan has finally broke his silence following accusations of pushing "dangerous" information surrounding covid and the pandemic by legendary musician Neil Young, who's music was removed from Spotify last week after giving the streaming platform an ultimatum to either remove Rogan's podcast or his music catalog.
Spotify first released a statement responding to the controversy by announcing that the company would begin adding disclaimers and a content advisory warning any of its content that discusses or mentions the pandemic and covid.
"Based on the feedback over the last several weeks, it's become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely-accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time," Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in a statement. "We take this seriously and will continue to partner with experts and invest heavily in our platform functionality and product capabilities for the benefit of creators and listeners alike. That doesn't mean that we always get it right, but we are committed to learning, growing and evolving."
Related: Spotify Removes All of Neil Young's Music Amid Joe Rogan Controversy: 'So Much for Art'
The company also published its list of Platform Rules to be made available to the public in an attempt to increase transparency between users and creators.
In response, Rogan posted a 10-minute-long video to his personal Instagram account defending his podcast and addressing two particular episodes (one with Dr. Robert Malone and one with Dr. Peter McCullough) where listeners and critics claimed that misinformation was being spread.
Rogan doubled down on his choice to host both guests, saying that he was interested in hearing different opinions.
"I do not know if they're right. I'm not a doctor. I'm not a scientist," Rogan said. "I'm just a person who sits down and talks to people and has conversations with them. Do I get things wrong? Absolutely. I get things wrong. But I try to correct them."
He also touched on Joni Mitchell and Neil Young deciding to remove their music from the streaming platform and said that he supports Spotify's decision to begin adding content advisories.
Rogan also told fans that he would be open to hosting more experts with differing opinions after he hosts controversial guests in an effort to show all sides of whatever issue is being discussed.
"My pledge to you is that I will do my best to try to balance out these ore controversial viewpoints with other peoples perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view," Rogan said. "It's a strange responsibility to have this many viewers and listeners. It's nothing that I prepared for and it's nothing that I ever anticipated."
The Joe Rogan Experience podcast draws an estimated 11 million viewers in per episode. The show streams exclusively on Spotify since a 2020 deal was signed that earned Rogan himself a reported $100 million.
