The world’s most prominent podcaster has once again caused controversy, and it may be reaching a boiling point that could affect advertising. Neil Young pulled his music from Spotify last week to protest his views that misinformation around vaccines and Covid-19 on the Joe Rogan Podcast. Spotify gave Rogan $100 million last year for exclusive streaming rights for his podcast. #CancelSpotify is bringing serious questions as to how much autonomy brands and media companies should have over the media they house. Spotify saw profits soar with exclusivity to Rogan’s podcasts, but they still give brands the right to choose the topics they will appear in. While the controversy is in its infancy it mirrors many of the protests that Facebook faced in response to their accusations of spreading fake news. Spotify says they have removed some 20,000 podcasts with misinformation around Covid-19 already, but Rogan’s show doesn’t violate their terms.
