Spotify's Joe Rogan problem seems to be not going away just yet, as the platform's most popular podcaster basically said "sorry, not sorry" amidst allegations of peddling anti-vax content.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 09: UFC commentator Joe Rogan announces the fighters during a ceremonial weigh in for UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena on July 09, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gizmodo reports that Rogan finally spoke up about the issue with veteran rocker Neil Young, whose music was recently pulled off the platform because of him. Young called out the podcaster and color commentator for reportedly sharing COVID misinformation on his show, which he said puts the lives of so many people at risk-especially young adults.
Rogan shared his thoughts on Instagram recently, which is the first time he has addressed the issue in public. There, he explained that some of his ideas "are not that prepared or fleshed out," because he's having them in "real time."
Basically, what he means is that the topics he's sharing on his podcast were never prepared, which is why they might've been viewed as controversial.
Amidst the issue, Rogan (who is Spotify's most popular podcaster with an average listener count of 11 million), pledged to "try harder" after the Spotify x Neil Young row. But it wasn't just the "Rockin' in the Free World" singer's music that was pulled, but also that of Young's contemporary Joni Mitchell.
According to the BBC, Mitchell's music was also pulled from the streaming platform after she expressed support for Young.
As per Rogan, he said that he will do his best to "try to balance out" controversial viewpoints with other perspectives, saying that there are "no hard feelings" against the veteran musicians. Joe Rogan also claimed that he "isn't mad" at Young, further saying that he is a huge fan of the latter as well as Mitchell.
Tech Times previously reported on the issue last month, when Young expressed disappointment on Rogan's tendency to "spread fake information about vaccines."
EAST TROY, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 21: Neil Young attends a press conference for Farm Aid 34 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on September 21, 2019 in East Troy, Wisconsin.
Since then, Young's (and Mitchell's) music haven't been on the platform, which prompted Apple Music to troll Spotify with a tweet that says "The home of Neil Young", as per CNN.
Updates On The Spotify x Joe Rogan Issue
As a response to the massive backlash, Spotify is deciding to add a "content advisory" to anything related to COVID-19 or COVID vaccines. The advisory, as per the platform, is designed to send listeners to their official COVID information hub.
However, some might argue that all of these actions are too little, too late, as the company is now feeling the economic brunt of the Spotify x Joe Rogan issue.
According to Variety, the massively popular streaming platform has already lost over $2 billion in market value due to Young's decision to pull his music from the platform. Furthermore, shares of the company also fell 6% from January 26-28, which were the first few days of the controversy going public.
As a result, the company's stock closed at its 19-month low of $171.32 per share, which is music to the ears of big competitors like Apple Music.
Related Article: Spotify Chose Joe Rogan Over Neil Young; Is It Because of His Ads, Revenue Despite COVID Misinformation?
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Written by RJ Pierce
