'We Should Have Done it Earlier': Spotify CEO Speaks Out on Joe Rogan Controversy Spotify reported its Q4 2021 earnings on Wednesday amid controversy that has rocked the company in recent weeks.

By Emily Rella

Spotify reported its Q4 2021 earnings on Wednesday amid controversy that has rocked the company in recent weeks.

The streaming platform has been facing mounting pressure to either remove or post a disclaimer on episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience that discuss Covid and the pandemic. The criticism is coming from across the board, including from artists who host their content on Spotify.

Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby and others have completely pulled their catalogs from the platform, accusing Spotify of being irresponsible for allowing Rogan to spread "dangerous misinformation."

"I do not know if they're right. I'm not a doctor. I'm not a scientist," Rogan said in response to the controversy. "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."

Related: Spotify Removes All of Neil Young's Music Amid Joe Rogan Controversy: 'So Much for Art'

Following the widespread backlash, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced that Spotify would begin adding disclaimers and a content advisory warning surrounding any of its content that discusses or mentions Covid and the pandemic.

In Tuesday's earnings call, Ek doubled down on his decision and admitted that this was something the company should have already been doing, independent of the Rogan drama.

"Obviously, it's been a few notable days here at Spotify," Ek began with his remarks. "When we entered into the podcast space in 2019 with the intent to help modernize and grow this space for all type of creators, we assumed it would challenge and test our teams in new ways. And there's no doubt that the last several weeks have presented a number of learning opportunities."

Related: Joe Rogan Breaks Silence on Spotify Controversy: 'Do I Get Things Wrong? Absolutely'

Ek didn't directly address the removal of catalogs or what he perceives to be the immediate impact of the fallout because it's "too early" to tell.

"We've taken pretty dramatic steps … one is publishing our policies and making them clear to the world. Just an acknowledgment from my side. That's probably late, we should have done it earlier, and that's on me," Ek admitted. "But the second thing is very, very big and no other audio platform has done this, and that's providing this content advisory notice next to Covid-19 content."

He explained that all podcast episodes discussing Covid moving forward will be tagged with a notice that links to messages from scientists, doctors and CDC and WHO specialists, something Ek says is "unprecedented" in the world of audio streaming.

Spotify ended Q4 with 180 million paid subscribers and 406 MAUs, bringing in $3.04 billion in total revenue, which is about a 40% increase year over year.

However, as of Thursday afternoon, the company was down a whopping 50.01% year over year.

Wavy Line
Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Editor's Pick

A Leader's Most Powerful Tool Is Executive Capital. Here's What It Is — and How to Earn It.
Lock
One Man's Casual Side Hustle Became an International Phenomenon — And It's on Track to See $15 Million in Revenue This Year
Lock
3 Reasons to Keep Posting on LinkedIn, Even If Nobody Is Engaging With You
Why a Strong Chief Financial Officer Is Crucial for Your Franchise — and What to Look for When Hiring One

Related Topics

Starting a Business

5 Tips For Launching a Business While Keeping Your Day Job

Launching a business while holding down a 9-to-5 is no small feat. It's a common path for aspiring entrepreneurs, but it's not without its challenges.

Money & Finance

7 Ways to Make Extra Income Even With a Full-Time Job

Want to make more money? Real estate investing, Amazon ecommerce and the sharing economy are waiting for you.

Business News

Florida Burger King to Pay $8 Million to Customer Who Slipped and Fell in Restaurant Bathroom

The case marks one of the largest slip-and-fall verdicts in Florida's history.

Leadership

Why Time Management Doesn't Work — And How My Team Doubled Their Productivity Once I Started Doing This Instead

Time management is killing your productivity – here's why and what you need to do to increase your productivity instead.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.