Spotify has launched its paid subscriptions for podcasters in the US, but the launch is being overshadowed by the latest controversy around its star signing Joe Rogan. “If you’re like 21 years old, and you say to me, should I get vaccinated? I’ll go no. Are you healthy? Are you a healthy person?” said Rogan in a show last week. “If you’re a healthy person, and you’re exercising all the time, and you’re young, and you’re eating well, like, I don’t think you need to worry about this.”
It’s not just wrong, it’s dangerous: and should be an almighty headache for the company that is paying Rogan handsomely for exclusivity for his shows, and promoting them heavily on its platform.
The Verge claimed that Spotify reviewed the episode and concluded it was fine for distribution. As for the podcast subscriptions, it’s as leaked earlier this month, although the ‘100% of revenues go to podcasters’ aspect has been clarified: it is for the next two years, and from 2023 Spotify will take a 5% cut of those subscriptions – still notably less than Apple Podcasts’ 30% cut, which drops to 15% after a year.
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