I confess, I was naive. I wanted to affiliate with a streaming service that I felt okay about, both for my own listening and for streaming my music. My music is available on lots of steaming sites but Spotify was the lingua franca of the bunch. I began my relationship as a tiny fish in Spotify’s pond well before CEO Daniel Ek’s ill-advised decision to enter into an exclusive podcasting deal with Joe Rogan.
When I joined Spotify, it was known as a music streaming service. But Spotify had other aspirations. I hardly knew of any podcasts other than Robert Plant’s, and who can argue with that content? I don’t hold it against Spotify that they wanted to branch out. Most social media companies want to be something they aren’t.
I had no idea that Joe Rogan was even on Spotify until recently. I only knew Joe Rogan as the wannabe shock-jock who sometimes said idiotic things on his show, and who routinely hosted idiotic guests.
So Neil Young boycotting Spotify was a wake up call for me. I don’t want to pull my music. I want Spotify to change.
Spotify’s exclusive with Joe Rogan is akin to an exclusive shoe deal with an athlete. Every such contract has an out-clause if the athlete behaves in such a way as to damage the brand. But Joe Rogan bragged about how there would be no such constraints on his content. And Spotify knew what it had purchased a loose cannon with a large following.
Thus Spotify willingly, knowingly, damaged its own brand of streaming music. Yes, they pay musicians poorly. It’s appalling. But musicians need exposure and Spotify gave them that. That was the brand.
When it comes to Covid (and other subjects), Joe Rogan is a bit like the proverbial semi-jock, smartass uncle who makes an ass of himself a few pops in. And since Covid, he has swung dangerously to the dark side. Like the uncle who says he would have loved to have been at the Capitol on January 6 if only he had known what a “wild time” it was going to be.
Joe Rogan brings more unsavory influences into your life than an intestinal parasite. But he’s only the vehicle, right? That’s his toxic superpower. His Covid coverage has been phenomenally irresponsible and he knows it–he more or less admitted as much. He is dog-whistling to make a buck. That’s his brand. That’s what he stands for and it’s all he stands for.
So fine, free speech, right? No. It is no different than that shoe sponsorship deal–and Joe’ shoe stinks.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek knew Rogan’s propensities when he cut the deal, but it was worth it because Ek was looking for cash and podcasting cachet. So he crapped on his own brand.
As to Ek’s invisible content boundaries, they are nowhere to be found . Shouting fire in the crowded theater? No problem. And now he wants to walk the dog back, what, one step? No.
Here’s how to fix it: 1: Daniel Ek, appear on a credible podcast like Sway to answer some real questions from a pro like Kara Swisher about your brand. 2: Have Joe Rogan host Anthony Fauci every day for a week. 3: Give 10 additional accredited medical professionals a platform on Rogan’s show. 4: Shut up about not censuring your “content providers.” You created the problem. You did the shoe deal in the form of an exclusive licensing deal “worth more than $100 million” (~per the Wall Street Journal). Deal with it.
And one more thing, Daniel, quit dissembling. You don’t want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg, you really don’t.