70 episodes of Joe Rogan’s podcast vanish from Spotify as new controversy emerges – CNET

70 episodes of Joe Rogan’s podcast vanish from Spotify as new controversy emerges – CNET

Rogan podcast fans have fewer episodes to listen to now on Spotify
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Spotify appears to have removed roughly 70 episodes of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast as videos of its controversial host using racial slurs in past shows spread on social media. The news comes amid a musician-led protest of Spotify over allowing Rogan’s podcast to spread COVID-19 misinformation. 

This week, Grammy-winning singer India.Arie, who has pulled her catalog from Spotify, shared a compilation video via Instagram that shows Rogan uttering a racial slur on numerous past episodes of his show. She acknowledged that clips can be taken out of context but said Rogan shouldn’t be using such slurs under any circumstances. She also posted a message saying Rogan was problematic not just because of his COVID interviews but also because of “his language around race.”

The podcast host, who in 2020 inked a deal reportedly worth more than $100 million to distribute his show exclusively on Spotify, took to Instagram overnight to apologize. “I certainly wasn’t trying to be racist,” Rogan said, “and I certainly would never want to offend someone for entertainment with something as stupid as racism.” Rogan said he agrees he shouldn’t use such slurs, regardless of the context.

The apology came shortly after a fan-made website found that roughly 70 episodes of the podcast were no longer available on Spotify. The website, JREMissing, uses Spotify’s API to compare available episodes to a database of all episodes recorded. 

Spotify has previously excluded episodes of the podcast for violating its content policies. CNET can’t confirm a link between the currently circulating videos and the disappearance of the episodes. Neither Spotify nor Rogan responded to requests for comment. 

The new controversy and apparent removals come amid broader concern about Rogan’s podcast serving as a platform for COVID misinformation. Rocker Neil Young and folk icon Joni Mitchell pulled their music from Spotify after an open letter signed by more than 250 medical professionals, researchers and professors pointed to the podcast as evidence the streaming service was assisting in the promotion of misinformation. 

CEO Daniel Ek has defended the inclusion of Rogan on the company’s roster and told a company town hall that the podcast was vital to Spotify’s success. 

“If we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with,” Ek said during the town hall. “Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas and beliefs that we disagree with strongly and even makes us angry or sad.”

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