Following the removal of several musicians' music from Spotify in protest of COVID-19 misinformation shared on Joe Rogan's podcast, Rogan came under fire on social media this weekend after video surfaced of him repeatedly using the N-word during his podcast episodes.
Rogan's remarks were echoed by India.Arie on Friday, who also took down music from the platform in response to Rogan's racist slurs.
On Sunday night, Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek addressed Rogan's previous use of racial slurs, telling staff in a memo that while he deemed the comments "incredibly hurtful" and incoherent with company values, he did not believe "silencing" was the solution.
Ek's comments come as Spotify is undergoing an unprecedented firestorm over Rogan's race and pandemic rhetoric, which has engulfed the company in controversy and resulted in an increasing number of recording artists and podcasters ditching the platform.
Yesterday, the controversial host issued an apology, calling his remarks "regrettable and shameful."
"While I strongly condemn what Joe has said... I want to be crystal clear about one thing: I do not believe that silencing Joe is the solution," Ek explained.
Ek reaffirmed his position on Spotify's content moderation policies, stating that the company should have firm guidelines around the content it publishes. When they are violated, the company should take action, but he cautioned that nixing views is a tricky issue.
Additionally, Ek noted that Spotify is making a $100 million incremental investment "to license, develop, and market music and audio content from historically marginalized groups."
Spotify previously responded to boycotts by Neil Young and other artists by promising to place content advisories on all podcasts discussing COVID-19.
Rogan asserted that he is "not racist" and has refrained from using such language in recent years. He admitted in an Instagram video posted to his account that he behaved inappropriately, though he claimed that videos circulated online exaggerated his actions.
Spotify (SPOT) announced a deal with Rogan in 2020 to carry his enormously popular podcast exclusively on its platform. According to the Wall Street Journal, the transaction was worth more than $100 million.
Rogan, a mixed martial arts commentator and well-known vaccine skeptic, has sparked controversy with his opinions on COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic, and federal regulations to contain the virus's spread.
However, it is unknown whether such action will quell the Rogan controversy. Critics have demanded far harsher measures, with many calling for Rogan's dismissal from the company.
Meanwhile, Spotify lost more than $2 billion in market value as a result of the backlash against COVID-19 misinformation.
