Spotify's CEO and Joe Rogan have responded to the growing controversy around the latter's podcast and COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.
The streaming platform has said it will now add a disclaimer to any podcast episodes that include a discussion about COVID - a move Rogan says he supports.
It comes after Spotify and its star podcast host have been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks and months.
The firm signed a $100 million deal with Rogan in 2020, with his hit podcast The Joe Rogan Experience now exclusively available on the platform.
The podcast - which brings in millions of listeners per episode - has received significant criticism over the last year for hosting a number of controversial 'COVID skeptic' guests and Rogan's own suggestion that young and healthy people do not need a COVID vaccine.
There was particular criticism of an episode featuring Dr Robert Malone - a former vaccine scientist who has since made a series of widely discredited and false claims about COVID-19 vaccines.
That episode led to around 270 medical and scientific professionals writing an open letter to Spotify, accusing Rogan of "repeatedly spreading misleading and false claims on his podcast" throughout the pandemic.
The controversy escalated last week when musician Neil Young said he'd remove his music from Spotify, criticising the firm's lack of a misinformation policy.
He said: "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
After Spotify agreed to Young's request and removed his music, Joni Mitchell announced she was also pulling her music from the service "in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities".
Rogan and Spotify respond
In an Instagram post overnight, Joe Rogan responded to the escalating controversy - defending his podcasting approach as being about "conversations" with guests about differing viewpoints.
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Rogan said he has a problem with the term "misinformation", arguing that "many of the things we thought of as misinformation just a short while ago are now accepted as fact".
He observed: "For instance, eight months ago if you said 'if you get vaccinated you can still catch COVID and you can still get COVID'... they would ban you from certain platforms. Now that's accepted as fact."
The podcaster and UFC commentator admitted he "absolutely" gets things wrong sometimes, but he tries to correct it when that happens.
He said: "Because of this controversy... Neil Young has removed his music from the platform of Spotify, and Joni Mitchell... I'm very sorry they feel that way.
"I most certainly don't want that - I'm a Neil Young fan, and I've always been a Neil Young fan.
"One thing Spotify wants to do, that I agree with, is that at the beginning of those controversial podcasts - specifically ones about COVID - is to put a disclaimer and say you should speak with your physician, and these people and the opinion they express are contrary to the opinions of the consensus of experts."
He also suggested he could have "more experts with differing opinions" right after controversial guests.
He thanked Spotify for their support, saying he's "very sorry it has happened to them and they're taking so much heat from them" - and stressed he's "not mad" at Neil Young for what has happened.
Meanwhile, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has also responded to the controversy.
While not naming Joe Rogan specifically, he said the company had received a "lot of questions" and "feedback" in recent weeks.
He said the firm won't act as a "content censor" but will ensure rules are in place with "consequences for those who violate them".
Spotify has now published its "long-standing platform rules" that its creators have to abide by, including around COVID-19 content.
The firm is also planning to add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID.
Ek noted: "It’s become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely-accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time.
"These issues are incredibly complex. We’ve heard you – especially those from the medical and scientific communities."
'Lucrative deal'
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast earlier, Newstalk's tech correspondent Jess Kelly said it's clear Spotify wasn't just going to cancel their deal with Rogan over this controversy.
She said: “This was a very lucrative deal for Joe Rogan, and it was obviously a big deal for Spotify.
"They were never going to pull him down straight away because of this."
She said there are alternative streaming services to Spotify, but there is a reason so many people use the platform as their music and podcasting service.
She observed: “We face this question every time Facebook gets into a controversy - a lot of people will text in saying ‘how do I delete my profile?’, but then they don’t follow through because they like the service.
“If you are a premium Spotify customer, you can cancel your plan and move to a platform like Tidal - which is the company Jay-Z and Beyonce are behind - or something like Apple Music.
“Some of them have artists that aren’t anywhere else. Tidal, meanwhile, is [known] for having the best sound quality.
“However, there’s a reason Spotify dominates in this area - it’s the ease of use, and it’s the interface. I’d be intrigued to see in a few months’ time if Spotify subscriber numbers do drop as a result of this, but I guess only time will tell."
