How $1bn push into podcasts led to Spotify’s growing pains

He was supposed to be Spotify's biggest acquisition, one who would transform the music streaming company into a one-stop shop for all kinds of online audio.

But controversy over "misinformation" on Joe Rogan's podcast precipitated a hellish week for the Swedish firm as high-profile boycotts, a social media backlash and a share price drop challenged the viability of its meteoric growth.

With questions mounting over whether streaming companies pay artists their proper due, a second and arguably bigger issue has emerged: whether Spotify can be held responsible for all of the material on its platform.

The row started when a group of more than 250 US professors and public health officials called on the company to crack down on Covid-19 misinformation after an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience included "several falsehoods" about vaccines.

Later, when Neil Young issued an ultimatum to Spotify to remove either his music or Rogan's podcast from its platform, the company chose to back Rogan, whose podcast is its most popular, with an estimated audience of 11 million.

Despite an apology from Rogan, in which he pledged more balanced and better-researched content, and a decision by Spotify to add content advisories to episodes discussing Covid, there were a slew of further boycotts, including from Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren, India Arie, and the podcasters Roxane Gay and Brené Brown.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have a podcast deal with Spotify, said they had previously raised the issue of misinformation with the company. On the same day that Spotify staff were reportedly up in arms about the chief executive Daniel Ek's defence of Rogan, there was an intervention from the White House calling on it to "do more".