India.Arie Talks Pulling Her Content From Spotify Following Joe Rogan Controversy

Comedian/podcaster Joe Rogan found himself in a media firestorm over the last few days. Several musicians, including India.Arie, decided to take their work off Spotify in response to Rogan allegedly promoting COVID-19 vaccination misinformation.

The controversy began to make headlines after Canadian-American singer Neil Young revealed he wanted to remove his music from Spotify. Young’s move was in protest to Rogan and The Joe Rogan Experience podcast guests’ views on the vaccine.

Other recording artists followed Neil Young’s lead. R&B performer India.Arie posted a message on her Instagram page announcing she “must walk through” the door Young opened by taking down her music catalog and SongVersation podcast from Spotify.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by India Arie (@indiaarie)

India.Arie Speaks With Tamron Hall About Her Issues With Spotify

Later this week, India.Arie will make an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show. The Friday, February 4th edition of the daytime talk program will include the Acoustic Soul album creator explaining her decision to pull her content off Spotify.

“Yes, I decided to pull my music and my podcast from Spotify but it’s dual. One is the Joe Rogan conversation and for me his language around race and some of the things I’ve seen and heard, but also coupled with that, there is the treatment of artists by Spotify,” India.Arie tells Tamron Hall in a preview clip.

The four-time Grammy winner continues, “And so artists are underpaid and Joe Rogan gets paid all this money and it’s hard for me to, these days, just sit back and go, ‘Oh, well, that’s how it goes.’ I made a commitment with myself, after reading this book by Martha Beck called The Way of Integrity – she challenges the reader to an integrity cleanse and it means telling the whole truth all the time and see what it will make of your life.”

Following The Backlash, Joe Rogan Responds On Instagram

Joe Rogan signed an exclusive multi-year licensing agreement with Spotify in 2020. The landmark podcasting deal is said to be worth around $100 million. Spotify apparently does not have any control over the content on The Joe Rogan Experience.

In reaction to the backlash over the conversations on his podcast, Joe Rogan posted a nearly 10-minute video addressing his coverage of COVID-19 and the vaccines. Rogan stated that he was not trying to promote misinformation.

The 54-year-old UFC color commentator also promised to “try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people’s perspectives, so we can maybe find a better point of view.” Spotify announced the company will now add a “content advisory” to any podcast episode discussing COVID-19, and Joe Rogan backed that upcoming change to the service.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joe Rogan (@joerogan)