Joe Rogan and Spotify: a Deal for Free Speech

On May 19th, 2020 Joe Rogan announced major news regarding his Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The first 53 seconds preceding JRE #1476 with guest Patton Oswalt had Rogan making an announcement to his viewers.

Starting on September 1st the entire JRE library will be available on Spotify as well as all of the other platforms. Then somewhere around the end of the year it will become exclusive to Spotify including the video version of the podcast.
– Joe Rogan preceding JRE 1476 on May 19th, 2020

Rumors have had Spotify courting Rogan to a deal for some time. However Rogan had been hesitant as to not finding much to gain from an exclusive deal. Rogan is already financially comfortable; currently making about $30,000 per podcast. Rogan is also a UFC commentator and traveling stand up comic.

So if the Spotify deal isn’t netting Rogan a drastically larger amount of cash why did he take the deal?

I speculate Rogan decided on the deal as a result of his ongoing uneasiness with big tech, especially as of recent. For some time now Rogan has had on many guests criticizing big tech companies for censorship, shadow banning, and unfair political treatments. Rogan has even confronted Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey, and Vijaya Gadde in JRE 1258 with Tim Pool demanding answers to some practices many find unfair or unethical.

The Coronavirus pandemic has not taken the spotlight off of big tech at all. In fact it may have directed it in more so.

YouTube (Where millions of JRE fans enjoy his content) has been especially scrutinized. YouTube, as well as the other big tech players, have been very busy during through the pandemic to remove or censor free speech. This has been concerning Joe as he has mentioned in many recent podcasts. One notable example is YouTube’s removal of the April 22nd video of Bakersfield California doctors Dan Erickson, and Artin Massihi. The Bakersfield doctors rose up many points and ideas that should be considered by the people and government. Instead of encouraging a dialogue on the uncertainties of the pandemic, YouTube has assisted the World Health Organization, China, and others who have interests in suppressing conversations and ideas regarding Covid19. All while the WHO and China themselves have been caught in webs of lies pertaining to this whole crisis.

Rogan has struck such substantial popularity due to his ability to have an open mind and converse with all minds regardless of politics, culture, or ideas. However, Rogan’s values and practices for how he runs his podcast has become threatened.

While Rogan himself has remained quiet on all of the factors and details that led to this deal, his recent phone call with Alex Jones shed some insight that may be revealed more come September 1st, when Jones will again join as a guest on JRE. Jones said Rogan told him he had been warned by the highest levels of YouTube not to have on certain guests, or to discuss certain topics or ideas, especially pertaining to the pandemic. It is not out of question that Joe would love to bring in doctors or nurses to discus Covid19, but he has not done so. He may be cautioned to do so due to the news Jones has shared.

This is likely the real reason grabbed a pen to sign this Spotify deal. He now has a written contact that reportedly guarantees his freedom to discuss what he wants without intervention or repercussions, and that he can have any guest he pleases to invite. Jones revealed these details and also that Rogan plans to have him as the first guest on September 1st.