A Spotify (SPOT) initiative put into place in February 2022 is drawing criticism for its weak implementation.
The audio streaming provider had pledged $100 million to license, develop and market music and other audio content from underrepresented or minority groups.
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Spotify's Creator Equity Fund, however, has spent less than 10% on such initiatives in its first year, Bloomberg has reported.
The initiative is reportedly behind schedule in hiring an eight-person staff to oversee the project and "has suffered from shifting priorities." It had not completed its 2023 budget and had not determined its priority projects, according to a memo.
"The Spotify Creator Equity Fund is dedicated to a variety of initiatives that help elevate and support an inclusive and diverse portfolio of artists and creators on the platform. We are able to empower and uplift underrepresented voices around the world," Spotify said in a statement that was reported by TheStreet.
Spotify's "The Joe Rogan Experience" was criticized in 2022 for spreading conspiracies and for some inflammatory remarks made by Rogan.
Rogan had interviewed Robert Malone, a vaccine skeptic who has been banned from Twitter for spreading misinformation. Malone claimed on the show that vaccines don’t work, which goes against the universally accepted medical consensus.
In an act of protest, classic rock legends Neil Young and Joni Mitchell pulled their music from the service. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Inida.Arie posted a video on Instagram that compiled several instances of Rogan using racial slurs.
Spotify then formed a Safety Advisory Council to give expert input on issues ranging from hate speech to disinformation to online extremism.
Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek also had formed a COVID-19 Hub to provide "easy access to data-driven facts, up-to-date information as shared by scientists, physicians, academics and public health authorities around the world, as well as links to trusted sources."
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