While that was the catalyst, critics also pointed to Rogan using racist language and making transphobic statements. The firm established the fund after the artist-led backlash to Joe Rogan allegedly enabling the spread of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation through his Spotify-exclusive podcast. The Creator Equity Fund has also been used to support Latina/Latino creators. This includes the LGBTQ music promotion program Glow, marketing campaigns for Black artists like Kaytranada and the recent expansion of the NextGen podcast funding initiative to support development at historically Black colleges and universities. It instead pointed to projects the fund has supported so far. Spotify didn't address the funding claims in a statement to Engadget. In February, they complained to management that the company had greenlit just $5,000 out of the $100,000 earmarked for diversity plans. Unionized workers at Parcast, a Spotify podcast network, have previously criticized the company over a lack of spending. Changing priorities have also hurt the project, the insiders say. The company reportedly planned to spend the whole fund over three years, but hasn't had a solid structure for approving spending and has been slow to hire staff. Bloomberg sources claim the streaming service has spent less than 10 percent of its $100 million Creator Equity Fund, a pool meant to foster diversity in podcasts and music, in its first year of operation. Spotify's financial apology for Joe Rogan's comments may not amount to much so far.

Joe rogan on spotify