Spotify Weighs Removing White Noise Podcasts to Cut Creator Payouts

According to internal documents obtained by Bloomberg, Spotify is concerned that white noise podcasts are not generating enough revenue to justify the amount of money it pays to creators. The documents show that white noise and ambient podcasters accounted for roughly 3 million hours of listening on Spotify every day as of January 2023. However, the average payout for these creators was only around $200 per month.

Spotify is reportedly considering several options to reduce its payouts to white noise creators, including removing the shows from the platform altogether, prohibiting future uploads, or pushing listeners towards more profitable content. If Spotify does remove white noise podcasts, it would be a major blow to the creators who rely on the platform for income.

The decision to remove white noise podcasts would also be controversial, as it would likely be seen as an attempt by Spotify to exploit creators who are already struggling to make a living. However, Spotify is under pressure to increase its profits, and removing white noise podcasts could be one way to do that.

Here are some additional details about the situation:

• The internal documents were obtained by Bloomberg through a Freedom of Information Act request.
• Spotify has not yet made a decision about whether to remove white noise podcasts from its platform.
• The company has said that it is "committed to supporting all creators on our platform," but it has also said that it needs to "make sure that we are paying creators fairly for the value they create."

I hope this helps!