This Week In Podcasts: Spotify Stumbles: Parcast Rises: Libsyn Falls; Hand Farts Return

 Spotify Stumbles

In June 2021, Spotify announced the Spotify Greenroom Creator Fund for US creators to “support and reward creators for the communities they build and the experiences they create”, as part of the launch of Spotify Greenroom. But the fund never launched, and now Spotify has contacted applicants, "fessing up" that the program has been canceled. WTF Spotify.

Spotify has quietly rolled-out a new misinformation policy that says it may hide shows, or in their words “restrict content’s discoverability." This new policy has seen significant loopholes,

For example, a Spotify podcast can assert that vaccines lead to infertility, because Spotify’s official policy only prohibits claims that vaccines cause death, anything short of that may be recommended to listeners. WTF Spotify

 

Parcast Rises
The Parcast Union has ratified its contract, becoming the third union under Spotify to do so. The deal was announced on April 6, two days after 97 percent of members pledged to strike. The three-year contract sets the effective minimum annual salary at $70,000 and health benefits can’t be changed during the contract. All of Spotify’s unions are organized with the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE). Yeah Parcast. WTF Spotify

Libsyn Falls
Libsyn, one of the largest podcasting hosting companies in the industry, has had trading in its shares suspended by the SEC. The company hasn’t filed financial reports for any period since Sep 30, 2020. The company appointed a new CFO at the end of last year to fix these problems. Hey, if you can't even file a financial report, perhaps you should come up with a new plan. WTF Libsyn

Hand Farts
The March 29th episode of the Eclipsed podcast featured a man who plays music with his hands. His special talent? Making hand fart noises. Listen to the episode. Pick up a new skill.