Statement About Spotify

*Listener Discretion Always Advised* The Blerds make their feelings clear on the Spotify controversy. (Transcript below) Jillian: Hello listeners. Jenna, Lillie, and I would like to take a moment to address some concerns about Spotify that have been in the news lately. If you’ve ever gone to our landing page, you’ll have noticed that Blerd On The Street is hosted by Anchor, which is a Spotify company. We want to make it clear that we do not condone or support ANY of the statements that Joe Rogan has spread on his show, nor do we altogether think that Spotify has satisfactorily explained their non-actions in the past, toward these inflammatory and, quite frankly, dangerous and racist viewpoints. Jenna: However, at this time, we are going to continue hosting Blerd On The Street at Anchor. We started our podcast in June of 2021, and have been working to grow our listenership. But, we do not have ad revenue, sponsors, or patrons, so every penny that needs to be spent to produce a quality podcast comes out of our pockets. The tools that Anchor provides for producing and editing Blerd On The Street are essential to us airing the type of episodes you have become accustomed to hearing. Lillie: Do we wish we could immediately find an alternative to Anchor? Yes! It would be nice if there were more free all-in-one platforms that were specifically geared toward marginalised podcasters, and beginner producers and editors. I’ve looked. I do the majority of the editing and production, and I love it! But, it’s work, and Anchor has the tools to mitigate that work, as I learn. Listeners, we absolutely support any choices you make about your personal relationship with Spotify and its companies. You can continue to support Blerd On The Street by choosing any other of the podcatchers that we are available on like Stitcher, Apple, Google, Pocketcast, and others. Jenna: Thank you all, Street Team.