187. Why Spotify Is Failing Independent Podcasters Like Me: a Public Service Announcement

UPDATE: After escalating the issue several times and ways, Spotify FINALLY reinstated the missing episodes and added my podcast to their "allowlist" so my theme song won't be flagged again. However, I'm leaving this up to explain what happened; this issue is still affecting other podcasters, and the resolution process is deeply flawed. - Stephanie, late November 2025

ORIGINAL:

In this special public service announcement episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on a frustrating battle with Spotify that's threatening the very soul of my podcast - its theme song. After three years and 180+ episodes of using "Half Awake" by Joey Pecoraro (which I legally licensed back in 2021), Spotify's AI suddenly started flagging my episodes for copyright infringement. 

The story of how this song became part of my podcast is deeply personal - it came to me through creative inspiration while planning the show, and Joey graciously agreed to let me use it. Now Spotify wants to force me to manually appeal every single episode going forward, despite my valid license. And there’s no guarantee of prompt resolution; in fact, I’m still waiting on replies more than a week after submitting appeals.

Their customer service essentially told me to accept this new weekly homework or lose my Spotify audience. I explore why this matters for the entire podcasting ecosystem, especially as Spotify pushes to become a major hosting platform while simultaneously failing to support creators who legally use music. 

This isn't just about my inconvenience - it's about a platform that profits from our content refusing to implement basic systems to verify licensing agreements, potentially silencing smaller voices who can't fight back.

Since this episode was recorded, Spotify has still yet to reinstate episodes 181, 182, or 184. It reinstated episode 180 after successful completion of the appeals process, but has ignored my appeals on these other 3 episodes. Episodes 183, 185, and 186 appear unaffected, while the future for episodes after this (187) remains uncertain. 

The censorship of episodes 181, 182, and 184 is especially disappointing considering their content. I mean, get a look at these titles!

181. From Ayahuasca to Christ: Will Spencer on Escaping the Serpent's Deception: listen on Transistor or watch on YouTube

182. From Estrangement to Advocacy: Lynn Chadwick on Parental Identity After Your Child Transitions: listen on Transistor or watch on YouTube

184. The Best ROGD Parenting Advice a Robot Can Give: Meet RepairBot, a Groundbreaking AI Tool: listen on Transistor or watch on YouTube

Click on the links above to find each of these episodes on Transistor or YouTube; or, go here to find my podcast on your platform of choice; any platform listed besides Spotify should work just fine. I’m truly incredibly proud of each of these episodes, and all for very different reasons. It would mean the world to me if you would make sure to give one a listen and share it with a friend.

Back to the problem-solving saga: I’ve reached out to Transistor.fm, the platform that hosts my podcast, and they’ve graciously agreed to reach out to Spotify with a copy of my licensing agreement in the hopes of getting this issue permanently resolved. 

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that hopeful outcome. But I won’t rescind my message in this episode until Spotify resolves this issue across the board. It’s affecting many other podcasters, not just me. As Justin Brady explains in this video on X, the net result of this will not only silence many voices, but also discourage and silence musicians as well.

If you normally listen on Spotify, please remain subscribed there, but also be sure you’ve subscribed to my podcast on any platform of your choice besides Spotify. And please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

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