Introduction to the Issue

Spotify has taken steps to reduce the number of explicit porn accounts on its video platform. This move comes after such accounts were found to be rising to the top of user feeds. The company has denied that its new creator monetization program provided any financial benefits to these accounts, suggesting that OnlyFans remains the primary option for paid, personalized porn content.

The Problem of Explicit Content

Many users have reported finding strange and explicit images in their Spotify searches. According to a report by Bloomberg, searching for podcasts on managerial advice would also yield results for podcasting porn, including an account with an image of Ghostface from the Scream franchise as its cover. Some of these porn accounts were even featured in the top 15 shows of normally innocuous categories like TV and film.

Spotify’s Response

In response to these findings, a Spotify spokesperson stated, "As part of our platform rules, we do not allow sexually explicit material on our platform," and confirmed that the offending material has been removed. The company has been promoting a video monetization scheme for podcasters and music video creators, which may have inadvertently attracted some of these explicit accounts to the platform.

The Monetization Scheme

The Spotify Partner Program allows video makers to earn money through a share of ad revenue, podcast subscriptions, and payouts based on the number of people who watch their content. However, a Spotify spokesperson clarified that none of the explicit accounts in question were members of the Spotify Partner Program and therefore did not receive any financial benefits from the platform.

Eligibility for the Partner Program

To be eligible for the Spotify Partner Program, creators must meet a threshold of 10,000 streamed hours on Spotify within 30 days and have been streamed by 2,000 unique Spotify users during that time. The company stated that none of the explicit accounts met this threshold, and even if they had been approved, the platform would have monitored and removed any sexually explicit content.

Previous Incidents

This is not the first time that porn has surfaced in users’ Spotify searches. In 2024 and earlier this year, some users reported finding explicit content on the platform, which Spotify claimed to have removed in accordance with its safety and privacy rules against sexually explicit content.

Current State of the Platform

A search of Spotify conducted by our team found some accounts offering explicit content, but only when searching for it specifically. There were no examples of explicit content in the top 15 tracks of major subjects like TV or video games.

The Challenge of Content Moderation

Content moderation is a difficult task, and Spotify is not alone in its efforts to keep porn off its platform. Other platforms like TikTok and YouTube have also struggled with this issue. Spotify’s video podcast consumption is on the rise, with some creators earning significant revenue through the platform’s monetization program.

Conclusion

While some creators may be looking to monetize sex content, it’s perhaps best to keep Spotify as a platform for more family-friendly topics. The company is already dealing with other controversies, such as the removal of alleged human trafficker Andrew Tate’s podcast. Ultimately, Spotify’s efforts to reduce explicit content on its platform are a step in the right direction, but the challenge of content moderation is ongoing.