Spotify unveiled a slew of new podcasts, partnerships and features on Wednesday as part of its quest to dominate all things audio, despite recent challenges and controversies in the space.
At an event near its offices in Los Angeles’ arts district, the Swedish music streaming giant revealed a partnership with popular online content creator Markiplier, whose shows Distractible and Go! My Favorite Sports Team” will release exclusive video episodes on Spotify Introducing.
The company also announced a scripted Batman spinoff series called The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark, starring Hasan Minhaj, who played the villain in Batman Unbury’s screenplay project last year.
While podcasts have traditionally been an audio-focused format, Spotify hopes shows that include video, like Markiplier’s, will be a big part of its future.
The company reported that there are currently 70,000 creators on the platform. A second season of Uncut Gems star Julia Fox’s video podcast Forbidden Fruits will premiere later this month, Spotify said, while TikToker will premiere Drew Afualo’s podcast The Comment Section in April, a Spotify exclusive.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek bragged about Spotify’s rapid growth in podcasting, saying the company has grown from about 10 million podcast listeners in 2018 to more than 100 million today.
The company, Ek said, is building “the best home for makers, where you can build your career and where the world can be inspired by your creativity.”
But the announcements come as a shock to Spotify’s podcast business. Spotify’s ongoing podcasting gambit comes at a time of tension for both the company and the wider market in which it operates.
Last fall, amid an ongoing downturn in the technology and entertainment sector, Spotify removed 11 podcasts from its roster and laid off employees from some of its podcast brands. In January, the company announced that Dawn Ostroff, chief content officer, would be one of the protagonists in the transition from Spotify to podcasting – would be Departureand that 6% of the workforce was reduced.
In May, the company posted Julie McNamara – who then ran US studios and videos – responsible for It acquired the podcast networks Ringer, Gimlet Media and Parcast. Around the same time, the company named Ringer founder Bill Simmons as its new global head of sports content and CEO of Ringer.
Spotify has been trying to establish itself as a leader in the podcast space, attracting new subscribers and diversifying its offerings beyond music, though investors have at times cast doubt on the piece. Competition is fierce as Apple and YouTube serve as major platforms for podcasts, and TikTok and Twitch attract hordes of young, digitally savvy viewers.
Company received a handful of podcast networks, including Ringer – a popular sports and culture brand – Gimlet Media and Parcast, and podcast distribution platform Anchor FM. In 2020, Spotify became the exclusive home of the influential The Joe Rogan Experience in a deal reportedly worth around $100 million.
Celebrity partnerships like Kim Kardashian, Megan Markle And Jordan Peele has helped Spotify break into the densely populated podcast space.
But these high-profile projects have sometimes been marred by controversy. Markle’s podcast has a remarkable impact long time to become a reality, and an exclusive deal Spotify signed in 2019 with Higher Ground, the production company of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, was finally here not extend after the Obamas pushed for a non-exclusive distribution plan.
Higher Ground produced The Michelle Obama Podcast for Spotify and the Bruce Springsteen vehicle Renegades: Born in the USA.
More than two years ago, during the 2021 “Stream On” event, the company made announced worked with Anthony and Joe Russo, directors of Marvel blockbusters Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The collaboration does not appear to have produced any podcasts yet.
The company’s partnership with Rogan — known for allowing guests to spend hours talking about controversial topics — has repeatedly landed Spotify in hot water. Last year, criticism that Rogan spread COVID misinformation about his show led to some performers, including Neil Young draw their music from the platform.
Also Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay cutting tires with Spotify and ended her association with the company before her art collective Array released projects. Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, Roxane Gay, David Crosby and Stephen Stills have all announced their own retirements.
Spotify also announced a handful of new tools on Wednesday that aim to make the platform more accessible to podcasters. A “reimagined” Spotify for Podcasters hub will centralize the company’s podcasting tools — including monetization technology, as well as video podcasting and interactive delivery capabilities — in one place, the company said. A new partnership with digital subscription platform Patreon should make it easier for podcasters to turn listeners into paying customers.
For the record:
Mar 08, 2023 1:47 PMAn earlier version of this article stated that NPR was expected to begin publishing through the Spotify app. The media company will use Spotify’s advertising marketplace.
Netflix has signed up to use Spotify’s podcast platform for businesses, Spotify announced, and NPR is expected to start monetizing the app’s advertising marketplace.
Podcasts aren’t the only thing the company is thinking about.
It started last year to sell Audiobooks on US app and also received Heardle, a music guessing game. 2021 is the day purchased Locker Room, a live audio chat app similar to Clubhouse.
Gustav Söderström, Co-President, Chief Product Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Spotify, unveiled a new home feed for the app. The feed, which references TikTok’s vertical video roll, will feature a mix of everything from audiobooks to music videos, and will focus on discovering and recommending content, according to Söderström.
Source: LA Times