The Obamas are turning their backs on Spotify: The production company of the former presidential family Higher Ground will not sign a new contract with the streaming market leader. Instead, the company is currently negotiating with competitors about the implementation of podcast formats in which Barack and Michelle parley about their lives and the world’s course – including Audible from Amazon and iHeartMedia.
peacefully separated
Three years ago, the two signed an exclusive contract with the largest of all audio services. Spotify is said to have been worth an incredible $100 million for the Obamas’ public conversations at the time. The fact that the partners, who were tied to each other until October, will go their separate ways in the future is based on mutual agreement: both sides were dissatisfied for different reasons.
Above all, Higher Ground is said to have been bothered by the exclusivity clause demanded by Spotify – the production company has set itself the goal of reaching more listeners in the future by having the content appear on different platforms at the same time. The Swedish streaming provider, on the other hand, wanted to establish a higher number of programs with the Obamas in the contract, while the 44th President of the United States is said to have hesitated with regard to a higher frequency.
About country and love
In the course of the collaboration, “The Michelle Obama Podcast” has been realized over the past three years. Over the nine episodes, the former first lady chatted with family and friends about relationships. According to Spotify, the show was one of the five most popular podcasts in 2020. The eight interviews by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen were also appreciated by the audience: The format “Renegades: Born in the USA” became a lockdown hit in spring 2021. The dialogues were put on paper in the conversation volume “Renegades”.