Obamas leave Spotify, look for new platform for podcasts

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are looking for a new platform for their podcasts. The exclusive contract that the couple’s production company, Higher Ground, had with music streaming service Spotify since 2019, expires this year.

Bloomberg news agency reports that Higher Ground is in talks with other parties about the distribution of the podcasts. A future deal would be worth tens of millions of dollars and “one of the most lucrative” in the industry. According to insiders, the production company would negotiate with Audible, a subsidiary of Amazon.

The exact reason for the departure from Spotify remains unclear. Bloomberg reports that the Swedish music streaming service refused to offer the Obamas a new contract. In addition, the former presidential couple would no longer agree with the exclusivity that Spotify stipulates, because the couple wants to distribute the episodes through multiple channels.

Spokespersons for both Spotify and Higher Ground declined to comment on the news.