After the Obamas, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are next in line for their own Spotify-exclusive podcasts and announced a multi-year deal with the platform. The Sussexes had previously signed a production deal with Netflix earlier this year, again, like the former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle who signed a production deal with Netflix back in 2018.

The Duke and Duchess have announced their own audio production company called Archewell Audio and will host their own podcasts and produce other shows. This too mirrors the Obamas. Michelle and Barack Obama launched their own production company – Higher Ground – and inked the deal with Spotify.
Michelle Obama’s podcast debuted earlier this year as an exclusive but later became more widely available. It is unclear whether the same could happen with the duke and duchess’ shows.

The first complete series from Archewell Audio and Spotify is expected next year, although there will be a holiday special later this month about “stories of hope and compassion from inspirational guests in celebration of the new year,” in partnership with Spotify’s Gimlet studio.

Harry and Meghan moved to Montecito, California earlier this year after quitting their roles as senior royals and are aiming to be financially independent of the royal family. Spotify chief content and advertising business officer Dawn Ostroff believes that while the two may live in California but “the power of their voices rests in their status as citizens of the world”.

This new partnership is yet another in a series of such deals by Spotify with big names and talent in the podcasting space. The company moved Joe Rogan’s show over to its platform exclusively, signed up with DC Comics and Warner Brothers, and as previously mentioned, inked a production deal with the Obamas. The streaming service wants to be an all-encompassing audio platform and encourage more people to download and regularly fire the Spotify app to listen to their favorite stars and celebrities, if not for the music.

Photo by Mark Jones