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Spotify is expanding distribution for some Gimlet podcasts
Reports indicate that Spotify is dropping the paywall for a number of high-profile podcasts produced by Gimlet Media. Spotify purchased Gimlet back in 2019 for $230 million. It remains to be seen which podcasts would become free-to-play or what this means for the future of Spotify-branded podcasts.
Spotify is reportedly dropping 11 original podcasts
Spotify is said to be dropping 11 original podcasts as it focuses on big exclusives.
Spotify signs an exclusive podcast deal with filmmaker Ava DuVernay
The Oscar-nominated director's Array collective will work with Gimlet Media on a variety of shows.
Spotify’s podcast power play
By February, 2019 was already a huge year for Spotify. As part of its earnings announcement, the company revealed that it had finally made a profit -- a benchmark that seemed somewhat unattainable given the service's expensive operating costs. In that same news drop, Spotify also proclaimed it was ready to become a power player in the world of podcasts. It spent big, locked down exclusive shows and introduced several new features for users. And the effort won't end as 2019 comes to a close.
Spotify's new scripted fiction podcast stars Pedro Pascal and Carrie Coon
Spotify-owned Gimlet just launched a new scripted fiction podcast, Motherhacker. The series explores "the dark side of the web," and it marks another attempt by Gimlet and Spotify to popularize fiction podcasts.
Spotify adds 8 million paying customers in three months
In the three months since Spotify crested the 100 million Premium user mark, the company has added another 8 million paying customers. It's another sign of health from a music streaming service that continues to grow in the face of tough and well-heeled competition. In its second-quarter earnings, Spotify said that its overall membership grew from 217 million last quarter to 232 million now.
Luminary's podcast service loses more high-profile shows
PodcastOne, The Joe Rogan Experience, Barstool Sports and other major podcasters have pulled their shows from Luminary, the startup network that launched with fanfare and $100 million in funding. The main problem seems to be that the network used a proxy for the podcast streams rather than serving up the originals, depriving the creators of valuable listener statistics. "If I go in and click play on a show on Luminary, we as a platform do not get real data back," Simplecast CEO Brad Smith told The Verge.
Recommended Reading: The battle to make the end of 'Game of Thrones'
'Game of Thrones' first look: Inside the brutal battle to make season 8 James Hibberd, Entertainment Weekly HBO's insanely popular epic concludes in April, but the battle to film the battles, and to keep them from being leaked ahead of time, was a constant struggle for the crew. Entertainment Weekly goes behind the scenes of the final season and offers a spoiler-free primer ahead of its debut in a few weeks.
Spotify finally made a profit and spent big on its podcast future
Spotify is making big moves to secure its dominance in the music streaming market. As expected, the company is buying Gimlet Media, a New York-based podcast network that owns a range of popular shows including StartUp, Reply All, Crimetown and The Pitch. It's also acquiring Anchor -- a move we didn't see coming -- to help budding podcast creators record, publish and manage their own shows. Spotify didn't disclose the terms of either deal, but confirmed that both are expected to close this quarter. "These companies are best-in-class and together we will offer differentiated and original content," Spotify CEO Daniel EK said.
