Big-Name Podcasts Spotify Has Announced Yet Have Never or Seldom Published

Speaking of Spotify’s exclusive podcasts, here’s James Cridland writing for Podnews:

Over the last two years, Spotify have been busy announcing deals for podcasts. But when it comes to the shows themselves, where are they? [...]

With this level of PR activity, it’s no surprise that these deals are normally heavily covered by the press, and each of them has a positive effect on Spotify’s stock market value. Meghan and Harry’s announcement alone contributed to a 1.9% rise in value, worth $836 million.

However, if there is a track record of these announcements never coming to fruition or delivering any value for the company, when do these announcements become a little misleading? Is this a strategy?

Ashley Carman, writing for The Verge:

Still, the takeaway from the skirmish is clear: Spotify can’t afford to ostracize Rogan or his audience. The company specifically licensed his show with the goal of both converting listeners to the platform and making money through ad sales. [The Joe Rogan Experience] has become the lynchpin to its entire podcasting apparatus.

A source previously told me that if marketers buy ads on Rogan, they have to buy ads on the rest of Spotify’s catalog, too, meaning Rogan’s success brings more advertisers to the rest of Spotify’s investments. Without him, Spotify has Call Her Daddy and Armchair Expert, but neither reaches Rogan’s scale. It’s easy to see why Spotify didn’t cave so easily.

See also: Carman, back in August: “Joe Rogan, Confined to Spotify, Is Losing Influence”. Rogan may well be laughing all the way to the bank, but there’s no question that going Spotify-exclusive has reduced his audience size. People who like podcasts already have a favorite podcast player.

★ Thursday, 27 January 2022