“Our continued success in rising the podcast ecosystem is constructed on the necessity for the Spotify machine to maintain transferring,” stated Ms. Elhabashi. “And with these adjustments, we’ll open the following chapter for podcasts on Spotify, with robust discovery and podcast habits for customers, thriving monetization and viewers development for creators, and a precious, high-margin enterprise for Spotify.”
In an opinion On Monday, unions Gimlet and Parcast, that are a part of the Japanese department of the Writers Guild of America, criticized Spotify for its dealing with of the acquisition of the 2 studios. “They missed this chance: canceling reveals with engaged audiences, leaving unfinished initiatives and giving groups little course as to what they really wished to see produced,” the assertion stated.
“Spotify took over Gimlet as a result of it noticed one thing particular within the studio,” the unions stated. “However as an alternative of constructing on that legacy, the corporate undermined it, and 4 years later Gimlet is gone.”
The Parcast union stated their staff’ closing months on the firm “have been tormented by a scarcity of steerage and transparency, confusion and bulletins being withdrawn hours or days after they have been made”.
Spotify declined to touch upon the unions’ assertion.
Podcast downloads grew 20 p.c yr over yr in 2022, in keeping with a January report from Triton Digital, an audio viewers measurement firm, however funding within the trade is slowing.
Podcast publishers, together with Vox Media and Pushkin Industries, have introduced layoffs this yr. Different media firms like Amazon, SiriusXM, and NPR have slashed their podcast budgets over the previous yr.
Spotify fired dozens of podcast staff at Gimlet and Parcast in October 2022. In January, Spotify introduced it was shedding about 600 staff.