Obamas’ Production Studio To Leave Spotify And Seek New Contracts

Higher Ground Productions, the entity under which former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have been creating podcasts and televisions shows, will soon cease its partnership with Spotify. 

Back in 2019, the company signed a three-year deal for an undisclosed sum, and reports have emerged that it will not be renewing its contract with the music streaming giant, and is looking for a new collaborator. 

According to The Wrap, insiders have said that the husband and wife team are currently in talks with iHeartMedia and Amazon’s Audible as possible partners, with the rumored deal said to be worth tens of millions. 

The move comes at an interesting time, especially as The Michelle Obama Podcast ranked as the fourth most popular podcast on Spotify when it debuted in 2022. Renegades: Born in the USA by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen was added in February 2021. 

Bloomberg posited that the Swedish streaming service could’ve chosen to bow out of the deal due to the Obamas’ plans to produce several shows that will be released on several platforms, instead of the “exclusive” route usually taken by Spotify. 

Furthermore, the pair’s commitment to appear in an eight-episode program may be deemed insufficient for certain producers, with many of the industry’s heavy hitters coming out with new episodes weekly as opposed to limited runs. 

Will we soon see the Obamas find a new home with Amazon, iHeartMedia, or a completely different company? Fans of the duo’s programing will have to wait and see, though they can still enjoy Barack’s latest Netflix series in the meantime. 

[via The Wrap and Bloomberg, cover image via Joshua Wanyama | Dreamstime.com]