Barack and Michelle Obama are reportedly cutting ties with Spotify amid speculation that their ideas had failed to impress bosses at the streaming service.
The former first family’s production company, Higher Ground, has opted not to sign a new deal with the audio giant in favour of releasing more content on other platforms.
It is attempting to thrash out deals with rivals worth tens of millions of dollars, according to Bloomberg, which could herald one of the most lucrative contracts in the podcast industry.
The latest twist comes after a source told Business Insider in February that Higher Ground’s pitches did not always “align” with Spotify’s interest in popular, wide-reaching shows.
Despite producing “The Michelle Obama Podcast” – one of Spotify’s five most popular shows in 2020 – the couple and Spotify have reportedly been at loggerheads about their ideas.
The streamer wanted more podcasts fronted by the pair due to their star power, while the couple were pushing for a more diverse range of voices.
Higher Ground has produced five shows for Spotify, including “The Big Hit Show” one of its only programs that didn’t feature a member of the Obama family.
Higher Ground is now in discussions with the likes of Amazon’s Audible and iHeartMedia as it seeks to produce several shows and release them on multiple platforms at the same time. The company wants to secure a new partner within the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, Swedish giant Spotify reportedly declined to make an offer. The company may have chosen not to renew because if the Obamas chose to sign a non-exclusive agreement elsewhere, then their podcast could still end up on the service.
Such a departure would mark a further blow to Spotify after the service was drawn into a row over its superstar podcaster Joe Rogan, who was accused of touting vaccine misinformation.
Chief executive Daniel Ek’s decision to stand by Mr Rogan prompted ageing rockers Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to pull their songbooks from the service.
Companies like Spotify and Amazon have sought to pursue exclusive rights to promote their own services.
The Obamas first signed a deal with the music streaming giant in 2019 as they focused on future business ventures after their presidency.
Spotify has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to work exclusively with some of the most popular podcasters, including Joe Rogan and Bill Simmons.
