Spotify’s production deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will finally result in a podcast series this summer with the launch of Meghan’s first show.
The series is long overdue. Spotify signed a deal with Harry and Meghan’s production company, Archewell Audio, in December 2020 to produce and host podcasts for the service, but it’s so far only resulted in a single one-off episode.
It also seemed like the deal could be on the rocks. In January, as Spotify was being scrutinized for its deal with Joe Rogan, Archewell Audio released a statement saying it had raised “concerns” to Spotify about “the all too real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform.” Around the same time, Spotify was reported to be pressuring Archewell to deliver on something after a year with nothing to show.
Now it seems Spotify has smoothed things over — and worked out a production schedule. Archewell is “encouraged by ongoing conversations we’ve had with Spotify” and has been working with the streaming service on “policies, practices, and strategies meant to raise creator awareness, minimize the spread of misinformation, and support transparency,” says Toya Holness, a spokesperson for Archewell Audio.
Today’s announcement comes as “a result of these meetings,” Holness said. There are no details yet on what the series will be about, but there is at least a summer launch timeframe. The Sun previously reported that Spotify had stepped in and was hiring at Gimlet to produce shows for the couple.
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