Spotify has announced that they are killing off 11 of their original podcasts and laying off less than 5% of their staff. The company said, “it’s never easy making these decisions, but we feel it’s necessary to continue investing in the future.”
“We know this means a lot of you will be sad, but we hope you understand why this is happening,” they continued. “You made us what we are today, and being able to take your stories with you on Spotify is something we couldn’t do without you.”
What is the strategy behind this move?
Spotify has made a significant change to its podcasting strategy. The company announced today that it would no longer produce or distribute original podcasts, instead focusing on existing programs.
It’s unclear how many people this will affect, but Spotify kills 11 original podcasts, lays off less than 5% of staffers.
The streaming service said it would stop “providing funding and support” for new shows.
The company’s announcement came after more than a year of rumors that it would be making some shift in content strategy. Last year, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek told Bloomberg that he wanted to focus on original content instead of distributing third-party shows as Apple Music does.
Why is Spotify doing this?
Spotify is killing off 11 original podcasts and laying off less than 5% of its staffers. What gives?
Spotify says it’s not wrong—it’s just trimming the fat. The company says that after it merged with Pandora, it had to make some big decisions about its podcast strategy, and it’s “simply shifting resources from some shows to other shows that are performing well.”
Many people have been shocked by this move—and they’re right to be. Spotify has been one of the earth’s most famous broadcasting services for a long time. Still, it hasn’t been without controversy: Just recently, Spotify was sued by a group of music artists over its practice of paying creators based on how many streams their songs have.
In recent years, the corporation came under criticism for what some saw as anti-competitive practices.
For instance, in 2017, it began selling advertising space in its mobile app to brands that pay more money than they used to (the idea that those brands would be more likely to pay higher rates).
Spotify is killing 11 original podcasts, including “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which was canceled on March 15th.
It’s unclear why Spotify decided to kill or lay off so many original podcasts. Still, it could be part of an effort to focus on developing new shows and revamping other programs that aren’t as popular.
In a blog post announcing their plans, Spotify said they “were looking for a way to focus our efforts better and improve our ability to deliver high-quality content.”
The reason for this decision is simple: “We’ve found that the number of hours people spend listening to podcasts is increasing, but that people are listening less frequently,” they write. “This means we need to make sure we’re creating content that people will want to listen to to get them hooked on the long-term habit of podcasting.”
In other words: They’re doing what so many other major podcast platforms had tried before them (and failed miserably at): taking an audience that isn’t there yet and trying to force it into existence. This might work for some shows—but not all.
Also See: How to Create Spotify Pie Chart
Which podcasts are being shut off?
According to a report from Recode, Spotify is shutting down a number of its original podcast shows, including “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Limetown,” and “The New Yorker Presents.” They will be replaced by other content on Spotify, but the company still needs to provide specifics about which podcasts are being removed or when.
Recode reports that the shutdowns will impact around 11 podcasts. However, the reports say that the number of laid-off staffers is less than 5%. The new podcasts will include “Joy Luck Club” episodes and “Serial.”
Spotify said the changes were being made because their creators were no longer growing their audiences as quickly as they had hoped. “Because of this, we’ve decided to shift our focus away from creating new shows,” Spotify said.
CONCLUSION
Spotify is a significant player in the music industry and one of the most popular streaming services on the planet. While its competitors push hard to ensure that their services are as accessible as possible, Spotify continues to grow its user base and expand into new markets. This blog provides essential details about how ‘Spotify kills 11 original podcasts, lays off less than 5% of staffers’.
