Spotify is losing its podcast strategy leader responsible for signing Joe Rogan and Obama.

Spotify take a big hit with an early departure Courtney Holt, who led the streaming platform’s aggressive plan to break into the world of podcasts. as assembled bloomberg, the manager will leave the Swedish company in the coming weeks and close the five-year cycle as part of it. During this period, it was vital to realize some of the most important platform stakes in the genre, like the arrival of Joe Rogan, Barack and Michelle Obama.

As of now, Spotify has not confirmed Holt’s departure; However, the mentioned media assure that the executive branch will assume the role of an adviser, and in addition, his successors will be appointed. Once your departure is completed, your duties will be divided between Julie McNamarahead of studio and video in the US, and Max Cutlerleader of new content initiatives.

The departure of Courtney Holt represents a very important challenge for the company, which is run by Daniel Ek. During his tenure with the company, he was responsible not only for signing contracts with great figures in politics and entertainment, but also for leading the economic effort. absorb other podcast networks; this was the case with The Ringer, Parcast and Gimlet.

Holt also didn’t explicitly confirm his apparent departure, but posted a farewell tweet. “I want to thank the amazing Spotify teams.
that I was lucky to lead and with whom I managed to interact. The goals we set for ourselves were ambitious, and yet we achieved a lot. The company has a great future beyond what you can see and hear today!”

The important fact is that this is the second podcast-related executive that Spotify is losing within a few days. Last week Lydia Polgreen’s Departure Already Confirmedwho was responsible for managing Gimlet Media.

Spotify is losing the ‘architect’ of its podcast strategy

Spotify has been arguing about its podcast strategy for months now. Most infamous is what happened to The Joe Rogan Experience earlier this year following accusations against the controversial host of using racial slurs and spreading misinformation about pandemic and coronavirus vaccines. Not only did this affect the musical order due to Neil Young’s infamous departure from the platform, it also exposed the ambiguity the company was using to avoid any editorial liability.

However, this was not the only case that caused internal controversy. In the early days of 2022 Spotify closed Studio 4, the first dedicated to the production of original podcasts. The same company, which was also known internally as Spotify Studios, had a very promising start, but when the firm began to expand and buy others, it was forgotten.

And to this must be added the added complication of Courtney Holt leaving due to some negotiation. For example, with Elevation, the Barack and Michelle Obama podcast company that is reportedly pushing for a new deal. While the alliance between Spotify and Archwell Audio, created by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, also did not bring the desired results. More than a year after it went official, no podcast has yet been launched under the label.

How will Spotify rebuild after the departure of the man considered the “architect” of its podcast strategy? The platform has managed to establish itself as a heavyweight of the genre and has in The Joe Rogan Experience the most popular podcast in the world. However, it will be interesting to see how he can adapt to the departure of the man who served as vice president in recent years. podcasting Global.