Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be podcasters.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Spotify to host and produce their own podcasts, they announced Tuesday.
They are following in Obama’s footsteps again, subscribing to both Netflix and Spotify.
They have established Archewell Audio and signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with the platform, and said in a statement released Tuesday that they will produce programming “that will elevate and entertain audiences around the world.”
Later this month, they say they will release a holiday special that will include “stories of hope and compassion from inspiring guests in celebration of the new year,” in collaboration with Spotify’s Gimlet studio.
The couple, who moved to Montecito, California earlier this year after leaving their roles as members of the senior family, said in the statement: “What we like about podcasting is that it reminds us to all to take a moment and really listen, to connect with each other without distraction ”.
They added: “With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important moment to do it, because when we listen to each other and listen to each other’s stories, we are reminded of the interconnectedness we all have.”
Spotify’s head of content and advertising, Dawn Ostroff, who had already signed up Michelle Obama for the service, which has 320 million users worldwide, said: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex can live in California, but the power of their voices lies in their status as citizens of the world. ”
“That they are adopting the extraordinary capacity of podcasts on Spotify while seeking to elevate under-represented voices is a testament to their appreciation for the potential of audio storytelling,” he added.
He said Spotify users will be able to listen directly to the Duke and Duchess, as well as “other creators who will elevate through our global platform.”
The first full series from Archewell Audio and Spotify is expected next year.
The Sussex have said they intend to be financially independent of the royal family and have already signed a mega-production deal with Netflix, as did former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle in 2018.
On Monday, Markle announced he had begun investing in businesses, with his first investment in the women-run coffee business Clevr Blends.
As Page Six reported, he gave a pack of suckers to neighbor and friend Oprah Winfrey, who then promoted the coffee to her 19.2 million Instagram followers.