According to reports, the Obamas are leaving Spotify.

They’re looking for a deal that would allow them to distribute shows to multiple platforms at once.

According to Bloomberg, Spotify will lose Barack and Michelle Obama when their partnership expires in October. The former first couple’s exclusive podcast deal with the streaming behemoth is coming to an end, and they will not be renewing it. Higher Ground, their production company, is reportedly looking for a partner who will allow them to produce multiple shows and release them on multiple platforms at the same time. Spotify typically seeks exclusivity from celebrities in order to promote its platform, which is likely why (as Bloomberg reports) it declined to make a new contract offer.

• A Spotify executive who helped spearhead the company’s podcast effort is departing.
• Apple now permits Netflix, Spotify, and other’reader’ apps to link to their respective websites for payment.

Higher Ground is in the midst of negotiating with several other potential partners, though, including Amazon’s Audible and iHeartMedia for a deal that’s expected to be worth tens of millions of dollars. The Obamas are each looking to appear in an eight-episode program, so we can expect shows with a limited number of episodes. 

The Obamas’ deal with Spotify was rumored to be worth $25 million and produced Renegades: Born in the USA with Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, as well as The Michelle Obama Podcast, wherein the former First Lady talked about relationships with friends and family. The Michelle Obama Podcast was one of Spotify’s most popular shows in 2020 and was eventually made available on other platforms. 

While Higher Ground has yet to issue an official statement, a Vanity Fair report from February during the height of the Joe Rogan debacle may shed some light on its decision not to pursue another exclusive deal with a single platform. Apparently, Higher Ground was frustrated with Spotify at times and found it difficult to get additional shows off the ground under their partnership. Further, the Obamas are more interested in producing shows for young new voices than for their own, and that vision just doesn’t align with Spotify’s.