Spotify acquires podcasting companies Gimlet Media and Anchor to accelerate its growth in podcasting. Gimlet is an independent producer of podcast content, and Anchor is a market leading tool for podcast creation, publishing, and monetization services. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
With these acquisitions, Spotify is positioned to become both the premier producer of podcasts and the leading platform for podcast creators. Gimlet will bring to Spotify its best-in-class podcast studio with dedicated IP development, production and advertising capabilities. Anchor will bring its platform of tools for podcast creators and its established and rapidly growing creator base.
“These acquisitions will meaningfully accelerate our path to becoming the world’s leading audio platform, give users around the world access to the best podcast content, and improve the quality of our listening experience as well as enhance the Spotify brand,” said Daniel Ek, Spotify co-founder and CEO. “We are proud to welcome Gimlet and Anchor to the Spotify team, and we look forward to what we will accomplish together.”
In a blog posting Ek outlined Spotify’s audio-first strategy and the reasoning behind the acquisitions. Ek writes, “Based on radio industry data, we believe it is a safe assumption that, over time, more than 20% of all Spotify listening will be non-music content. This means the potential to grow much faster with more original programming – and to differentiate Spotify by playing to what makes us unique – all with the goal of becoming the world’s number one audio platform.”
Anchor’s end-to-end podcasting platform, available for free on iOS, Android, and web, provides easy-to-use creative tools, unlimited free content hosting, distribution everywhere podcasts are heard, and monetization options built for beginners and pros alike. The company was founded in 2015 in New York City and today powers more than 40% of the world’s new podcasts. For more information on Anchor go here.
Gimlet Media was founded in 2014 and is behind hit series like StartUp, Reply All, Homecoming and Mogul. Gimlet Creative, the company’s in-house advertising agency, helps brands find their voice in audio and produces official podcasts for brands like eBay, Tinder, Gatorade and Mastercard. Gimlet podcasts are listened to in nearly 190 countries worldwide and for more information go here.
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