Spotify may make podcasts available
Spotify Technology is in talks to make the popular podcasts “Armchair Expert” and “Anything Goes” available on other streaming platforms, reversing its strategy to attract more listeners and boost revenue for the shows.
“Armchair Expert,” hosted by Dax Shephard and Monica Padman and billed as “A Spotify Exclusive,” may soon be available on other services.
The audio version of Emma Chamberlain’s “Anything Goes” is already accessible on Apple’s Podcasts service.
More shows will likely follow, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
As Spotify built out its podcasting business, the company paid significant sums to acquire studios and exclusive rights to shows because it thought they would entice more listeners.
“Armchair Expert” became exclusive in 2021, while “Anything Goes” did so in February of this year.
But making shows exclusive to Spotify limited the potential audience since podcast listeners often use other services.
Spotify said in a statement to Bloomberg News that it’s adopting a tailored approach to each show, including releasing episodes exclusively for a period before making them more broadly available, a strategy known as windowing.
“We’ve experimented with windowing shows for several years and found success,” the company said. “This experimentation around wide and windowing content will continue as we endeavor to be the best partner with the world’s leading podcasters.”
Julie McNamara, who oversees Spotify’s studios, told investors in March that Chamberlain’s audience “more than doubled” since signing her deal with company.
China shipments fell last month
Chinese exports fell for the first time in three months in May, adding to risks in the world’s second-largest economy as global demand weakens.
Overseas shipments shrank 7.5% from a year ago to $284 billion, official data showed Wednesday, worse than the median forecast for a 1.8% drop.
Exports to most destinations contracted, with double-digit declines to places including the U.S., Japan, Southeast Asia, France and Italy.
Imports declined 4.5% to $218 billion, better than an expected drop of 8%, leaving a trade surplus of $66 billion.
Chinese purchases from most regions declined in May, with contractions of more than 20% in imports from Taiwan and South Korea – a sign of weakness in global electronics demand.
From wire reportsThe expansion in exports earlier this year was one bright spot for the economy, helping to underpin the recovery after China dropped its pandemic rules.
However, recent data shows the recovery has weakened, with manufacturing activity contracting in May and home sales growth slowing after a pickup earlier in the year.
The trade report is “yet another disappointing data which will raise growth concerns and intensify expectations of more policy support,” said Khoon Goh, a strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group.
The drop in exports shows how a slowing global economy is starting to affect China, with Wednesday’s data showing the value of exports fell from April, the second straight month-on-month decline.