Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama have signed a deal to produce a series of podcasts for music streaming platform Spotify.
Under the multiyear deal between Spotify and the couples’ Higher Ground Productions, the duo are set to develop, produce and lend their voices to select podcasts on a variety of topics.
According to Variety , the deal is with Higher Ground Audio, a new division of the Higher Ground production company.
“We’ve always believed in the value of entertaining, thought-provoking conversation. It helps us build connections with each other and open ourselves up to new ideas,” Mr. Obama said in a statement provided by Spotify.
“We’re excited about Higher Ground Audio because podcasts offer an extraordinary opportunity to foster productive dialogue, make people smile and make people think and hopefully, bring us all a little closer together,” he added.
Michelle said through these podcasts their aim is to tell inspirational stories which can help people connect emotionally.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to amplify voices that are too often ignored or silenced altogether, and through Spotify, we can share those stories with the world. Our hope is that through compelling, inspirational storytelling, Higher Ground Audio will not only produce engaging podcasts, but help people connect emotionally and open up their minds — and their hearts,” she added.
Spotify will distribute the Obamas’ podcasts worldwide to its paid and ad-supported user base. The streaming platform, however, did not provide details on the specific projects the Obamas may be planning at this point.
“President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are two of the world’s most important voices and it is a privilege to be working with them to identify and share stories that will inspire our global audience, which looks to Spotify for unique, breakthrough content,” said Spotify chief content officer Dawn Ostroff.
