Following its initial partnership with Netflix, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground, has just partnered with Spotify to produce exclusive podcasts for its listeners. The platform has recently surpassed 100 million Premium subscribers and 217 million monthly active users, and will distribute these podcasts globally.
Higher Ground was set up by the Obamas last year to “produce powerful stories to entertain, inform and inspire, and to lift up new, diverse voices in the entertainment industry”. Under this multi-year agreement with their Higher Ground Audio branch, they will develop and produce original content. They will also lend their voices to select podcasts on a range of topics.
“We’ve always believed in the value of entertaining, thought-provoking conversation,” President Obama said. “It helps us build connections with each other and open ourselves up to new ideas. 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.”
“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,” Michelle Obama said. “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.”
“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. “Connecting people with original and thoughtful creators—especially those with the ability to highlight underrepresented and indispensable narratives—is at the core of our mission and we are thrilled that not only will the Obamas be producing content, but that they will be lending their voices to this effort.”
