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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have joined Spotify’s growing podcast empire, announcing that they’ve signed a multi-year deal alongside launching their own audio production company Archewell Audio.

Meghan and Harry’s plans with the streaming giant is the latest signal that Spotify are moving away from their music roots. The royal couple’s new business venture will produce podcasts, in partnership with Spotify’s Gimlet studio, that highlight and elevate diverse perspectives and voices. The series will look back over the struggles of 2020, but in a positive way. In the podcast trailer, the couple said the series would ‘bring forward different perspectives and voices that perhaps you haven’t heard before and find our common ground’ whilst celebrating ‘kindness and compassion’. Now who could argue with that.

In a joint statement, Meghan and Harry said:

What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction. With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

The first episode of the Sussexes’ Spotify podcast will be a Christmas special, airing over the festive season. The announcement follows the Netflix deal the couple signed in September to make documentaries, children’s shows and feature films in the future. The couple now live in California after their decision to step back as working senior members of the royal family.

Spotify dominate the podcast industry, having overtaken Apple Podcasts this year. Harry and Meghan’s new podcast is the latest of exclusive big-name acquisitions, including a partnership with Kim Kardashian. With rumours of a podcast subscription on the horizon, the platform’s investment is bound to continue; keep an eye out for further deals announced by Spotify as we head into 2021.