Spotify spend $235 million on podcast company Megaphone
Spotify’s newest acquisition won’t bring more podcasts to their platform but sees them build into Megaphone’s platform instead.
Spotify’s roots may lie in dedicated music streaming but in recent years their exploration into podcasts has seen a new focus for the team. They’ve built a huge library of podcasts available to all of their users and even opened them up to those who don’t use their apps.
Spotify are now making another big podcast acquisition in Megaphone, according to a source close to both companies. Megaphone’s platform hosts podcasts and as such is already home to all of Spotify’s shows. Instead of sharing content, the deal will add Spotify’s advertising structures to the platform.
Spotify’s Steaming Ad Insertion technology is capable of delivering ads based on real-time understanding. It bases the placement of ads on each users tastes, their listening habits, and deals with advertisers. Megaphone will now have Spotify’s smart ads inserted into listeners’ streams.
It puts Spotify in a unique position to earn money from a popular platform that is separate from their own. For advertisers, it provides an appealing opportunity to control their ad campaigns and uniquely target specific customers on a platform outside of Spotify’s own.