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Spotify cuts 200 jobs after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s show fails to rake in cash
It was reported that Spotify paid Meghan Markle more than $18 million for her ‘Archetypes’ podcast
Spotify may slash 200 more jobs after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s famous audio deal could not rake in the amount of money that was expected. It was reported that the company paid Markle more than $18 million for her ‘Archetypes’ podcast. The Swedish streaming giant now has to part ways with multiple staffers.
Spotify laid off about 6% of its 6,600 workforce back in January. Redundancies are now said to be reaching 2% of the streaming platform’s workforce, according to New York Post
Spotify’s head of podcast business, Sahar Elhabashi, wrote in a blog post, “We have made the difficult but necessary decision to make a strategic realignment of our group and reduce our global podcast vertical and other functions by approximately 200 people, or 2% of Spotify’s workforce.”
“Unfortunately, this means saying goodbye to close colleagues and friends. We know news like this is never easy, especially for those impacted. These decisions are not something we take lightly. I want to express my appreciation for everything those leaving have done for podcasting and Spotify,” he added.
The podcast is described on Spotify as “a podcast where we investigate, dissect, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back.” It features interviews with famous women, but Markle has also revealed a lot about herself.
Markle discussed the concept of ambition with Serena Williams during the inaugural episode of the podcast. “I don’t remember ever personally feeling the negative connotation behind the word ‘ambitious’ until I started dating my now-husband, [Prince Harry],” she said. “Apparently, ambition is a terrible, terrible thing — for a woman, that is.”
Markle also opened up about her struggles while living with the royal family. She recalled several harrowing incidents, including one where she was allegedly forced to go on a South Africa tour despite her distress after her son Archie narrowly escaped a fire in a bedroom.
The podcast has also been the center of a few controversies, including spreading misinformation on Covid-19 vaccine. The show was also accused of making antisemitic comments and using racial slurs. Earlier reports claimed that Spotify paid Harry and Markle $25 million for singing for a lucrative audio deal.
