Photo Credit: Thibault Penin
After making a number of cuts across its spoken word divisions amid a wider effort to achieve podcasting profitability, Spotify is now hiring a podcast “copy lead.”
The Stockholm-headquartered audio-entertainment platform disclosed its search for a podcast copy lead in a LinkedIn job posting. For reference, the Parcast, Gimlet, Megaphone, Chartable, The Ringer, Whooshkaa, and Podz owner Spotify has in recent years dropped billions on podcasting – including the exclusive rights to programs like The Joe Rogan Experience, Call Her Daddy, and an array of others.
And while these expenses have reportedly helped Spotify to top well-funded competitors such as YouTube, SiriusXM, and Apple in the podcasting sphere, the service has since 2022’s beginning been working to reorganize and reduce costs. One year before laying off approximately six percent of its entire team, for instance, Spotify in early 2022 shuttered Studio 4.
October of the same year brought the cancellation of 11 original podcasts, before Spotify closed out 2022 by axing multiple live audio shows. And 2023’s first five months, for their part, have seen several podcasting execs depart the business, with the Heardle parent having also shut down its standalone live audio app.
Now, with the rapid-fire acquisition strategy dialed back – as it continues to explore different ways of monetizing podcasts – Spotify is searching for a (remote) copy lead to “assume ownership of the Spotify for Podcasters brand voice and guide its execution,” according to the initially highlighted job posting.
Pulling down a healthy $116,455 to $166,364 annually, the hired individual will “take the lead in the creation of front-facing marketing collateral” and “build, maintain, and continually develop verbal communication according to brand guidelines,” per the description.
The copy lead’s other responsibilities will include cultivating “a cohesive brand story at all customer touchpoints” and solving problems with “multiple solutions to encourage and inform Spotify for Podcaster’s passionate podcasting community,” the posting shows.
Moving forward, it’ll be worth monitoring the professional direction of Spotify’s copy lead as well as the service’s additional podcasting hires and pivots. Judging by the uncertain economy, Daniel Ek’s recent comments about overspending on content acquisitions, and the particularly ill-advised deals inked by Spotify, it appears that the company will look to do a lot more with materially less in the approaching months (and possibly years).
When the market closed today, Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) was valued at $150.31 per share, reflecting a small improvement on the day and a nearly 84 percent hike from 2023’s start.