Spotify buys Gimlet and Anchor on its march to rule podcasts
[MUSIC]
Podcasts, so hot right now.
[LAUGH]
[LAUGH] Spotify.
[LAUGH]
Spotify announced it bought two podcast companies, Gimlet and Anchor.
I can't say that I've actually heard of Anchor, but Gimlet to me that sounds like a pretty big deal.
I mean like.
That's a rather significant podcasting company, right?
Right, yeah.
So, this is something that Spotify has been messaging that they would be doing.
That they're really interested in non-music audio entertainment.
So, it's not a surprise that they would be going after podcast, they've been talking about how much they're interested in that kind of thing.
But, I think it is surprising how much Spotify thinks the market for podcasts really are.
It's still sort of a niche thing.
Not in terms of listening, but in terms of making money off of it.
Right.
And that's something that Spotify really needs to do.
Music streaming doesn't make a lot of money.
Most music streaming companies are not profiable, including Spotify if you look at their end total Like year, rather than just looking at a single quarter.
But yeah, they want to spend up to, like, half a billion dollars on acquisitions this year and this is a big chunk of it.
Wow.
How do you think this helps them against Apple Music?
Well Apple In terms of iTunes is obviously the de facto place that people get their podcasts already.
So while Spotify is still ahead in the game, against Apple Music, in terms of the number of people that are using it, and the number of people that are subscribing to it, podcasting is an area where it's definitely Apple's turf.
So, if Spotify wants to sort of change the equation about how we find podcasts
How people post podcasts and where you're listening to your podcast, then Apple's the one that they're still gonna be batting up against.
Right, that being said, they're not gonna pull Gimlet's podcast off of iTunes, right?
That would be a pretty crazy nuclear option.
That's a great question.
Yeah, that'd be a great question.
I mean, you could say that.
If they were to do that, it wouldn't be like they'd be putting it behind a pay wall, because Spotify obviously has the three tier to listen to anything with ads.
And that's not going to be going away any time soon, and so it would be, I guess it just depends on how disruptive they wanna be to dedicated podcast listeners.
Mm.
If people have Sort of their ingrained ways of doing things.
Even if it's not necessarily a loyalty to Apple, like I gotta listen to-
Yeah, this is where I get it.
Yeah.
it's at least a very ingrained behavior.
So, it would be interesting to see if they do pull it off.
I would be suprised if they do, just because it would be so disruptive to this core audience of podcast listeners.
But we'll see.
Up Next
What is the Fediverse?
Up Next
What is the Fediverse?
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
Boston Dynamics Retires Its HD Atlas Robot
Boston Dynamics Retires Its HD Atlas Robot
Apple and Disney's Unique Bond: Why Vision Pro Needs the Mouse
Apple and Disney's Unique Bond: Why Vision Pro Needs the Mouse
The Ocean Cleanup's System 03 Collects Plastic Pollution at Record Levels
The Ocean Cleanup's System 03 Collects Plastic Pollution at Record Levels
Latest iOS 18 Rumor Roundup: New Designs, AI Tricks
Latest iOS 18 Rumor Roundup: New Designs, AI Tricks
Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
Everything Just Announced at Google's AI Health Event
Everything Just Announced at Google's AI Health Event
Tech Shows
Latest News All latest news
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
Boston Dynamics' New Electric Atlas vs. Tesla's Optimus
Boston Dynamics' New Electric Atlas vs. Tesla's Optimus
What is the Fediverse?
What is the Fediverse?
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
First Drive in the All-Electric 2024 Fiat 500e
First Drive in the All-Electric 2024 Fiat 500e
Most Popular All most popular
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Latest Products All latest products
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display
This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display
Latest How To All how to videos
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro