Spotify cancels 11 of its original podcasts from internal studios Gimlet and Parcast. Being among the shows ending How to save a planet?, crime showand medical murders, according to Spotify spokesperson Gray Munford.
Other shows that will end over the next month include: Every little thing from Gimlet and Female criminals, Crimes of passion, Dictator, Mythology, haunted placesand Urban Legends from Parcast. Parquet’s Horoscope today will be completed in the second quarter of 2023.
Less than 5 percent of Spotify’s staff on original podcasts will be fired or reassigned, Munford said. The Ringer and Spotify Studios are not affected.
Being among the shows ending How to save a planet?, crime showand medical murders, according to Spotify
The news comes as Spotify begins to lean towards more glitzier programming like Batman: Unburied and Meghan Markle’s podcast, archetypes. But before the streamer chased high-profile hosts like Joe Rogan and produced Hollywood collaborations, he bought Gimlet and Parcast in 2019 to lay the foundation for his podcast library.
True-crime-focused Parcast has managed to perform well for Spotify. Six of his shows are in Spotify’s top 100, including: serial killers, Cold casesand Conspiracy theories. The cut shows seem to be one of the underperforming programs.
Gimlet has been through some tough times. The studio’s biggest show, Answer all, imploded last year after former Gimlet staffers accused co-host PJ Vogt and producer Sruthi Pinnamaneni of fostering a toxic environment, resulting in their departure. The show ended with a whimper earlier this year. Gimlet director Lydia Polgreen left the studio this summer and a replacement has still not been announced. Meanwhile, Gimlet has only one show ranking in Spotify’s top 100 – The newsa collaboration with The Wall Street Journal.
However, How to save a planet?‘s cancellation comes as a special surprise. The climate change show has been well received and is presented by Gimlet’s now biggest star, co-founder and former Planet Money co-host Alex Blumberg. Blumberg has not made a public statement since the announcement of the cancellation.