The Obamas are Heading to Audible: Here's What You Have to Know

The Obamas' podcasts and content have found a new home.

Amazon's Audible recently announced it is partnering with the Obamas' Higher Ground Productions for exclusive rights to distribute the company's content across various platforms.

Higher Ground previously partnered with Spotify for exclusive distribution rights to its content. However, disagreements on the new deal caused the two companies to go their separate ways.

Audible And Higher Ground Partnership Details

Audible mentioned in its announcement that its partnership with Higher Ground would involve an "exclusive, worldwide, multi-project, multi-year first-look production deal" that will allow Higher Ground to distribute its content across various platforms.

The partnership deal will also allow the Obamas to take a more behind-the-scenes role in future productions, which is an idea that Spotify did not agree to when Higher Ground tried to negotiate a new deal with them, per Engadget.

You may remember that company officials from Higher Ground and Spotify met earlier in 2022 when Higher Ground tried to extend its partnership with Spotify that would allow the Obamas to distribute their content across various platforms and be slightly involved in future productions.

However, Spotify declined to extend the partnership earlier in 2022 as Higher Ground's wishes go against its exclusives-based strategy.

Rachel Ghiazza, Audible's EVP and Head of US content, said that Audible found "a perfect pairing" in its collaboration with Higher Ground since its employees and listeners have listened to the latter company's content. She also mentioned that they at Audible are honored to develop original work with the Higher Ground team to bring listeners to "new uncharted territories and expanding their imaginations and awareness."

Joe Paulsen, Higher Ground's head of business and strategy, and Dan Fierman, the company's Head of Studio, also share Ghiazza's sentiments, saying that they "couldn't be more excited" to grow the company's ability to tell great stories in audio. They also mentioned that the company couldn't have found a better partner to help further build the company's audio platform and tell the stories it believes in.

Michelle Obama is also excited about the new partnership, with him saying that "there's no one we'd rather write our next chapter with than Audible."

Meanwhile, President Obama mentioned that He is looking forward to partnering with Audible to tell stories that entertain and inspire at the same time.

"At Higher Ground, we have always sought to lift up voices that deserve to be heard - and Audible is invested in realizing that vision alongside us," said President Obama. "I'm looking forward to partnering with them to tell stories that not only entertain but also inspire."

What Higher Ground's Partnership With Audible Means For The Company

The Verge mentioned in its report that its partnership deal with Audible could be a "tricky arrangement" if the Obamas are placing accessibility as its priority.

Although Audible makes many podcasts, original or otherwise, for free, it is still best known for its premium programming, which requires a monthly subscription fee of $7.95.

Additionally, the announcement didn't disclose whether the shows Higher Ground will distribute through Audible will be hidden behind a subscription paywall.

However, Audible spokesperson Keri Dizney told The Verge's Hot Pod that the two companies plan to make Audible originals available to the widest possible audience.