*Barack and Michelle Obama announced their departure from Spotify this past April, and now the couple has inked an audio deal with Audible.
The Obama’s Higher Ground company, which produced the audio series “Renegades: Born in the USA with Bruce Springsteen,” has struck a first-look deal with Amazon’s Audible, Deadline reports.
According to Audible, Higher Ground will roll out a slate of shows that speak to “the companies’ shared mission to tell meaningful and entertaining stories that elevate diverse voices and experiences”.
“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. I’m looking forward to partnering with them to tell stories that not only entertain but also inspire,” said former President Obama in a statement.
READ MORE: Barack and Michelle Obama Not Renewing Podcast Contract with Spotify
“We are so proud of the stories we have been able to tell at Higher Ground, and there’s no one we’d rather write our next chapter with than Audible. Together, we will keep striving to tell compelling, provocative, and soulful stories—while doing everything we can to make sure they reach the folks who need to hear them,” added Michelle Obama.
Per Deadline, Higher Ground produced several audio series for Spotify, including “The Big Hit Show, a series of audio documentaries hosted by Alex Pappademas, Tell Them, I Am, a podcast collection of universal stories from Muslim voices, The Michelle Obama Podcast and upcoming series The Sum of Us podcast series, based on Heather McGhee’s book,” the outlet writes.
It’s unclear whether or not these shows will roll over to Audible or be rebranded.
“We have long recognized President and Mrs. Obama’s historic capacity to captivate,” said Don Katz, Audible’s Founder and Executive Chairman. “We are thrilled to welcome two of the most profound voices of moral and intellectual leadership of our times into the Audible fold, and to be able to elevate President and Mrs. Obama’s singular ability to provide hope and uplifting guidance—needed now more than ever—through their voices.”
