Amazon plans to acquire podcast network Wondery, which will join Amazon Music
Wondery will be a part of Amazon Music, which launched podcasting in September. — Amazon is also exploring podcasts for Audible and local. — The company owns a sizable chunk of the smart speaker market. https://www.axios.com/... Ari Levy / @levynews : Amazon follows up purchase of self-driving car maker with acquisition of podcast company. Naturally. https://www.cnbc.com/... Ken Yeung / @thekenyeung : Big Podcast: Amazon, Google, Apple and Spotify. https://www.cnbc.com/... Subrahmanyam Kvj / @sub8u : Amazon then: Your margin is my opportunity. Amazon now: Your attention is my opportunity. https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/... Sar Haribhakti / @sarthakgh : Amazon is serious about media https://www.aboutamazon.com/ ... Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia : Good thing Amazon isn't one of four major tech companies that's under a massive anti-trust regulation magnifying glass!!!! https://twitter.com/... Steve Kovach / @stevekovach : Notable Amazon acquisitions: Whole Foods (physical grocery stores), Wondery (popular podcasts), Ring (smart home gadgets), Zoox (self-driving cars) Amazon is everything. https://twitter.com/... Kintan Brahmbhatt / @kintan : Super excited to welcome the @WonderyMedia team to @amazonmusic https://www.aboutamazon.com/ ... John Bergmayer / @bergmayer : boo. they'd better keep the podcasts on open RSS feeds https://twitter.com/... John Bergmayer / @bergmayer : looks like Amazon is an ok podcasting citizen as at least for third-party shows they just pull from existing feeds instead of rehosting, even though its directory is terrible and the app doesn't let you add your own URLs Natalie Jarvey / @natjarv : Amazon Music has agreed to acquire podcast studio Wondery, getting the expected deal done just before the end of the year https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ... Ashley Carman / @ashleyrcarman : no mention of audible here. i'm so curious about that working relationship. frenemies? https://twitter.com/... See also Mediagazer
Amazon
Context & Ripple Effects
Amazon's move follows exclusive talks that put Wondery at a $300M-plus valuation and turns a podcasting launch inside Amazon Music into an owned-content strategy. The company is also exploring podcast distribution through Audible and local offerings, making Wondery a shared content capability rather than a stand-alone destination.
That logic later culminated in Amazon's decision to close the Wondery app and Wondery+ service, with some shows moving to Audible. The acquisition therefore matters as an early step in concentrating podcast production and distribution across Amazon's audio products.
First-order effects
Amazon Music gains Wondery's podcast studio and network, giving its new podcast offering a source of owned programming.
Wondery becomes part of Amazon Music while Amazon evaluates additional distribution through Audible and local podcast products.
Second-order effects
Amazon can place Wondery programming across Amazon Music and Audible, increasing the pressure on standalone podcast subscriptions to justify a separate destination.
Apple, Google, and Spotify face a better-resourced Amazon in competition for podcast audiences and programming.
Third-order effects
The later retirement of Wondery's dedicated app indicates a consolidation model in which specialist podcast brands supply larger audio bundles rather than remain independent consumer services.
If large platforms continue buying podcast networks, control over distribution and bundled audio memberships will matter more than operating a standalone podcast app.
The trend: Podcasting is being absorbed into broader platform audio bundles, with acquisitions securing programming and later consolidation concentrating consumer distribution.
some wild valuations in podcast world. now Wondery is bought for $300 million. I will allow journalist-FOMO if you thought about launching your podcast/podcast group a few years back and didn't (and also point fingers at big media who didn't get on it soon enough) https://twitter…
The worst thing about music companies acquiring podcast companies is that the podcasts stop being available internationally and become geographically constrained (just ask the thousands of stranded Joe Rogan fans in countries without Spotify) https://twitter.com/...
This is a big win for indie podcasters. It's looking less like Spotify will be able to corner the podcasting market, and more like we'll have 3-4 big players. I still think Google or FB will take a big swing in 2021. https://twitter.com/...
We're excited to announce we've signed a deal to join Amazon. Together with @amazonmusic, we look forward to continuing to bring a world of entertainment and knowledge to you. This deal is not yet closed and nothing is changing for listeners today. https://www.aboutamazon.com/ ..…
I absolutely refuse to listen to a podcast via a subscription music service (Spotify, Amazon, etc.) as they are attempting to capture value from something built without their contribution. https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ ...
Two questions on this Wondery deal with Amazon 1. What does “valued” at $300m exactly mean? Like actual dough? Doubtful. 2. How nervous is Spotify right now? And bonus: hey @profgalloway what does this mean for our dysfunctional relationship? https://www.nytimes.com/...
Wondery going to Amazon, eh? Truly the year of podcasting. Though one might take an argument that all these acquisitions and consolidation will end in tears for podcasters. https://www.aboutamazon.com/ ...
🎙Amazon's acquiring podcast company Wondery. — Wondery will be a part of Amazon Music, which launched podcasting in September. — Amazon is also exploring podcasts for Audible and local. — The company owns a sizable chunk of the smart speaker market. https://www.axios.com/...
looks like Amazon is an ok podcasting citizen as at least for third-party shows they just pull from existing feeds instead of rehosting, even though its directory is terrible and the app doesn't let you add your own URLs
Amazon Music has agreed to acquire podcast studio Wondery, getting the expected deal done just before the end of the year https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...