Meghan Markle Reportedly in Talks to Move ‘Archetypes’ Podcast to Spotify Rival After Deal Collapses

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published 11 October 2023

Meghan Markle might not be done podcasting, even after her and Prince Harry’s multimillion-dollar deal with Spotify collapsed this year. OK reports that Meghan might relaunch her well-received podcast, “Archetypes,” and do so on Audible, an Amazon-owned platform that is a rival of Spotify’s.

The outlet reports that Harry and Meghan’s potential deal with Audible “could be worth millions,” and that, though their Spotify deal ultimately didn’t work, “Audible’s audience could be interested in the American royals.”

Meghan Markle at the Archewell Foundation's mental health summit

“Harry and Meghan are retooling, retrenching, and preparing to change course in their efforts to establish themselves and their production company Archewell as serious players across multimedia platforms,” a source said. “Expect them to come out swinging in the new year.”

Per The Daily Express, Harry and Meghan’s business advisors are in touch with Audible, and the outlet reports that Meghan’s new team at talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) is “closely involved” in talks about the deal. “The couple already has strong ties to the subscription service,” the outlet writes, as Spare—Harry’s memoir which he narrates himself on audiobook—is “currently being offered to listeners for free as part of a promotional deal.” This was set up by Harry’s publishers at Penguin Random House, and Audible execs are said to be “delighted” with the uptick in new customers and “very interested” in pursuing a long-term deal with the couple.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the 2023 Invictus Games

President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama themselves have a $30 million multi-year deal that guarantees Audible first refusal on all their future book and podcast projects. “If agreement is reached with the Sussexes, it will be a deal structured in a very similar way,” a source speaking to The Daily Express said. “They would be obliged to offer any audio projects to Audible first but would then be completely free to market them elsewhere if rejected. It’s the sort of deal some elite moviemakers enjoy with major film studios. Importantly for Harry and Meghan, it would more than wipe out the monetary hit they took when Spotify pulled the plug and offer them a growing platform where Meghan can make good her vow to continue her podcast.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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