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Sony Music Leisure (SME) is taking podcasts critically.
In September final yr, the corporate confirmed it will be launching practically 40 new podcast exhibits throughout 2020, having beforehand struck offers with podcast producers together with Neon Hum, Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries, and Renay Richardson’s Broccoli Content material.
Sony Music was additionally reportedly within the working to accumulate US-based podcast maker Wondery, which was ultimately offered to Amazon in a $300 million-plus deal late final yr.
In the present day (June 16), Sony Music made a serious podcast acquisition of its personal. The agency has totally acquired Somethin’ Else, a UK-based producer of audio, TV and social media content material, constructing on an present SME partnership introduced in early 2020.
Subsequent to the Somethin’ Else acquisition, Sony Music says it’s making a “newly-expanded world podcast division”.
Somethin’ Else Chief Content material Officer and Vice Chairman Steve Ackerman and Somethin’ Else founder, Government Chairman and CEO Jez Nelson will collectively spearhead SME’s world podcast content material and enterprise improvement technique.
Ackerman will change into Government Vice President, Co-Head World Podcasts, overseeing operations in New York, whereas Nelson will run the division’s UK-based podcast operations as Government Vice President, Co-Head World Podcasts.
Each will report on to SME’s Dennis Kooker, President, World Digital Enterprise and U.S. Gross sales and Tom Mackay, President, Premium Content material A&R.
“Our new world podcast division is vital to our plans for a fast-paced enlargement available in the market, diversifying our artistic talents and offering a house for thrilling content material that may profit thousands and thousands of podcast-lovers around the globe.”
Dennis Kooker, Sony Music
Sony didn’t disclose the worth it paid for Somethin’ Else, however did notice that the agency is “the UK’s largest unbiased podcast and audio producer” in addition to “the BBC’s greatest unbiased producer of programmes, overlaying a wide range of music genres and flagship speech exhibits for the broadcaster”.
Outdoors of podcasts, Somethin’ Else’s TV and social media enterprise will now change into an extension of SME UK’s 4th Flooring Inventive division.
“Increasing our relationship with Somethin’ Else brings their best-in-class capabilities and manufacturing experience totally into the Sony Music household,” mentioned Dennis Kooker. “Our new world podcast division is vital to our plans for a fast-paced enlargement available in the market, diversifying our artistic talents and offering a house for thrilling content material that may profit thousands and thousands of podcast-lovers around the globe.”
Tom Mackay added: “Having collaborated with Somethin’ Else on quite a few hit podcasts, we all know how impactful their work has been on shaping {the marketplace}.
“Below Steve and Jez’s management, we will now present a variety of expanded collaboration alternatives for the podcast neighborhood globally and give attention to rising a sturdy slate of recent in-house initiatives.”
Ackerman and Nelson mentioned in a press release: “We’re delighted to be becoming a member of Sony Music at what seems like a essential second within the development and acceleration of the worldwide podcast trade. Somethin’ Else is called the main premium podcasting manufacturing firm within the UK and our ambition is to harness that drive and creativity to make Sony Music a world market chief.
“Sony Music is famend for at all times placing the artists first in every thing they do, and we’ve seen that tradition totally embedded of their podcast providing too. That world experience, artist first tradition, and skill to chop via the noise has big attraction to podcasting expertise and we stay up for harnessing that on this new chapter of our enterprise.”
SME and Somethin’ Else have collaborated on a number of hit podcasts since January 2020, together with David Tennant Does A Podcast With…, Energy: The Maxwells, The Fault Line: Bush, Blair & Iraq and their latest launch Cheat!. Music Enterprise Worldwide
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