Higher Ground, the production entity led by former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, the former first lady, has signed an exclusive, multiyear production deal with Audible, the audio arm of Amazon, just two months after a similar agreement with Spotify ended.
Though Higher Ground and Audible did not share any specific details about the shows they aim to create together, they said in a joint statement on Tuesday that they planned to “tell meaningful and entertaining stories that elevate diverse voices and experiences.”
“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,” Mrs. Obama said in a statement.
Higher Ground developed and aired five shows during its three-year deal with Spotify, including “Renegades: Born in the USA,” which featured a series of conversations between Mr. Obama and Bruce Springsteen, and “The Michelle Obama Podcast.” These shows will remain on the Spotify platform but are also available on all other podcast platforms, including Audible.
Three additional Higher Ground podcasts will still be released on Spotify, including “The Sum of Us” podcast series, based on Heather McGhee’s book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together,” which will debut in July, and the final two chapters of “The Big Hit Show,” a series of audio documentaries hosted by Alex Pappademas that focus on pieces of significant moments in popular culture.
“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,” Audible’s founder, Don Katz, said in a statement.
