Universal Music Group Teams With Wondery For Original Podcast Development

Universal Music Group (UMG) has teamed with independent podcast publisher Wondery to develop premium original podcasts, drawing upon UMG’s musical catalog as well as its iconic roster of artists and labels.

Podcasts produced under the agreement will be available globally on any platform Wondery makes its content available. With credits that include Dirty John, Dr. Death and Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football, Inc., Wondery is the fastest company to join Podtrac’s Top 10 New Podcasts, holding both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in 2018.

The new podcasts will serve as an extension of the compelling narratives and content that UMG is already creating around its artists, labels and catalog. Working with Wondery’s network of storytellers, the podcasts will provide fans and new audiences alike with deeper perspectives on artists, music and events that influence and shape culture.

The podcasts will also become an incubator for UMG’s growing slate of film and television projects, as well as a meaningful platform to reach audiences with content from short and long-form programming from the company’s Polygram Entertainment and its numerous record labels worldwide. UMG has been developing and producing podcasts for local audiences around the world since 2012.

The move by UMG follows that of several companies making greater pushes into podcasting. SiriusXM has announced it will make nearly two dozen programs available to Pandora listeners in the form of podcasts, including content involving Kevin Hart, Andy Cohen and more. Spotify has acquired three podcast firms so far this year, including Anchor, Gimlet and Parcast. Meanwhile, iHeartMedia acquired Stuff Media in 2018.