![\"Meghan](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/EAA6\/production\/_130107006_2a1388b4eaa638ea61781e53eaea8753be65e35d0_0_3764_25091000x667.jpg.webp)
<\/picture><\/span>Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nSpotify has ended its lucrative deal with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for the couple to produce podcasts.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A joint statement from Harry and Meghan’s company and the streaming giant said they had “mutually agreed to part ways”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Spotify confirmed it was not renewing Meghan’s podcast Archetypes, which ran for 12 episodes from August 2022, for a second series.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The contract was estimated to be worth $25m (\u00a318m) in late 2020. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The podcast deal was one of the major commercial agreements the couple entered into after quitting royal duties and relocating to the US in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When it was announced in late 2020, the prince said it would “bring forward different perspectives and voices that perhaps you haven’t heard before”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Archetypes saw Meghan speak to high-profile figures like Serena Williams and Mariah Carey about stereotypes levelled against women.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A statement from Spotify and Archewell Audio, the couple’s content creation label, said they were “proud of the series we made together”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In December, Archetypes won the top podcast award at the People’s Choice Award in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n At the time, Meghan wrote: “I loved digging my hands into the process, sitting up late at night in bed, working on the writing and creative.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “And I loved digging deep into meaningful conversation with my diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning with them. It has been such a labour of love.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Wall Street Journal quoted an Archewell spokeswoman as saying Meghan was “continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When the agreement with Spotify was first announced, it was billed as a relationship which would produce several series – but in the end, only one materialised. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n American media reports suggest the royal couple failed to meet the productivity benchmark required by Spotify, and therefore wouldn’t be receiving the full value of the contract.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Since splitting from the royal family, Harry and Meghan have looked to capitalise on their global fame in order to become financially independent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n That has included a multi-million dollar content deal with Netflix, and Harry’s huge contract with Penguin Books, which has already produced his autobiography Spare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It follows Spotify’s announcement last week that it was cutting 200 jobs in its podcast division after a period of heavy investment in the medium, saying it was embarking on a “strategic realignment”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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