Media production firm
Parcast was a digital media firm and podcast network, that specialized in producing scripted podcasts and audio dramas . It was founded in 2016 by podcaster Max Cutler and his father Ron Cutler in Los Angeles California.[ 1]
In 2019, it was acquired by Sweden -based media firm and streaming service provider Spotify .[ 2] Spotify spent over $56 million to acquire Parcast; however, the total compensation has been reported to be over $100 million.[ 3] [ 4] This makes the Parcast acquisition one of the largest podcasting platform mergers in US history and largest single acquisition deal of Spotify's $400 million acquisition program.[ 5] In September 2020, employees went public with their union drive at Parcast .[ 6] A month later, Spotify voluntarily recognized the union. 15 months later, 56 workers of the bargaining unit ratified their first collective agreement , which included a minimum salary of $70,000, annual increases and affirmative action when hiring.[ 7] On June 5, 2023, Spotify sent a memo to staff announcing that Parcast would be merged with Gimlet Media into a single Spotify Studios division, as part of a restructuring that also included the elimination of 200 jobs.[ 8]
History
Cutler, a 27-year old graduate of the University of Arizona , launched Parcast in 2016. He was inspired by the hit podcast Serial , itself a spinoff of This American Life . He believed that his network could produce podcasts of comparable quality while saving money on the production of individual episodes.[ 9]
Parcast's original focus was on producing scripted true crime series, but their scope expanded into the mystery , science fiction , and history genres as well as fictional audiodramas .[ 10] [ 11]
Parcast produced over 40 daily and weekly shows, supported by a team of more than 75 voice actors, producers, and scriptwriters.[ 10] Following a decline in demand for the shows and the anticipated merger of Gimlet Media and Parcast into a single Spotify Studios subsidiary, the firm is expected to be disbanded sometime in 2023.[ 12] [ 13]
Audience
According to due diligence performed by Spotify, over 75% of Parcast's audience is female.[ 14]
Series produced
Title
Hosts / cast members
Genre
Update schedule
Adulting with Teala & Nia
Teala Dunn, Nia Sioux
Society /culture
Wednesdays
Assassinations
Kate Leonard, Bill Thomas
True crime
Mondays
Blind Dating
Tara Michelle Massicotte
Romance
Wednesdays
Cold Cases
Carter Roy
True crime
Mondays
Con Artists
Alastair Murden
True crime
Wednesdays
Conspiracy Theories
Molly Brandenburg, Carter Roy
Pop history
Wednesdays
Conspiracy Theories: CIA Edition
Miscellaneous
True crime
Thursday
Conspiracy Theories: Music Edition
Molly Brandenburg, Carter Roy
True crime
Wednesdays
Crime Bites
Miscellaneous
True crime
Miscellaneous
Crime Countdown
Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley
True crime
Mondays
Crimes of Passion
Lanie Hobbs
True crime
Wednesdays
Criminal Couples
Miscellaneous
True crime
Mondays
Cults
Greg Polcyn, Vanessa Richardson
Pop history/true crime
Tuesdays
Daily Quote
Kate Leonard
Self-help
Daily
Dare to Lead with Brené Brown
Brené Brown
Society/culture
Mondays
The Dark Side of...
Kate Leonard, Richard Rossner
Pop history
Mondays
Deathbed Confessions
Estefania Hageman
Society/culture
Wednesday
Dictators
Kate Leonard, Richard Rossner
Pop history
Tuesdays
Dog Tales
Alastair Murden
Pop history
Mondays
Espionage
Carter Roy
Pop history
Mondays
Extraterrestrial
Bill Thomas, Tim Johnson
Pop history
Tuesdays
Faerie
N/A
Audiodrama
Mondays
Famous Fates
Vanessa Richardson, Carter Roy
Society/history /culture
Wednesdays
Female Criminals
Vanessa Richardson, Sami Nye
True crime
Wednesdays
Gone
Molly Brandenburg, Richard Rossner
True crime
Alternate Mondays
Great Women of Business
Vanessa Richardson, Molly Brandenburg
Business documentary
N/A (limited series)
Haunted Places
Greg Polcyn
Parapsychology
Thursdays
Haunted Places: Ghost Stories
Alastair Murden
Parapsychology
Thursdays
Historical Figures
Carter Roy, Vanessa Richardson
Pop history
Alternate Wednesdays
Hostage
Irma Blanco, Carter Roy
True crime
Thursdays
Impostors: The Commander
Abby Ellin
True crime
Mondays
Impostors: The Spy
Alex French
Investigative journalism
Mondays
Incredible Feats with Dan Cummins
Dan Cummins
Documentary
Weekdays
International Infamy with Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers
True crime
Tuesdays
Internet Urban Legends
Loey Lane,[ 15] Snitchery[ 16]
Paranormal
Tuesdays
The Kennedys
Miscellaneous
Society/history/culture
N/A
Kingpins
Kate Leonard, Howell Hargest
True crime
Fridays
Medical Murders
Alastair Murden, Dr. David Kipper
True crime
Wednesdays
Medical Mysteries
Molly Brandenburg, Richard Rossner
Medical documentary
Tuesdays
Mind's Eye
N/A
Audiodrama
N/A (limited series)
Mythical Monsters
Vanessa Richardson
Mythology retelling
Mondays
Mythology
Vanessa Richardson
Mythology retelling
Tuesdays
Natural Disasters
Kate Leonard, Tim Johnson
Science/history/culture
Thursdays
Not Guilty
Vanessa Richardson
True crime
Mondays
Obituaries
Vanessa Richardson, Carter Roy
History
Wednesdays
Obsessed
Benito Skinner, Mary Beth Barone
Comedy
Mondays
Our Love Story
N/A
Stories
Tuesdays
Political Scandals
Kate Leonard, Richard Rossner
Political documentary
Tuesdays
Rituals
Christine Schiefer, Em Schulz
True crime
Mondays
Scotland Yard Confidential
John Hopkins
True crime
Thursdays
Secret Societies
Kate Leonard, Richard Rossner
Pop history
Mondays
Serial Killers
Greg Polcyn, Vanessa Richardson
True crime
Mondays and Thursdays
Solved Murders
Carter Roy, Wenndy Mackenzie
True crime
Wednesday
Sports Criminals
Tim Johnson, Carter Roy
True crime/history/sports
Thurdays
Supernatural with Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers
History/true crime
Wednesdays
Superstitions
Alastair Murden
Stories
Wednesday
Survival
Irma Blanco, Tim Johnson
Documentary
Mondays
Tales
Vanessa Richardson
Mythological retelling
Wednesdays
Today in Music History
Tim Johnson
Music/history
Daily
Today in True Crime
Vanessa Richardson
True crime
Daily
Unexplained Mysteries
Molly Brandenburg, Richard Rossner
Investigative journalism
Thursdays
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
Brené Brown
Relationships
Wednesdays
Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories
Carter Roy, Wenndy Mackenzie
True crime
Tuesdays
Very Presidential with Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers
Documentary
Tuesdays
Villains
Alastair Murden
Literary criticism
Fridays
Whistleblowers
Pat Rodrigurz
True crime
Tuesdays
Your Magic
Michelle Tea
Society/culture
Mondays
[ 17]
See also
Citations used
^ "Spotify acquires true crime studio Parcast to expand its original podcast content" . TechCrunch . Retrieved 2020-01-02 .
^ Leach, Kamaron (April 26, 2019). "Spotify's Podcast Bet With Parcast Sets the Stage for Earnings" . Bloomberg . online. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
^ "Spotify Paid $100 Million For Parcast: Report" . Insideradio.com . Retrieved 2020-01-02 .
^ Massoudi, Arash; Nicolaou, Anna (2019-03-26). "Spotify to buy podcasting business Parcast for more than $100m" . Financial Times . Retrieved 2020-01-02 .
^ Sawers, Paul (April 29, 2019). "Spotify confirms it paid $56 million for Parcast, taking its total podcast acquisition value to $400 million" . VentureBeat . Internet. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
^ Carman, Ashley (2020-09-02). "A third Spotify-owned podcast company is starting a union" . The Verge . Retrieved 2024-06-24 .
^ Kilkenny, Katie (2022-04-18). "Spotify's Parcast Union Members Vote Unanimously to Ratify First Contract" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2024-06-24 .
^ Weprin, Alex (2023-06-05). "Spotify to Slash Podcast Workforce, Combine Parcast and Gimlet Studios in New Round of Cuts" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2023-07-12 .
^ Bromwich, Jonengel (April 4, 2018). "Pulp Nonfiction: Podcasts Go Mass-Market" . The New York Times . online. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
^ a b Coyne, Marley (June 4, 2018). "Parcast Founder Max Cutler On Creating Original Content" . Forbes . online. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
^ "About Parcast" . Parcast . Parcast. November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
^ Robb, David. "WGA East-Represented Gimlet & Parcast Employees Blast Parent Company Spotify In Wake Of Layoffs" . Deadline . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 22 August 2023 .
^ Pietsch, Bryan. "Spotify cuts 200 jobs, gutting Gimlet Media as podcast boom sputters" . The Washington Post . The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 August 2023 .
^ "5 Fast Facts about Spotify's Acquisition of Parcast" . March 26, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
^ Loey Lane
^ Snitchery
^ "All" . Parcast . Retrieved 2023-02-14 .
External links
People Business Acquisitions Apps and services