In Her New Podcasting Deal, Meghan Markle “Will Likely Get Way More Attention and Will Have More Control” Than She Ever Did at Spotify
Meghan recently announced she’d have a “dynamic new podcast” coming out with Lemonada Media.
![Meghan Markle](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NUZYCtxuLKx2KDBTFACSG9-415-80.jpg)
Meghan Markle is primed for a busy 2024, and one project that has been confirmed is her new podcast deal—this time with Lemonada Media after Meghan and husband Prince Harry’s deal with Spotify fell through last summer.
Spotify and the Sussexes severed ties last June after a $20 million deal was inked in 2020; in those three years, there were just 13 episodes of content produced, all from Meghan’s show “Archetypes.”
Meghan's deal with Spotify didn't work out because of creative differences
In his book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, Omid Scobie wrote that the deal “fell apart” because of creative differences, explaining that the audio giant was “looking for headline-grabbing, media-stirring content”—which Harry and Meghan weren’t comfortable with.
“Obviously they had money,” Scobie wrote. “But they needed serious money for a proper roof over their heads and security. It was the middle of a pandemic [when the deal was signed in 2020]; of course you’re going to sign the deals.”
Scobie went on to write “I’d imagine the couple knew at the start that’s what Spotify wanted from them, but the money was on the table, and they were in a desperate place.”
In the Spotify deal, it was with both Meghan and Harry; with Lemonada Media, it will only be Meghan on the mic
Scobie wrote that the Sussexes were unaware that Spotify would “turn down so many of their ideas,” and that they have learned a “mountain of lessons” about business dealings that they will take with them going forward, presumably including into the Lemonada deal.
OK reports that in her new podcasting deal, Meghan will have “more control” and “get more attention” than Spotify ever gave her. The outlet added that Meghan will “call the shots” this time, which would be appealing to any podcaster.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
“Lemonada is an audio-first podcasting company, so Meghan won’t get all the bells and whistles that Spotify offered,” royal commentator Kinsey Schofield said. “But, with only 50 or so shows on their roster, Meghan will likely get way more attention and will have more control.”
Meghan's reemergence into public life also included a trip to Canada with Harry last week in support of his Invictus Games
In addition to Meghan’s forthcoming show, celebrities like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Sarah Silverman have content on the network. Lemonada’s tagline is “Making life suck less, one podcast at a time,” which Schofield pointed out is similar to what Meghan said she’s looking to do with content she and Harry produce going forward. At the Variety Power of Women event last November, she said that she was looking to make “Things that make people feel—I was going to say ‘good,’ but it’s more than that. Things that make people feel something, right? And feel a sense of community. But we have so many exciting things on the slate. I can’t wait until we can announce them, but I’m just really proud of what we’re creating.”
In addition to new content with Lemonada, Meghan also announced that the “Archetypes” content—previously exclusive to Spotify—will now be available to stream on all podcast platforms. “Our plan to re-release ‘Archetypes’ so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast, is well in the works,” Meghan said in a statement.
Meghan signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) last April, and multiple projects are reportedly in the works
“With Lemonada [being] such a small startup compared to the million-dollar pressure of Spotify, maybe Meghan can find an authentic voice and rhythm easier,” Schofield said.
There’s no word yet of what the name of Meghan’s new show will be, what topic it will focus on, or when we can expect it.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Ice Spice Hits Back at Claims Taylor Swift Became Friends With Her for "Clout"
She's insulted by people's assumptions.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Bette Midler Swears the Secret to Her 40-Year Marriage Is "Separate Bedrooms"
She's been married to Martin von Haselberg since 1984.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Taylor Swift Trolls "Godkids' Sperm Donor" Ryan Reynolds Amid 'Deadpool' Release
Proof that they're besties.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Critics Claim Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Tried to "Upstage" Prince George
"He wants to steal the thunder with his Invictus Games announcement."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Put “Her Own Neck On the Line” to Support Embattled Prince Harry at the ESPYs Earlier This Month
“She chose to be there for her husband.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle “Really Enjoyed Being Back In Front of the Camera” While Filming Her Forthcoming Netflix Cookery Show
“She was totally in her element.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
It’s Not In King Charles’ Nature to Upstage Daughter-in-Law Meghan Markle and Her Lifestyle Brand American Riviera Orchard with Competing Retail Products, Royal Commentator Says
Lest we forget the so-called “royal jam rivalries” earlier this year…
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle “Feels Very Much Under Siege” As She Prepares to Launch Her Lifestyle Brand American Riviera Orchard, Royal Author Says
“She thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticized.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are “Drowning Out the Outside Noise” Surrounding Harry’s ESPY Award Backlash
The Sussexes are “very used to the criticism, given everything that’s gone on over the last few years.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle Is Reportedly "Very Pleased" With American Riviera Orchard's "Strong Start"
The brand is already thriving, says a source.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Meghan Markle Is Apparently Planning a Summer of “Relaxation and Enjoyment” with Her Family Before a “Busy Autumn Coming Up”
The agenda sounds fantastic, actually.
By Rachel Burchfield Published