Spotify exec who helped lead its podcast push is leaving the company

It has been a music streaming service for quite some time now. Over the past few years, it has acquired exclusive shows and signed massive deals as part of its push to become a power player in the world of podcasts. One of the company executives that helped make that happen wasCourtney Holt, who played a key role in bringing on the Obamas, Prince Harry and Joe Rogan to the platform. According to The Ankler, Holt is leaving the company after almost five years.

Holt will stay on as an advisor for a year after he leaves. The head of new content initiatives and the head of the US studios will divide his work. As The Ankler notes, Lydia Polgreen stepped down as the managing director of Gimlet, one of the podcasts studios that was purchased by Spotify in 2019. Holt helped with those deals.

The executive didn't say why he was leaving the company, but he did post a simple thanks to the streaming service.

I want to give thanks to the incredible teams at @Spotify I was luck enough to lead and interact with. The goals we set were ambitious, and yet we achieved so much. There is a great future for the company beyond what you can see and hear today!

— Courtney W. Holt (@mootron) April 12, 2022

Apparently, there is growing unrest within the company about the lack of results from the massive podcasts acquisitions. If you need an example of the scale of the company&s acquisitions, its deal with Rogan reportedly cost it at least $200 million. One of the shows that hasn't lived up to the expectations of the service is The Joe Rogan Experience. The company wasn't prepared to deal with the issues original content might bring.

Rogan and Spotify came under fire earlier this year after the host guested a doctor who is known for spreading false claims about COVID-19 and its vaccines. Daniel Ek apologized to the company's employees after it was brought to light that Rogan used racist language in some of the show's episodes. Ek remained steadfast in his stance not to remove episodes with misinformation, claiming that preserving them fostered critical thinking and open debate.