The Duke and Duchess signed a $20 million deal with Spotify in 2020. The only podcast Meghan and Harry produced last year was Meghan's Archetypes, a podcast that was hugely successful, reaching #1 on Spotify's Podcast charts, temporarily dethroning Spotify golden goose (anti-vaxxer) Joe Rogan. We've all been waiting for an announcement about a new season of Archetypes. But it seems we will have to wait longer because Spotify and the Sussexes have decided to part ways. The Wall Street Journal first reported this story, so we'll give you that report:

According to sources familiar with the situation, the "Archetypes", a podcast by Meghan Markle on Spotify, will not be renewed for a new season. This is due to the company's recent overhaul of their podcasting strategy. The people who spoke said that the producers of the show that explored the labels that limit women have been informed that the second season will not be moving forward. This follows months of discussions about the possibility.

Markle and Prince Harry completed only one project for Spotify Technology, after signing an overall $20 million deal in late 2020. People familiar with the situation said that the couple has not met the productivity standards required to receive full payment from the deal.

This cancellation shows the continued correction of the podcast market. Although popular with listeners, it has been difficult for Spotify and its competitors to make this format profitable.

The team behind Archetypes is proud of their podcast on Spotify. Meghan continues to create more content for Archetypes' audience on another platform," said a spokesperson for Archewell Productions, the media company owned by the couple.

Markle has recently signed with the talent agency WME. A person with knowledge of the discussions confirmed that Archewell's content is being discussed for possible other outlets.

Spotify laid off 200 employees last week, including many audio engineers. The company announced that it would be rethinking its podcasting strategy, which includes distributing shows on platforms other than Spotify. It will also focus more on providing creator tools for podcasters as opposed to creating original content.

[From WSJ]

Deadline described the news in the following way: "The Sussexes are no longer with Spotify." They also describe the "talks," between Archewell, Spotify and a second season for Archetypes. Deadline reports that the Sussexes are "rethinking" their deals in order to find "better homes and partnerships for their content." We've also heard that Archetypes may end up somewhere else, due to Meghan signing with WME. The Sussexes released a statement on Spotify a few hours after WSJ published its exclusive report.

In a joint statement, Archewell Audio, the production company of Duke and Duchess Sussex and Spotify stated: "Spotify has mutually agreed to separate from Archewell Audio. We are proud of the series that we produced together."

The Wall Street Journal quoted a representative of WME, the talent agent that signed the Duchess earlier this year. "The team behind Archetypes remains proud of the podcast created by Spotify." Meghan continues to create more content for Archetypes' audience on another platform.

[From People]

I think that Meghan and Harry have done nothing wrong. They were simply victims of the podcasting slump in general. This is more about Spotify business model rather than anything they did or didn't do. It's stupid for Spotify not to fight to retain them. Meghan's work with Archetypes, while she could have done much more with Spotify, was fantastic. The second season of Archetypes would have also been wonderful. Archetypes is likely to move from Audible to Amazon or other services. It's what I think.

Photos by Instar, Archewell and Spotify.