Sony Music acquired the largest independent podcast producer in the UK, Somethin’ Else, which creates David Tennant’s interview series and David Dimbleby’s in-depth look into Rupert Murdoch’s life.
KAMPALA | LIFESTYLE UGANDA — One of the largest independent podcast companies in the UK, Somethin’ Else, has been acquired by Sony Music. These services produce David Tennant’s interview series and David Dimbleby’s portrayal of Rupert Murdoch in The Sun King.
- Somethin’ Else is Sony Music’s latest acquisition.
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As part of the deal, Sony Music will build a global podcast division led by Somethin’ Else’s Steve Ackerman, co-founder, CEO and chief content officer; and Jez Nelson, founder, executive chairman and CEO.
Both Ackerman and Nelson will serve as executive vice presidents, co-heads of global podcast content and business development at Sony Music.
Ackerman will be in charge of the division’s New York operations, and Nelson will run its podcast operation in the United Kingdom. The two will report directly to Sony Music Entertainment presidents Dennis Kooker for global digital business and U.S. sales, and Tom Mackay for premium content acquisitions and rights management.
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Since the start of the podcast craze two years ago, Sony Music has had a slate of over two dozen podcasts of its own and has invested in others, such as Adam Davidson’s Three Uncanny Four and Laura Mayer’s Neon Hum.
Using Somethin’ Else’s audio entertainment experience and relationships, Sony Music will develop new podcasts in a range of genres and form new partnerships with creators.
Adding Somethin’ Else to the Sony Music family adds the company’s best-in-class capabilities and production expertise, Kooker said in a statement.
“By expanding our relationship with Somethin’ Else, we extend their incredible capabilities and production expertise to Sony Music,” said Kooker.
As Mackay put it, “Under Steve and Jez’s leadership, we can now provide a range of expanded opportunities for a global podcast community to collaborate and extend our slate of in-house projects.”
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In his words, Mackay concluded, “Under Steve and Jez’s lead, we are going to offer podcasters around the world a range of new collaboration opportunities.
Apple, Spotify, and other companies have actively sought to acquire now increasingly hard-to-find prime podcast producers in order to capture the rising popularity of audio and diversify beyond music streaming.
Aside from its core music offering, Spotify has spent almost $1bn expanding into podcasting, acquiring companies and signing deals with key talent like Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
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Somethin’ Else TV and social media company, which has produced content for clients including the BBC, Sky, the BRIT Awards, the Economist, and Red Bull, will now be a part of Sony Music’s creative service, 4th Floor Creative.
The newly appointed Ackerman and Nelson said, “We’re thrilled to be joining Sony near the peak of the podcast industry’s growth and acceleration. Sony Music is known for always putting the artists first, and we’ve seen that extend to their podcast offering as well.”
