WEBVTT - Why Audible Is Courting Celebrities for Its Original Podcast Slate 0:00:07.920 --> 0:00:13.160 Hello, and welcome to Strictly Business, Varieties podcast featuring conversations 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:17.079 with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. 0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:22.160 I'm Todd Spangler with Variety Today. Our guest is Rachel Giazza, 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:25.880 e VP and Head of US Content at Audible, where 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:30.479 she oversees all content development, acquisition, and marketing for the 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:35.400 premium audio storytelling platform. Now. Audible was founded all the 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:41.520 way back in so it's a first generation dot com. Really, 0:00:41.600 --> 0:00:46.440 it's two decades before the recent podcasting room, when its 0:00:46.440 --> 0:00:50.680 original mission was to redefine audiobooks and audio entertainment. Here 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:55.720 we are more than twenty years later. Amazon bought Audible 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:59.480 in two thousand eight, and today Audible hosts more than 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:04.520 etcetera and seventy five thousand audio programs from audiobook publishers, 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:11.200 top Hollywood talent, broadcasters, magazine newspaper publishers, and other partners. Rachel, 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:14.399 Welcome to Strictly Business. Hi, Todd, Thank you so much 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:17.280 for having me. Uh, it's really wonderful to be here, 0:01:17.319 --> 0:01:21.640 and that was a great overview of the company. Excited 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:23.800 to go into a little bit more depth on those 0:01:23.840 --> 0:01:26.960 things as well. Yeah, it's a little bit meta here. 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:32.240 It's a podcast about podcasting. UM. So to kick things off, Rachel, 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:35.319 tell us about your role at Audibly. You've been with 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:39.440 the company about three years now. Yep, about three years. Um. 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:43.360 Time has flown by, but right now I currently oversee 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:47.840 as you mentioned, the team's responsible for US and global 0:01:47.880 --> 0:01:52.160 content initiatives. A few interesting things to highlight around the 0:01:52.200 --> 0:01:56.760 team's organization that focuses on a trifecta of work that's 0:01:56.800 --> 0:02:01.720 really built to facilitate our ability to connect content to 0:02:01.760 --> 0:02:05.320 the right audiences. So we have a consumer focused content 0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:10.519 team that is really working on understanding cultural trends, our 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:15.080 customers needs and programming and curating that content to help 0:02:15.120 --> 0:02:18.959 aid in the discovery experience for our customers. They're also 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:22.280 giving direct feedback in terms of what content we might 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:25.680 want to be creating and acquiring. Then we have our 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:29.600 Audible Studios team, which is overseen by one of our 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:34.480 newest leaders, u Zola Mashariki, and this is a group 0:02:34.720 --> 0:02:39.760 of extremely talented creatives who are responsible for the creation 0:02:39.800 --> 0:02:43.480 of our Audible originals. We also have content marketing as 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:46.520 you mentioned, and this is a really interesting area of 0:02:46.520 --> 0:02:51.639 distinction for Audible and that we're really passionate about our 0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:55.400 marketing and really creating marketing that is as big as 0:02:55.400 --> 0:03:00.000 the story. So it's uh not infrequent that you'll see 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:04.320 billboards highlighting our content. But we're also working through doing 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:08.440 some really unique partnerships that really helped create a deeper 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:13.119 immersion and connection to our content. So for example, with Sandman, 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:15.520 which was a big release for us this year, we 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:19.200 did a partnership with Bing Bang, the tattoo artist, and 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:23.600 we actually created tattoos around the characters within Sandman and 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:27.560 then created an environment where customer fans could come and 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:31.160 get these tattoos by some of the best tattoo artists 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:33.840 in the world. And we saw that that really helped, 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:37.960 I think, create new experiences around the content and really 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:41.840 creates engaging ways to bring fans closer that. Of course, 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:44.800 we also have you know, the deal and partnership teams 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:49.120 as well as strategy planning and operations, UM, and we 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:53.160 all come together collectively to think about that end to 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:56.840 end experience of how can we find and create amazing 0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:00.760 content and get that to the right audience. Okay, great, 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:04.240 well thanks for that overview, UM, And you know, to 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:06.800 start off, your audible is a little bit different from 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:11.840 the other podcast production studios and networks out there. Right, 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:16.080 most podcasts are available free ad supported basis when you're 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:21.200 starting to see subscriptions. But Audible's model for originals and 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:26.240 other audio content it's geared around it's already geared around subscriptions. 0:04:26.279 --> 0:04:28.040 All the cards sell through. You don't really have an 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:32.960 advertising model, right, So what does that mean in terms 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:36.600 of how Audible develops and produces content and acquires content 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:41.040 differently versus some of the other players out there. Yeah, 0:04:41.080 --> 0:04:44.440 it's super interesting question, um, And in fact, we do 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:48.719 have uh an ad supported tier in India, so I'll 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:51.320 talk a little bit about where you know, we're testing 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:56.400 different models, but you're absolutely right we approach content differently 0:04:56.400 --> 0:04:58.800 than other services. And I think some of the core 0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:01.680 of this is that there tends to be a polarity 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:05.360 polarity in audio where something's either an audio book or 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:09.400 a podcast. But in our case, the distinction for us 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:12.239 is that we're really thinking about audio as a sector 0:05:12.760 --> 0:05:15.360 and so certainly we have audio books and podcasts, but 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:19.440 there's so so many things that are in between, and 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:22.919 things that were super excited about that really explore the 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:27.880 entire space of audio, and in order to do that right, UM, 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:30.200 we need to have models that really allow us to 0:05:30.279 --> 0:05:33.400 reach customers in different ways. You know, we have titles 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:37.520 there are thirty hours long and episodes that are fifteen minutes. 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:41.360 And so what we have is UM offerings for the 0:05:41.400 --> 0:05:44.479 consumers so that they can really kind of enter into 0:05:44.600 --> 0:05:47.600 our offering and how it makes sense for them. So 0:05:47.960 --> 0:05:51.320 our primary offering is Plus, which is really driven by 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:55.000 transaction and our credits. UM. This is really the right 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:58.080 model for somebody who really likes to get those big, 0:05:58.120 --> 0:06:01.760 you know, new bestsellers, somebody who really wanted Sandman when 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:04.479 it first came out. UM. But we also have a 0:06:04.520 --> 0:06:08.200 PLUS catalog which was launched in August of twenty nineteen, 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:12.720 and this is a elimitate to listening catalog that includes 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:17.240 exclusive podcasts, audio books, a lot of our originals are 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:20.599 in there, and that really it aids in discovery and 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:24.200 allows people to maybe try parts of audio that they 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:29.040 haven't experienced before, or perhaps somebody new to audio can 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:32.160 go there and really get a good breath of entertainment. 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:36.120 So we are kind of reaching audiences in different ways. 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:39.960 And as I alluded to, UM in India, for example, 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:43.760 we have a ad supported tier Um, so we're always 0:06:43.760 --> 0:06:47.640 looking at ways to test different models to reach audiences. 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:51.599 I think, as you opened the conversation today, obviously there's 0:06:51.640 --> 0:06:54.679 a lot of really exciting things happening in the audio space, 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:58.040 and so for us, it's important that we always continue 0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:01.920 to grow and evolved. As you know, the world around 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:05.159 us involves, so you can expect us to continue to 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:11.240 try different things, particularly as it relates to reaching audiences 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:14.880 with the right content good. So when it comes to 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:19.440 originals and exclusive acquisitions in a nutshew, what is the 0:07:19.680 --> 0:07:23.640 organizing principle? Right? What? What is it that makes an 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:31.080 Audible original awesome? So that is another wonderful question. Um, 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:34.360 you know, I think a lot of people still really 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:40.920 know Audible for being a third party audiobook distribute. Yeah, exactly, 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:45.480 But the truth is we've actually been creating original content 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:50.080 since our inception. Our initial move into audiobooks was really 0:07:50.680 --> 0:07:54.160 more as a way of creating meaningful supply of high 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:58.360 quality storytelling to build out a put for that portfolio 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:02.600 of content that customers would find valuable. As you mentioned, 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:05.600 you know, we were doing subscriptions well before that was 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:08.120 a norm, and so it was really important that we 0:08:08.200 --> 0:08:10.840 had all of these high quality things that people would 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:15.000 be willing to pay a subscription for. UH and audiobooks 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:17.840 was just a great way to build that supply. But 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:22.240 we've also been doing podcasts before they were even called podcasts, 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:24.200 so we have some early works that we've done with 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:28.760 the likes of Ricky Jarvais and Robin Williams. Um Our 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:33.760 current original program really kicked off in with a handful 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:38.280 of originals, and we've really been rapidly scaling since then. 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:42.160 I mentioned a little bit about Audible Plus before, but 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:45.920 with the launch of Audible Plus, it really blew open 0:08:45.960 --> 0:08:49.440 the front door and has allowed us to create a 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:54.000 space for a lot of innovation in audio and a 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:56.319 lot of scale in terms of what we can provide 0:08:56.559 --> 0:09:01.840 in original content. You know, Audible has been around for 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:05.920 a really long time, UM, but one of the things 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:08.280 that I think is amazing to talk about in terms 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:12.720 of the throughput of Audible's history is that it's always 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:18.320 been about high quality, highly produced, strong narrative stories that 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:22.480 are married with professional performances, and you see that today 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:26.160 like that is continued throughout our entire twenty six year 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:30.760 journey and certainly something that we're really focused on moving 0:09:30.840 --> 0:09:34.520 into the future. As well. So you know, the current 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:38.600 content uh content boom around podcast People are listening to 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:41.679 this more than over any podcast as a format, as 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:43.520 an idea. It's been around for a while, but it 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:46.080 hit this hockey stick, you know, you can maybe trace 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:50.400 it to Serial right where that really was the zeitgeisty 0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:53.760 moment that kicked people under our drive this, you know. 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:58.000 So we're seeing just a ton of new podcasts initiatives, 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:02.880 investments from Spotify and Apple and others. I mean, is 0:10:02.920 --> 0:10:06.080 that is that a rising tide that has lifted your 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:12.960 your about? Yeah? I often refer to the audio renaissance 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:17.400 that we're in um and certainly it's been really great 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:22.439 in a couple of different ways. Certainly for customers who 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:26.640 I think there's just a more of a conversation around audio, 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:31.160 more people trying it every single day. It's also been 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:35.680 really great for creators who are now connecting to the 0:10:35.720 --> 0:10:39.360 format and really understanding, you know, what the format can 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:43.160 be and how that format can really aid in their 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:51.080 creative process. For us, it's really cemented our vision for 0:10:51.120 --> 0:10:53.760 the last twenty six years, and it's allowed us to 0:10:53.800 --> 0:10:59.000 continue to create new things. But we're still in a 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:03.120 space where it's just the beginning, and there's a lot 0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:06.079 of room for innovation. There's a lot of room for 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:11.680 continued experimentation from what we're creating an audio, but also 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:16.360 how customers are able to access and experience audio. So 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:19.520 for me, this is just the beginning, even though we've 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:22.160 already been doing it for for such a long time. 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:26.600 There's just so many new ways that it's just getting 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:31.160 more and more exciting. So, backing up to something you 0:11:31.240 --> 0:11:34.880 said earlier, you do have an AD supported tier in India, 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:38.320 Um are you looking to to breaden that out into 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:42.160 the US or other markets? We're certainly looking at ways 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:46.200 to continue to bring new customers to audio and open 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:49.240 the funnel. One of the things I've been thinking about, 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:53.200 just in reflection for this conversation and others, is a 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:55.920 little bit about my history and background. So I've been 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:59.480 working in media for a long time, uh, and a 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:02.400 lot of my earlier time and media I was really 0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:06.680 working on helping bring people to consume content that they've 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:11.439 already consumed in less friction ways. So for example, at Yahoo, 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:16.400 it was about moving people from print to digital. At Viacom, 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:19.319 it was about moving people from linear to O T T. 0:12:20.559 --> 0:12:24.360 Spotify was really about moving people from downloads to streaming. 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:27.760 One of the things I think is really interesting in 0:12:28.320 --> 0:12:30.720 the case of Audible, in the case of audio and 0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:34.800 where we're creating, is that we're creating a new medium, 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:38.760 and there's so many people that have this opportunity to 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:42.240 explore the space and new ways. So of course we 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:45.720 have such an amazing breath of customers who have been 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:49.280 audiobook listeners for so much time and people who have 0:12:49.320 --> 0:12:51.520 been listening to podcasts for a lot of time, but 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:55.160 we're really able to introduce new things to them. A 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:58.679 good example of this um is one of our projects, 0:12:58.679 --> 0:13:03.640 The Coldest Case by James Patterson. This is a performance 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:06.560 that was led by Aaron Paul and brought him back 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:10.520 together with his Breaking Bad co star Kristin Ritter. It 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:14.760 was also a thirty person ensemble cast, and this is 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:17.839 new to a lot of our listeners who maybe are 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:22.520 listening to more traditional single narration audio books, and we 0:13:22.559 --> 0:13:26.680 saw them really engage in this. We also saw them 0:13:26.840 --> 0:13:30.280 expand kind of their awareness of what the audio format 0:13:30.320 --> 0:13:34.400 can be, and I think that's just beginning and there's 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:38.679 so much space for that, both from incorporating people who 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:42.079 have maybe seen themselves more as podcasters and more as 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:45.320 audio book listeners. There's a lot of convergence in between 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:49.880 those things. Yeah, interesting point. Now, you mentioned Aaron Paul, Um, 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:54.640 you mentioned Neil Gaiman and The and the Sandman. Uh, 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:57.200 You've got two seasons out now, and I guess there's 0:13:57.200 --> 0:14:03.959 a third one in the words yes, yes, coming out. Okay, um, 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:07.880 stay tuned, UM. But it does seem, you know, just 0:14:07.920 --> 0:14:09.840 looking at your slate, you've got a lot of high 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:14.120 profile personalities in the mix, and you've um in the 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:17.800 last over the last year, you've been really ramping up deals, 0:14:18.200 --> 0:14:21.880 exclusive deals with Hollywood talent. One of the most recent 0:14:21.920 --> 0:14:25.400 ones you've done a deal with Carrie Washington and her 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:31.440 uh Simpson Street Production Company for three scripted originals. Maybe 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:35.160 just tell us what's what's behind this strategy? I mean, 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:39.200 is it you're looking for name brand folks from the 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:44.400 traditional entertainment world to find new audiences inaudible, or maybe 0:14:44.440 --> 0:14:48.760 you can just walk us through the thinking on this. Yeah, 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:51.400 what we've really been focused on and what we care 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:56.800 the most about is great talent, great talent that has 0:14:56.840 --> 0:15:03.000 extraordinary storytelling. We have been to your point, doing deals 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:06.000 of the last couple of years with high profile, high 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:12.000 impact talent like Carrie Washington or Laura Dern or Kenya Barris, 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:18.480 but we work with the vast audience of talent, So 0:15:18.600 --> 0:15:23.040 we're working with renowned authors, award writing actors, as you mentioned, 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:27.880 household celebrities, but we're equally focused on emerging talent who 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:30.680 are on the custom breaking out. We have what we 0:15:30.760 --> 0:15:34.400 liken to a department that's really focused on who are 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:36.960 the people who are telling things that need to be 0:15:37.080 --> 0:15:39.840 heard and how do we help elevate those voices. So 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:45.239 we're really home to differentiated content across all types of categories, 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:50.520 voices and backgrounds, and that it is something that really 0:15:50.600 --> 0:15:54.680 excites us and also again hits that throughput of something 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:58.560 that we've really been focused on for many, many years. 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:02.720 Certainly for me we're in this role, it's it's exciting 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:06.320 because I'm working with talent that really does hit all 0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:09.200 of these different groups. And when you unleash that type 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:13.520 of talent into innovation, it's incredible to start to see 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:17.360 how it evolves and how each person brings their own 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:22.880 part to the program, And that to me is part 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:25.240 of this puzzle that makes so much sense and makes 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:28.920 it such an interesting space at the moment. Now, you 0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:31.080 mentioned a couple of names, but let me just wrap 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:34.600 off the list of folks you're working with Elizabeth Banks 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:38.840 Yo Yo Maa, Lena Wade, Queen Latifa. You mentioned Laura 0:16:38.920 --> 0:16:43.440 During and Kenya Barriss O'Brien with Team Cocoa, Steph Curry, 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:47.600 Charlemagne and God Kevin Hart, uh Spring Held Company, which 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:54.560 is Lebron James Media Firm, And it's uh, it's just 0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:57.920 kind of a who's who in a way against my 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:00.840 question here is what is your pitch to these folks 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:07.439 when um you go to them, what what is Audible offering? Um? 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:11.119 You know, to try to persuade them to come to 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:15.240 do an original production with the Audible as opposed to 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:20.720 some other platform or competitor. Well, as you know, creativities 0:17:21.560 --> 0:17:25.160 very personal and it really does come from the source. 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:29.240 So our underlying goal for any of the creators we 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:34.040 are working with is to empower them and support them 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:37.919 and encourage them to take risks push boundaries of what 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:42.920 storytelling can be. So many creators have so much opportunity. 0:17:43.040 --> 0:17:45.840 There's certainly things they are well known for, but there's 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:48.680 also areas of passion and things that they're working through 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:51.639 and the goal is really to create The goal is 0:17:51.680 --> 0:17:56.080 to create this environment where they feel that support and 0:17:56.119 --> 0:18:00.320 they have that ability. We are working on extrable shame, 0:18:00.800 --> 0:18:08.200 long term relationships that really create an environment of creativity, flexibility, 0:18:08.600 --> 0:18:13.480 and the focus on creating something really special. I think 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:17.159 the exciting thing for them is that this is a 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:21.119 place where there's a lot of opportunity. You know, we 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:24.919 don't have to hit certain numerical benchmarks, we don't have 0:18:25.040 --> 0:18:27.960 to create to a format, we don't have to worry 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:31.639 about the expense of creating a set and creating the 0:18:31.680 --> 0:18:35.080 world and making that true to the story. It really 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:40.840 opens up a tremendous amount of creative freedom. M Um, 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:44.679 I mean, are you competing on the level of uh, 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:48.560 you know, economics. In other words, are you do you 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:52.240 have a different um financial proposition for talent as opposed 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:55.280 to uh some of your competitors. Maybe, I mean, are 0:18:55.280 --> 0:19:00.280 you offering more profit sharing or revenue sharing UM or 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:03.600 is it that creative canvas that's that's the main draw 0:19:05.440 --> 0:19:07.480 I don't think it would ever just be one thing. 0:19:08.119 --> 0:19:11.480 Everybody has, you know, they're different focus points in their 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:17.960 different needs, and I think we are bespoke and so 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:21.119 part of it is really being able to meet creators 0:19:21.160 --> 0:19:24.840 where they are to help facilitate the needs that that 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:29.199 particular creator has. So the conversation starts with, hey, what 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:31.800 is your vision for what you can do in an 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:35.639 audio only environment? Exactly? And then we also work with 0:19:35.680 --> 0:19:39.760 creators for such a long period of time that allows 0:19:40.320 --> 0:19:44.640 us to evolve together. Broadway Video is a perfect example 0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:46.919 of this. As you know, we've been doing a lot 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:50.880 of interesting things in the comedy space in particular, and 0:19:50.920 --> 0:19:54.160 they've been a partner of ours for quite some time. 0:19:54.920 --> 0:19:58.480 And in the early days they were really interested in 0:19:58.520 --> 0:20:01.280 working in audio, but they didn't necessarily have all of 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:05.080 the audio production expertise and all of those things. So 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:08.640 for that partnership we were able to work with them, 0:20:08.800 --> 0:20:12.560 help them with the development process and transitioning to audio, 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:17.080 help with production, and over time they've evolved to a 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:20.960 point where they are creating amazing audio, they have their 0:20:20.960 --> 0:20:24.040 own in house team, and in fact they're now working 0:20:24.080 --> 0:20:28.720 with us and producing some of our content. So, for example, 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:32.840 they produced The Coldest Case, which has allowed them to 0:20:33.000 --> 0:20:37.200 do what they do best, obviously comedy, but also expand 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:40.639 their interest points get them working in other spaces that 0:20:40.640 --> 0:20:44.760 are interesting to them. No one really works within the 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:47.760 confines of a box, and so it's about opening up 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:51.919 that box and meeting creators where they are. And certain 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:54.800 things are going to be more important to various creators, 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:57.800 and it's that flexibility to meet them where they are 0:20:57.840 --> 0:21:02.159 and that partnership to allow us to grow together and 0:21:02.240 --> 0:21:05.440 that trust within each other. That's the most meaningful part 0:21:07.080 --> 0:21:10.239 creativity needs to have that, you know, that support in 0:21:10.240 --> 0:21:16.760 that freedom. Yeah, you mentioned Broadway. Video of one of 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:21.720 the fun series that came out on Audible was Hot 0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:27.400 White Ice, this uh sort of lgbt Q plus action 0:21:27.480 --> 0:21:32.960 comedy starring Boone Yang directed by Alan coming Um. You 0:21:33.080 --> 0:21:35.679 all listening on the podcast can look it up. But 0:21:35.760 --> 0:21:40.720 it falls stealing the sperm from a sperm bank confidential 0:21:41.680 --> 0:21:45.440 classified sperm bank of the most uh what high i 0:21:45.560 --> 0:21:47.280 Q people in the world. I don't know. It's a 0:21:47.400 --> 0:21:51.280 It's a really really crazy story and was one of 0:21:51.280 --> 0:21:55.520 our one of our picks for the year last year. 0:21:56.240 --> 0:21:59.320 There was also There's Hit Job with Keithie Palmer and 0:21:59.320 --> 0:22:04.639 Pete David's in um is comedy in particular, you know 0:22:04.680 --> 0:22:09.800 a genre that you've focused on as something that's resonating definitely. 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:14.880 The scripted spaces exciting and comedy is definitely a point 0:22:14.880 --> 0:22:19.640 of distinction. Our customers love it and it does tend 0:22:19.680 --> 0:22:25.480 to fit to the audio format really really well. And 0:22:25.520 --> 0:22:27.080 maybe this is a sign of the times. You know, 0:22:27.119 --> 0:22:33.200 we've talked about meeting customers needs. Um. People needed to escape, relax, 0:22:33.800 --> 0:22:37.399 maybe change their mood. So we saw that the comedy 0:22:37.720 --> 0:22:41.439 portfolio really met them in a time where that felt 0:22:41.880 --> 0:22:44.919 like a really resonant thing. We also have noticed a 0:22:44.960 --> 0:22:48.119 few things obviously as we've been working in the space, 0:22:48.160 --> 0:22:51.879 which is the cast and the comedy company behind the 0:22:51.920 --> 0:22:57.280 content do play key factors into people selecting the content 0:22:57.359 --> 0:23:01.959 that they're gonna consume. But there's also areas of particular 0:23:02.000 --> 0:23:08.600 interest UM at these these times, family dynamics workplace environmental stuff. 0:23:09.000 --> 0:23:11.240 Obviously with hit Job, that was a really fun take 0:23:11.320 --> 0:23:16.760 on that politics, governmental themes, UM and I guess not 0:23:16.880 --> 0:23:19.879 odd but interestingly enough, people are looking for stuff that 0:23:19.960 --> 0:23:22.840 takes place in the past or the future, not so 0:23:22.960 --> 0:23:26.359 much now. And you mentioned hot White Heist, and I 0:23:26.359 --> 0:23:29.280 think that was such a great title for the moment, 0:23:29.480 --> 0:23:32.280 and we really saw that one pop. You know, I 0:23:32.320 --> 0:23:35.879 mentioned our broad audience. We have so many different people 0:23:35.960 --> 0:23:39.920 connecting in the audio space, but that one really resonated 0:23:40.080 --> 0:23:43.359 with um that eighteen to thirty four year old group 0:23:43.960 --> 0:23:48.040 podcast how can you go wrong? With Bowen Yang and 0:23:48.240 --> 0:23:51.480 Alan Cummins. But it's such a great way and we 0:23:51.560 --> 0:23:54.879 did some really interesting stuff with that one. We have 0:23:55.000 --> 0:24:00.320 a partnership with the Rebeca Festival and we screened that 0:24:00.560 --> 0:24:05.760 at the festival and obviously transitioning to screening audio with 0:24:05.920 --> 0:24:10.080 some fun, and we actually did that by having a 0:24:10.200 --> 0:24:13.480 cast come out and we did a big drag event 0:24:13.560 --> 0:24:17.320 which was an incredible amount of fun and such a 0:24:17.600 --> 0:24:21.119 great way to introduce that title. And it was really 0:24:21.440 --> 0:24:24.320 a fun experience to be there and watch people connect 0:24:24.400 --> 0:24:28.840 and see how that came to life. Now. Um, yeah, 0:24:29.000 --> 0:24:33.240 comedy seems to be doing well for you. You also, 0:24:33.440 --> 0:24:35.840 and maybe this is um you know, in more of 0:24:35.840 --> 0:24:40.240 the traditional podcast vain, but you've got a bunch of 0:24:40.320 --> 0:24:45.480 unscripted stuff from from some high profile folks. Elusive Thanks 0:24:45.560 --> 0:24:50.600 has My Body my podcast talking about women's sexuality and 0:24:50.640 --> 0:24:54.119 issues in that Deep Up Chopra. Kevin Hard has this 0:24:54.240 --> 0:25:00.199 saying about the decision overcoming today's BS for tomorrow's sixth US. 0:25:00.520 --> 0:25:03.359 I mean is this UM, you know, kind of filling 0:25:03.400 --> 0:25:08.840 out the lineup with the kinds of things that do 0:25:08.920 --> 0:25:15.520 well in the free podcast world. Yeah, we are definitely 0:25:15.760 --> 0:25:21.800 investing in both scripted and unscripted projects. We are always 0:25:21.840 --> 0:25:27.359 optimizing to respond to our customers needs, trends, things that 0:25:27.400 --> 0:25:31.240 we're seeing. I mentioned, you know, our consumer content team 0:25:31.320 --> 0:25:33.760 that's looking at this stuff, living and breathing it. But 0:25:34.359 --> 0:25:39.000 there's some areas that were currently you really focused on 0:25:39.080 --> 0:25:44.480 in doubling down in UM. You mentioned Elizabeth Banks Well 0:25:44.560 --> 0:25:48.920 beings the area that we're really interested in. It's kind 0:25:48.920 --> 0:25:52.199 of this concept of you but better, and there's so 0:25:52.240 --> 0:25:57.560 many different voices and a myriad of experts that come 0:25:57.600 --> 0:26:01.320 together in a collection that really helped people connect. So, 0:26:01.440 --> 0:26:04.640 for example, in a Sleep that's coming out right now, 0:26:04.760 --> 0:26:10.200 we have a music producer Major who's produced a number 0:26:10.240 --> 0:26:14.680 of really big hits and he's really into the frequency 0:26:14.680 --> 0:26:17.840 of music and how that frequency can really support you 0:26:18.720 --> 0:26:21.760 create better sleep and lower stress by neureal beats, and 0:26:21.840 --> 0:26:24.360 so we have a project called Major Frequency coming out 0:26:24.440 --> 0:26:30.360 that explores that, joins Elizabeth Banks, joins some upcoming projects 0:26:30.359 --> 0:26:35.119 by Mel Robbins, who's an Audible fan favorite, and we 0:26:35.200 --> 0:26:39.359 have deepak Obra who went outside of his own box 0:26:39.440 --> 0:26:42.840 to create Living outside the Box where typically he's been 0:26:42.880 --> 0:26:46.879 focused on mindfulness, but in this project, he really connected 0:26:46.960 --> 0:26:51.640 mindfulness to the body and he worked with experts from 0:26:51.760 --> 0:26:55.240 you know, yoga space and other places to talk about 0:26:55.280 --> 0:26:58.320 how to facilitate those things. So we have a collection 0:26:58.359 --> 0:27:01.040 of content that we're focused on in the well being 0:27:01.119 --> 0:27:05.520 space that brings all of these different elements together and 0:27:05.560 --> 0:27:09.320 really creates a robust area where if you want to meditate, 0:27:09.400 --> 0:27:11.680 we have that for you. If you want some self 0:27:11.720 --> 0:27:14.000