All Access

Media Deals

Media Deals Alerts

Alert

Standard

Media Deals Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

mustard

BFD Expert Voices - Media Deals

BFD Expert Voices

Spotify exec Courtney Holt is leaving after more than four years at the streaming service.

Why it matters: Holt was a key figure in Spotify's podcast push, including licensing deals with Joe Rogan and the Obamas, and acquiring other podcast networks. 

Details: Holt will soon leave his position as head of talk partnerships, editorial and global markets, and then will serve in an advisory role. 

Julie McNamara, Spotify's head of U.S. studios and video, and Max Cutler, head of new content initiatives and managing director of Parcast, are expected to take on more responsibilities rather than replacing Holt with a new individual. 

"I want to give thanks to the incredible teams at @Spotify I was luck [sic] enough to lead and interact with," Holt tweeted Tuesday. "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!"

The Ankler first reported Holt's departure. 

Flashback: Holt joined Spotify as head of studios and video in 2017 from Disney after it acquired Maker Studios. He previously worked in the music business at MySpace, MTV Networks, Interscope, A&M Records and Atlantic Records.

Spotify opened up the podcasting floodgates in 2018 by allowing podcasters to upload their shows. The company started spending significantly when it acquired Gimlet, Anchor and Parcast in 2019 and The Ringer in 2020. It then began signing more exclusive deals with big names.

"We realized that [for] people who were already in love with Spotify for music, it's a natural evolution to offer something complimentary to music on the service," Holt told Engadget in 2019.

Of note: Spotify has been building more content around its talent roster. In 2021, it signed an exclusive licensing deal with "Call Her Daddy" podcast host Alex Cooper. This week, Spotify launched Cooper's "After Hours," a new show for its rebranded live audio feature.

Spotify's podcast dealmaker Courtney Holt to leave

Holt was a key figure in Spotify's podcast push, including licensing deals with Joe Rogan.

Spotify Head Of Global Communications and Public Relations Dustee Jenkins (L) and Spotify Head of Studios and Video Courtney Holt on November 20, 2019 in West Hollywood, California.

Spotify's Dustee Jenkins and Courtney Holt. Photo: Lester Cohen/Getty Images for Spotify

Podcasts

Spotify exec Courtney Holt is leaving after more than four years at the streaming service.Why it matters: Holt was a key figure in Spotify&#x27;s podcast push, including licensing deals with Joe Rogan and the Obamas, and acquiring other podcast networks.

topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

jobs

transportation

business

stock-market-news

retail-news

crypto

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

health

rfk-jr

drug-prices

axios-explains-abortion

public-health

world

israel

axios-explains-ukraine

iran

russia

china

energy-climate

nuclear-energy

climate-energy-policy

climate-change

extreme-weather

alternative-energy

electric-vehicles

science

emerging-tech

biomedicine

newsletters

charlotte

boulder

detroit

kansas-city

columbus

austin

dallas

atlanta

washington-dc

nw-arkansas

chicago

indianapolis

nashville

richmond

colorado-springs

houston

san-francisco

seattle

boston

des-moines

salt-lake-city

philadelphia

denver

phoenix

new-orleans

miami

twin-cities

raleigh

san-antonio

portland

san-diego

tampa-bay

cleveland

huntsville

pittsburgh

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

Spotify's podcast dealmaker Courtney Holt to leave

What to read next