Spotify has acquired Whooshkaa, an Australian podcasting platform that allows radio broadcasters to turn their shows into monetizable podcasts.
Using Whooshkaa’s technology, broadcasters are able to record live broadcasts and edit out ads that can be replaced with dynamic, podcast-only ads. Following the acquisition, Whooshkaa’s technology will be integrated into Megaphone, the podcast advertising and publishing platform that Spotify acquired last year, and the audio giant will be able to add more third-party audio content to its library.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. A Spotify spokesperson said the company is not planning for any staffing changes to Whooshkaa following the acquisition, and any employees who choose to join Spotify after the transaction is finalized will become full-time Spotify employees.
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“We believe the worldwide growth potential for digital audio is still largely untapped. Through the addition of these new tools as well as the innovative team behind them, we are reinforcing our commitment to helping creators, publishers and advertisers realize the value of this opportunity,” Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s chief content and advertising business officer, said in a statement. “With Whooshkaa, we will strengthen our efforts to help audio publishers of all kinds grow their podcast business and scale our ability to help advertisers reach their audiences.”
In a separate statement, Whooshkaa Founder & CEO Robert Loewenthal praised Spotify’s “bullish vision of the future of audio.”
The Stockholm-based audio company has made a number of acquisitions in the audio space since 2019, picking up podcast companies like Gimlet Media and Anchor and the live audio developer Betty Labs, in addition to its purchase of Megaphone. Last month, Spotify also acquired Findaway, an audiobook distribution company headquartered in Ohio.
