Tag: Tommi Schmitt

Creators and Experts Talk the Future of Podcasting at Spotify’s All Ears Summit in Berlin

May 6, 2022

graphic image that says the conference name "all ears" in big font

What can we learn from podcast analytics? What’s the future of podcasts? What are podcasts doing to drive change? These are just a few of the questions addressed yesterday at Spotify’s All Ears Summit in Berlin, Germany. Creators, producers, publishers, advertisers, and more convened for a conference to talk about the local and global podcast market.

The daylong summit had something for everyone. Fans had the opportunity to hear interviews from popular podcast producers and hosts like Sarah Koenig (Serial), Ira Glass (This American Life), and Tommi Schmitt (Gemischtes Hack). 

  • “I think for the kind of work I do, which is being a journalist, people have to believe that I am telling them what I know to the best of my knowledge. They have to trust me that I’ve done my homework as a reporter. . . . They have to trust you, that you’ve done your job well. That is huge for the kind of work I do.” – Sarah Koenig

Germany Takes Podcasting to a New Level With a New Podcast Parodying… Podcasts

May 18, 2021

Germany is one of the most mature markets for podcasting, with a culture that has been attuned to audio for decades. So Spotify has been active in the market, churning out Spotify Original and Exclusive podcasts for several years—while watching the format grow and mature. The growth and longevity have enabled us to experiment with unique talents, formats, and trends. 

The newest Spotify original podcast in Germany, Podcasts — der Podcast (Podcasts — the Podcast) plays on that maturity with a brand-new format. The show parodies existing podcasts, hosts, and the medium as a whole, much like TV shows and movies already do globally. The podcast serves as a touching yet hilarious love letter to the evolving, important medium. 

We talked to Saruul Krause-Jentsch, Head of Studios, Germany, to better understand why Germany’s listeners were ready for this satirical format, what it means for the future of podcasting, and why she’s excited to tune in.

We previously learned from Managing Director Michael Krause that Germany is a mature podcast market. How does that influence the types of podcasts that come out of Germany?

The first Spotify Exclusive podcast, Fest & Flauschig, came out of Germany in April 2016. So we’ve had five years of experience in Germany around podcast production since then. We understand our core podcast audience very well and have launched over 40 other successful German shows across comedy, entertainment, and relationships. Our most successful podcasts continue to be comedy and entertainment, but we’re constantly evolving into new formats and genres, like documentaries, fiction, and daily news. For example, our six daily formats have gained a lot of traction and are positioned at the top of the chart rankings in the region. 

All of this sets us up to be innovative, and now we want to grow and learn further with a more satirical podcast show like Podcasts — der Podcast.