Among the wave of Spotify announcements coming out of today’s Spotify Stream On event, the company shared some exciting news with podcast listeners \u2014 in particular, Batman fans. Spotify is launching a new podcast series \u201cThe Riddler: Secrets in the Dark,\u201d starring comedian-actor Hasan Minhaj as The Riddler.
\nAs part of Spotify’s exclusive multiyear partnership with DC and Warner Bros, \u201cThe Riddler: Secrets in the Dark\u201d will premiere later this year and will see Minhaj reprise his role as the supervillain. Minhaj starred in the 2022 Spotify podcast \u201cBatman Unburied,\u201d which starred Winston Duke as the Dark Knight. Batman\/Bruce Wayne will also appear in the new podcast series along with Barbara Gordon and Alfred.
\n\u201cThe Riddler: Secrets in the Dark\u201d is a scripted \u201cBatman\u201d spinoff series that follows an unexpected duo \u2014 The Riddler and Batman \u2014 as they bring down another villain tormenting the streets of Gotham City.
\n\u201cAudiences are going to travel back to Gotham City with me in a story that leaves clues, puzzles and shines a spotlight on my personal favorite character, The Riddler,\u201d Minhaj said in the announcement video.<\/p>\n
\u201cBatman Unburied\u201d premiered on the audio streaming service in May 2022 and climbed its way up Spotify’s top podcast charts. At one point, it even took the crown from \u201cThe Joe Rogan Experience,\u201d which was the No. 1 podcast globally on Spotify in 2022 despite its controversial host.
\nPlus, Spotify recently launched \u201cHarley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind,\u201d which was also a huge hit among fans, reaching the top of the charts in six markets, according to the company.
\nAs Spotify bets on original programming to boost its overall podcast strategy, the DC podcasts are certainly a smart move being that podcasts with recognizable characters, especially from the Batman franchise, will likely perform well in this IP-driven world we live in.<\/p>\n
Podcast series \u2018Batman Unburied’ set to premiere on Spotify after \u2018The Batman’ heads to HBO Max<\/p>\n
Speaking of recognizable voices, Spotify also announced today an exclusive video partnership with Markiplier (Mark Fischbach), the popular YouTuber with 34.5 million subscribers and approximately over 19 billion views. The partnership allows for Markiplier to produce exclusive video episodes of \u201cDistractible\u201d and \u201cGo! My Favorite Sports Team.\u201d
\n\u201cWhile we love the audio world and still aim to bring you the very best in auditory experiences, by bringing our faces into the mix, we aim to give you an as-yet-unseen dimension to your listening experience. Imagine if you could smell a movie, imagine if you could smell us . . . who knows what the future will bring?\u201d Markiplier said in a hilarious and thought-provoking statement.
\nNow, instead of just listening to his voice, Spotify users will also get to watch videos of Markiplier alongside his content creator friends Wade Barnes and Bob Muysken.
\nAnother podcast getting the video treatment is \u201cForbidden Fruits\u201d with actresses Julia Fox and Niki Takesh, which will return for a second season on March 17. The new episodes will be released as an all-video podcast, reflecting the growing trend of video-led podcasting.
\nAccording to Spotify, there are over 70,000 video creators on the platform. In April 2022, Spotify expanded the ability for creators to publish video podcasts in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the U.K.
\nSeparately, the company revealed that \u201cThe Comment Section\u201d hosted by TikTok star Drew Afualo, would be moving exclusively to Spotify on April 5.
\nDuring today’s event, Spotify announced an array of new podcaster tools, such as a redesigned Podcasters dashboard that includes an Anchor integration and the launch of a new feature \u201cAutoplay for Podcasts.\u201d Plus, the company is teaming up with Patreon to allow users to listen to Patreon content on Spotify.<\/p>\n
Spotify is revamping its podcaster tools, including Anchor, and is partnering with Patreon<\/p>\n