Tech layoffs appear to be striking everywhere, and Spotify is the latest victim. The streaming company has reportedly laid off 38 employees from its Gimlet and Parcast studios, which produce Spotify Original podcast content. With the layoffs come the cancellation of 11 of those Spotify Original podcasts, 3 from Gimlet and 8 from Parcast.
Our and @ParcastUnion 's statement on yesterday's layoffs at @Spotify @Gimletmedia @ParcastNetwork pic.twitter.com/OMlSCt3dBQ
— Gimlet Union (@GimletUnion) October 7, 2022
“Yesterday Spotify told show teams that their podcasts were being cancelled because of low numbers,” Gimlet Union and Parcast Union said in a joint statement on October 7. “But decisions Spotify leadership made directly contributed to those low numbers.”
The unions allege that some of these shows lost as much as 75% of their audiences, which led to the layoffs, and that producers and hosts were given “as little as an hour” to finish their work upon learning they were laid off. Spotify did not immediately return Gizmodo’s request for comment.
Update October 12 10:00 am: A previous version of this article misreported Urban Legends as Internet Urban Legends. The article has since been corrected.
