Michelle Obama’s first podcast as part of her exclusive Spotify partnership officially has a release date. The aptly titled The Michelle Obama Podcast will be available for the streaming service’s users on July 29.
According to Variety, this is Obama’s first project from Higher Ground Audio, her media company with her husband Barack, and the first project rolling out in their deal with Spotify. It was announced in June 2019 that the dynamic duo and the streaming giant would be teaming up for a multiyear partnership.
“The series will feature the former First Lady’s conversations with friends, family and allies, focusing on “the relationships that shape us, from siblings and close friends to partners, parents and mentors to our relationship with ourselves and our health,” the companies say, per Variety. The show’s guests include Michelle’s mother Marian Robinson, her older brother Craig Robinson, Senior Advisor to former President Obama Valerie Jarrett, comedian and late-night host Conan O’Brien, and more.
“My hope is that this series can be a place to explore meaningful topics together and sort through so many of the questions we’re all trying to answer in our own lives,” Obama said in a statement regarding her forthcoming project. “Perhaps most of all, I hope this podcast will help listeners open up new conversations—and hard conversations—with the people who matter most to them. That’s how we can build more understanding and empathy for one another.”
Over the past several months, Spotify acquired four podcast companies for a total of $600 million: The Ringer, Gimlet, Parcast and Anchor. It was reported last year by Vox that it had plans to garner $500 million in podcast acquisitions. In a blog post from 2019, Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek said that the streaming service is “building a platform that provides a meaningful opportunity for creators, excites and engages our users,” and has plans to become a leader in the podcasting realm, which he predicted would be incredibly important for media companies to tap into.