Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Part Ways With Spotify

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's partnership with Spotify is coming to an end. 

The audio streaming subscription service and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's audio production company Archewell Audio announced in a statement on June 15 that "Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together."

The news comes two and a half years after Harry and Meghan announced a multi-year partnership with Spotify in December 2020.

"As part of the partnership," Archewell Audio stated on its website, "The Duke and Duchess through Archewell Audio produce podcasts and shows that build community through shared experiences, powerful narratives, and universal values."

The couple—who'd stepped back as working members of the royal family earlier that year—soon released a holiday special, which featured a sweet cameo from their now 4-year-old son Prince Archie. And in August 2022, Meghan—who also shares 2-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet with Harry—premiered the first season of her podcast Archetypes.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Spotify told its team in recent weeks that a second season of Archetypes would not be made. But is this the end of the show? 

"The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify," a rep for WME, the talent agency Meghan signed with earlier this year, said. "Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform."  

During the first season of Archetypes, the duchess spoke to star-studded guests, including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling and Paris Hilton. The show also won the title of The Pop Podcast of 2022 at E!'s People's Choice Awards.

"I loved digging my hands into the process, sitting up late at night in bed, working on the writing and creative," Meghan said in part of a statement posted to Archewell's website after the win in December 2022. "And I loved digging deep into meaningful conversation with my diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning with them, and with each of you listening. It has been such a labor of love with an amazing team who were each instrumental in helping to bring this series to life."

The news about the partnership comes less than two weeks after Spotify announced it was reducing its "global podcast vertical and other functions by approximately 200 people, or 2% of Spotify's workforce." However, a spokesperson for the company told NBC News the layoffs had "no relation" to the decision regarding the parting of ways with Meghan and Harry's Archewell Audio.

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