Photo Credit: Spotify
Spotify’s podcast group has been hit by new layoffs, with The Ringer and Spotify Studios impacted. Reports suggest around 15 people lost their jobs, or about 3% of the podcast organizations’ headcount.
Spotify is describing the changes internally as improving execution, speed, and alignment across its podcasting teams. The company says it is still investing in growth areas related to its podcasting business, particularly in multi-format content and video. Spotify has not responded to press comments to confirm the layoffs.
Variety reports that Andrew Gruttadaro was impacted, who served as the Special Projects Lead at The Ringer, alongside staff writer Miles Surrey. With the layoffs comes a new round of restructuring, which will see The Ringer ending the show “New York, New York with John Jastremski,” a sports show dedicated to covering everything in New York.
“It’s impossible to sum up night years in a tweet but: I worked on so many things—profiles, theme weeks, special projects—that I am incredibly proud of, Gruttadaro wrote on X/Twitter. “I was also honored to work with some of the best writers (and people) I’ve ever met. I’ll take some time to figure out w hat’s next, but I’m addicted to creating stuff and I’m not going to stop any time soon.”
“Some news: I’ve been laid off by The Ringer,” Miles Surrey wrote on X/Twitter. “It was a rewarding eight and a half years and I’m proud to have literally written the most articles in the site’s history. I’d love to keep writing about pop culture elsewhere—drop me a line.”
This isn’t the first time Spotify has slashed jobs at its podcast division. In late 2023 and 2024, the division saw major cuts as more than 200 staffers were let go as part of Daniel Ek’s ‘realignment’ for a division that grew unwieldy after its massive pandemic expansion. Overall, Spotify let go around 1,500 workers—or about 17% of the company’s worldwide employee base in 2024.
