Harry and Meghan to produce and host podcasts for Spotify

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will produce and host podcasts for Spotify's streaming service, the Swedish company said on Tuesday, starting with a holiday special that will be released this month.

Under a multi-year agreement, the couple's newly formed Archewell Audio will produce programming that "uplifts and entertains audiences around the world" and features "diverse perspectives and voices," Spotify said in a statement.

The podcasts will be available free through Spotify, the company that leads the streaming music market. Spotify also offers more than 1.5 million podcast titles such as "The Michelle Obama Podcast" and "Mama Knows Best" by influencer Addison Rae, and reaches more than 320 million active users per month.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Harry and Meghan's first podcast installment will be a holiday special featuring "stories of hope and compassion" to celebrate the new year, the statement said. Their first complete series is expected next year.

"What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction," the couple said in a joint statement.

"With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other's stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are," the pair added.

The deal is the latest move by Harry and Meghan, known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to make a living outside of the royal family.

The couple moved to Southern California with their infant son Archie this year after stepping back from royal duties in January. In September, they signed an exclusive multi-year production deal for TV programming with Netflix Inc.