Executive Briefing
Can Luminary, the Netflix for podcasts, possibly work?
The timing, at least, is good.
By Dan Frommer on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at 11:00 am
Luminary, the latest big bet on professional podcasting, is here: The subscription-driven podcast service launched today in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
The pitch: Anyone can use it for free to listen to almost any existing podcast. (Amusingly, The Daily from the New York Times and shows from Gimlet Media, which Spotify just acquired, are being blocked by their owners). But Luminary is really hoping you’ll pay $8 per month to listen to its exclusive, ad-free shows, including podcasts from Trevor Noah, Lena Dunham, and media companies like The Ringer.
With a reported $100 million in venture capital behind it, Luminary is not bootstrapping — expectations are huge, and success must be fast and profound. Does Luminary have a chance?
The timing, at least, is good.
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Hi, I’m Dan Frommer and this is The New Consumer, a publication about how and why people spend their time and money.
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