Parcast, founded in 2016, specialises in crime and mystery-themed audio content. It has launched 18 premium podcast series, including Serial Killers, Unsolved Murders, Cults, and Conspiracy Theories.
Although streaming is becoming an increasingly popular way to listen to music, Spotify and other services such as Pandora have struggled to make money because of the royalties and other fees that they have to pay recording labels, songwriters and performers.
The company didn’t disclose terms of the Gimlet and Anchor acquisitions, but The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the transactions as saying Anchor, a podcast production and hosting platform, was valued at more than $150 million and Gimlet at more than $200 million. Gimlet produces high-end podcasts and was co-founded by Alex Blumberg, a veteran of the NPR radio show This American Life.