CoComelon, the creator of kids videos filled with catchy songs and colorful images, is bringing its brand to podcasting. CoComelon producer Moonbug Entertainment is partnering with Spotify for a new podcast called CoComelon Story Time, as well as a mix of other original and exclusive “homegrown” shows. Spotify says the deal with the creator of the number one kids channel on YouTube offers the opportunity for families to experience their favorite characters in a brand-new way.
“CoComelon is one of the most recognizable IPs on earth. This partnership with Moonbug allows us to leverage really beloved stories that delight families, and it also signals to the broader world, to parents, to creators, that we are serious in this space,” said Verdell Walker, Head of Kids Audio Content at Spotify. “We are working with recognizable brands and making a splash with names that parents recognize and trust. This partnership and these stories are a new way for new and existing CoComelon fans to interact with this brand in a creative way.”
The alliance also gives Spotify a pipeline of new content for its standalone Spotify Kids app. The shows will also appear on the Family and Kids Hub on the main Spotify app. However, the content will only be available to Spotify Premium Family subscribers. Spotify says the series will be available in four languages, including both American and British English, Spanish, German, and Brazilian Portuguese.
“There’s so much empty space in the world of spoken word audio for families. There’s a lot of kids music, yes, and audiobook versions of kids books, but there’s a dearth of high-quality audio content out there for parents to enjoy with their children,” said Walker. “With homegrown shows for families, we have an opportunity to create a gold standard for audio that parents will turn to when it comes to playing podcasts with their children. We know that parents are often looking for ways to reduce screen time, so we want to elevate audio to a place where parents will think of it as an option alongside other forms of entertaining and educational media.”
CoComelon Story Time will debut January 24 and it will include 42 storybook classics with a CoComelon twist. Then on January 31 it will debut a show called Gardenkeeper Guz designed for families with younger children. On February 14, it will roll out 100 Cinderellas, an anthology series of Cinderella stories from around the world. A podcast called Deep Blue Sea will debut February 28, described as an underwater adventure story.
“There is so much flexibility in this audio experience in terms of stories, characters, formats, narrative structures—and we can really push the envelope when it comes to what spoken word audio can mean,” said Walker. “It’s a happy medium between entertainment and education, and it’s a way to engage together.”
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