WATTPAD BRINGS SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN WEBNOVELS TO PODCASTS ON SPOTIFY

Fans of leading Indonesian and Filipino Wattpad authors can now look forward to a more immersive audio experience through podcasts. MANILA, Philippines & JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Wattpad, the global entertainment company and leading webnovel platform will launch a series of podcasts created by popular Wattpad authors exclusively on Spotify. Some of the biggest names in webnovels in Indonesia and the Philippines will bring their stories to life through a range of podcasts, with 20 titles available to listeners on the world’s most popular audio streaming platform. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220915005721/en/ Indonesian and Filipino authors including Pit Sandi whose hit story My Ice Girl has over 22M reads on Wattpad, Ma. Cristina Lata, author of the 321M-read sensation, The Four Bad Boys and Me and Ariesa Jane Domingo of For Hire: A Damn Good Kisser (42.1M reads) will launch shows ranging from intimate explorations of an author’s creative journey to personal musings on everyday life from the lens of an author. Fans can also look forward to behind-the-scenes commentary on their favorite web novels from Ventre Canard, author of Caught in His Arms (56.2M reads); and April Avery, whose Titan Academy of Special Abilities has over 55M reads on Wattpad, among others. “Southeast Asia is home to many of the most successful and influential authors on Wattpad,” said Kelly O’Mara, Director of Account Management, Wattpad Brand Partnerships. “As Wattpad’s first major podcast deal in Asia, our partnership with Spotify will fuel our fans' love for the literary world through audio. Wattpad's authors have built enormous global fandoms for their work, writing stories that will continue to inspire a generation of readers.” “Indonesia and the Philippines are brimming with creativity and brilliant storytellers. This is why we’re thrilled to work with Wattpad to bring their authors to Spotify where they’ll have a chance to take listeners deeper into their craft, inspiration and lives. By adding podcasts to their Wattpad webnovels, it will allow the authors to engage with their fans in a unique way and reach new fans and listeners,” says Carl Zuzarte, Spotify Head of Studios for Southeast Asia. The podcasts will premiere on September 17 in the Philippines and on September 30 in Indonesia. Each podcast will have 24 episodes and stream weekly on their respective Spotify Podcast pages. Some shows include:

• Dy-dengar by author Dyah Ayu Arumsari Abdullah: The popular Indonesian author will share details of her life as a GenZ, giving her fans a more intimate look at her hopes and dreams for the future. Her podcast will also touch on relationships, as well as her anxieties and fears in life and everything in between.

• Love and Wander with Tina by author Ma. Cristina Lata: The Filipino author will discuss love and other topics that make the mind wander, sharing letters from fans on the topic. Each podcast episode will tackle sub categories of love from balancing relationships and career, past romance, to love languages.

As part of the partnership, Wattpad and Spotify will host two live panel discussions with creators at the Manila International Book Fair on September 17 and Indonesia International Book Fair on November 12. About Wattpad Wattpad’s vision is to entertain and connect the world through stories. A leading webnovel platform and home to a community of 90 million people who spend over 23 billion minutes a month engaged in original stories, Wattpad has democratized storytelling for a new generation of diverse Gen Z writers and their fans. Alongside Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, the company’s TV, film, and publishing counterpart, Wattpad combines art and science to unearth incredible stories and cultivate the fandoms driving the future of entertainment. The company is proudly based in Toronto, Canada. Wattpad has had a stream of hit adaptations in the Philippines and Indonesia via Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. A group of Vidio Originals adapted from Wattpad has broken records for the streamer, the company has a growing imprint with Bliss Books in the Philippines, and LUV IS: CAUGHT IN HIS ARMS, from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and GMA7, is set for release early next year. About Spotify Spotify transformed music listening forever when we launched in 2008. Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by these creators. Everything we do is driven by our love for music. Discover, manage, and share over 82 million tracks and 4 million podcast titles, for free, or upgrade to Spotify Premium to access exclusive features including improved sound quality and an on-demand, offline, and ad-free music listening experience. Today, we are the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service with a community of more than 433 million users, including 188 million Spotify Premium subscribers, across 183 markets. We are also the largest driver of revenue to the music business today. For more information, images, or to contact the press team, please head over to our press page at https://newsroom.spotify.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220915005721/en/ Contact Lauren Hopkinson lauren.hopkinson@wattpad.com Source : Wattpad