Spotify, has today announced the launch of Search Engine Sex, the first Australian Spotify Original podcast to be created in the company’s podcast accelerator program, Sound Up.
“How to have sex” is one of the most searched sex questions – ever – and Search Engine Sex is the podcast for those who turn to the internet for sex and relationship advice. Created and hosted by 2018 Spotify Sound Up finalist Rowdie Walden, Search Engine Sex delivers the right mix of advice and practical information, without shying away from the details.
Season one will span 16 weeks, with 30-minute episodes released fortnightly. Listeners can also be titillated by a five-minute Quickie episode that will be released every other fortnight. Each episode, Rowdie and a special guest will tackle a commonly searched ‘sex and relationship question’ and seek out the answers to those that listeners may be too embarrassed to ask their friends about. Search Engine Sex guests range from scientists and sexperts to influencers, entertainers, and comedians, but all are deftly guided by Rowdie’s trademark personality and wit. Produced in partnership with Australian podcast production agency Audiocraft, Search Engine Sex is the fresh take on sex and relationships that Australians have been waiting for.
Host Rowdie Walden is no stranger to the production studio, having worked as a TV presenter and producer with the ABC, Channel Ten and SBS over his media career. Growing up in Narromine NSW, Rowdie entered Spotify’s podcast accelerator program Sound Up in 2018 to diversify his skillset and went on to become one of three finalists. Spotify’s podcast accelerator program, which is dedicated to lifting up and amplifying the voices of the First Nations community in Australia, gave Rowdie the opportunity to bring Search Engine Sex from ideation into reality while pushing the boundaries of diversity and inclusion within the podcasting space.
“It was surreal to be in a room full of other Indigenous people during Spotify’s Sound Up, because we all had completely different takes on what an ‘Indigenous podcaster’ represented. It is unprecedented for the world’s oldest storytelling culture to have a platform where they can foster their craft and carve out a market for themselves and this is exactly what Spotify offers First Nation people through Sound Up. Spotify has created this refreshing moment in Australian media history where the door is open, as an Indigenous Australian, to tell your story,” said Rowdie Walden, Creator and Host of Search Engine Sex.
“Search Engine Sex is a frank sex and relationship podcast that was created for people, who like me, may be turning to the internet for advice and answers to their burning questions. It’s a platform for open and honest conversations with a vision to not only normalise the topic of sex, but also show the breadth of how we talk about sex. We’re talking about it for what it is – sex and relationships take many forms and Search Engine Sex is the podcast that explores this.”
Through a passion for supporting local talent, Spotify Original podcasts such as Search Engine Sex, demonstrate the company’s holistic approach to audio format through building local voices alongside initiatives such as Spotify’s Sound Up accelerator program.
“It is our mission at Spotify to provide creators with the opportunity to live off their art by connecting them to fans who want to listen to their work, and we are committed to becoming the world’s top global destination for podcasts. Podcasts are in many ways like music – it is audio content that connects the listener with culture in a deep and personal way – it’s like they’re inviting you into their living room and you get to be a fly on the wall in these conversations ,” said Prithi Dey, Podcast Partner Manager, Spotify Australia and New Zealand.
“Spotify has a fundamental and ongoing commitment to supporting and representing local talent. We’re proud to offer a unified and accessible listening experience for fans with a diverse range of content, while empowering creators from different backgrounds and experiences. Search Engine Sex is a true representation of our capabilities in building talent and a podcast concept from the ground up.”
Spotify’s vision is to have a world of audio in one place, with global reach, personalised experiences, ubiquity on all devices and platforms, and a world of content that people love.
Edited by Arrnott Olssen
