
Households worldwide have spent decades watching game shows with bated breath. Now, in Germany, game show enthusiasts can enjoy the same rush by listening to the new Die Podcast Games (The Podcast Games), an exclusive Spotify Original podcast. The show is the first German-language podcast of its kind, but it's in experienced hands with well-known television host Jeannine Michaelsen. The weekly show's first episode is now available to stream, with new episodes premiering on Saturdays.
One of our core missions and values at Spotify Studios is innovation, explained Daniel Nikolaou, Content Development Lead at Spotify DACH and Die Podcast Games producer. As part of that, it is very important to us to move the conversation surrounding podcasts forward. One thing that we saw was missing in Germany was a full-fledged, entertaining, and well-produced game show. Die Podcast Games is a great example of how podcasts truly don't have any creative boundaries.
The game show pits eight celebrity contestants against one another to test their knowledge and quick thinking. Throughout the season, guests face off in three stages-a set of four preliminary rounds, two semifinals, and then the finale-to compete for the prize of 20,000 euros donated to the charity of their choice. Guests span the entertainment world and include artists Alli Neumann and Drangsal, as well as co-host of podcast Zum Scheitern Verurteilt Laura Larsson, television presenter Aminata Belli, model Stefanie Giesinger, YouTube star JokaH Tululu, content creator Papaplatte, and co-host of Spotify Original podcast Offline + Ehrlich and YouTube star Varion.
Alli Neumann
Jeannine Michaelsen
Aminata Belli
JokaH Tululu
Papaplatte
Laura Larsson
Leading up to recording, the producers took seriously the challenge of translating what is traditionally a television program into audio. Die Podcast Games team members tested and retested the show's games, carefully calibrating each segment to ensure the show struck the right balance between engaging quizzes that would invite listeners to participate and straightforward challenges that would not overwhelm the audience with lengthy instructions or overbearing sound effects. One priority, both producers noted, was allowing room for candid moments between contestants.
We are really proud of how well we have managed to maintain the excitement that a game show inherently holds without the usual multi-camera set up, added fellow show producer Gianluca Schappei, Creative Producer Podcasts at Spotify DACH. For too long, game shows have been a staple of just mainstream TV-they clearly work just as well (or even better) in audio form!
The secret ingredient to this show's recipe for game show success? Host Jeannine. Both producers credit her with taking the show to another level. For the Record spoke with the quizmaster to learn more about her experience helping bring this audio adventure to life.
You're making the pivot from hosting on TV to hosting over an audio format. What is your favorite aspect of the new format? It's the perfect fun, entertaining, tag-along quiz show with cool guests, games, and everything. And I can host it in sweats!
Were there any challenges or differences working in audio that surprised you? I can focus completely on the audio. That's the difference and challenge. My voice has to do the entire job. I love it.
Game shows have moments of suspense and intense drama. How did you make sure listeners experienced similar highs and lows? The contestants and I take them there. All the fun and games aside, it's still a competition-everybody wants to win. It gets serious. You can hear the tension. Plus, the sound design is awesome, and that does the trick as well.
Who are the first few guests listeners can expect on the show? Can you share any fun behind-the-scenes moments from recording that didn't make it onto the episodes? Well, there's Laura Larsson, Stefanie Giesinger, Drangsal, and Alli Neumann, to name just a few of them. They're all different, all awesome. And the behind-the-scenes fun is actually part of this podcast. We all deal with each other the same way on and off the record. Listen and you'll hear it.
What about Die Podcast Games are you most proud of? The whole package. I just love that show!
See how you match up to the first round of game show competitors. Stream Die Podcast Games, now.
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
15/06/2025
July 2025 in Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam & London
Photo: Thea Martre
Music Production for Women (MPW) have announced that they will be running a series of fo...
15/06/2025
Composer/producer launches free virtual instruments
Sulcata Sound is the latest venture of Jason Graves, a two-time British Academy Award-winnning composer,...
14/06/2025
NEW YORK Pluto TV and the All Womens Sports Network have launched a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) AWSN channel in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Nor...
14/06/2025
NEW YORK and CINCINNATI E.W. Scripps has announced a new, multiyear agreement with the WNBA that will continue Ions regular-season coverage of the league on Fri...
14/06/2025
WASHINGTON The National Association of Broadcasters highlighted the hidden importance of spectrum in the production of major sporting events and described wha...
14/06/2025
WASHINGTON Sunsetting ATSC 1.0, expanding business opportunities for NextGen Broadcast and increasing international adoption of the ATSC 3.0 standard were top o...
14/06/2025
SAN FRANCISCO Samba TV and Acxiom have announced that they will dramatically expand their longstanding relationship....
14/06/2025
July 2025 in Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam & London
Photo: Thea Martre
Music Production for Women (MPW) have announced that they will be running a series of fo...
14/06/2025
San Francisco State University's School of Cinema Uses Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton June 13, 2025
0 Comments
More than 40 Blackmagic Design came...
14/06/2025
Boris FX Mocha Pro Adds New AI Tools To Tackle VFX Tasks Fast
Jessie Electa Petrov June 13, 2025
0 Comments
The 2025.5 release helps artists work more...
14/06/2025
AJA Debuts DRM2-Plus Mini-Converter Frame at InfoComm 2025
Brie Clayton June 13, 2025
0 Comments
Next-gen frame addresses diverse rackmount needs wit...
13/06/2025
(L-R) Lindsay Utz, Michelle Walshe, and The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Prime Minister at Eccles T...
13/06/2025
Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijima
If you're a true lover of rom-coms, chances...
13/06/2025
Pure Drama and Fierce Rivalries set to dominate the world's most iconic spor...
13/06/2025
Johannesburg, 12 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an a...
13/06/2025
ABILENE. Texas A severe storm knocked down the tower and severely damaged the news studio and main facility of Sinclair-owned KTXS here on Sunday, June 8....
13/06/2025
Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz A...
13/06/2025
WASHINGTON The ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association, honored veteran technologist Aldo Cugnini and Clarence Hau, Senior Vice President of Standards, Policy...
13/06/2025
(Editor's note: The 2025 UFL Championship Game between the D.C. Defenders and Michigan Panthers kicks off Saturday, June 14, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The game wil...
13/06/2025
New iPad/iPhone synth App announced
Following on from last year's release of Gradient Synth - which reached #6 on the App Store's Paid Music charts ...
13/06/2025
LONDON Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that HBO Max will launch direct-to-consumer in multiple new countries this July as the streamer becomes available in...
13/06/2025
AI voice transcription and captioning platform Verbit has added a new feature to its Captivate ASR solution the ability to identify specific features in automat...
13/06/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission member Anna Gomez has wrapped up two weeks in California visiting broadcasters, television studio executives, enter...
13/06/2025
WASHINGTON The U.S. House of Representatives voted mostly along party lines to approve a rescission package that would cancel $9.4 billion in previously approve...
13/06/2025
At InfoComm 2025, AJA Video Systems announced DRM2-Plus, an intuitive, high-capacity 3RU frame that can neatly house up to 24 AJA Mini-Converters. Tailored to s...
13/06/2025
Cinema advertising leader to leverage AOS and suite of AI-enabled solutions to optimize forecasting, yield management, and streamlined ad sales and operations a...
13/06/2025
Manfrotto has launched the ONE Hybrid Tripod, a new support system designed specifically for professional content creators working with mirrorless cameras acros...
13/06/2025
Leading video software provider, Synamedia, today announced that its Media Edge Gateway (MEG), an ATSC 3.0 software-based IRD, now supports Device Security requ...
13/06/2025
LiveU, the global leader in live IP-video contribution, production and distribution solutions, is deepening its commitment to the German-speaking market with th...
13/06/2025
Chaos, the leader in architectural visualisation software, today announces Chaos Corona 13, giving archviz designers new ways to add eye-catching style and flai...
13/06/2025
PALI's Nena Music Video Shot with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton June 12, 2025
0 Comments
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K and DaVinci Resolve Studio b...
13/06/2025
OddBeast Powers Up iRobot's Newest Roombas with Suite of CGI Launch Assets
Brie Clayton June 12, 2025
0 Comments
The motion design and production ...
13/06/2025
On Chick Coreas Birthday, a Newly Uncovered Archival Release The Visitors, composed by Corea and performed by vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Kirill Gers...
13/06/2025
In fulfilment of a recommendation by the Government's Expert Advisory Commit...
13/06/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Backblaze's Gleb Budman Talks Products, Partnerships, and the ...
13/06/2025
SVG Sit-Down: DAZN's Walker Jacobs Calls Streaming the FIFA Club World Cup ...
13/06/2025
New Sponsor Spotlight: Vecima Networks' Paul Strickland on How Improving QoE...
13/06/2025
Pitch Perspective: Where's Next for Specialty Cameras in Soccer? Leaders from Sky Austria and ACS discuss the possibilities of camera placement pitchside B...
13/06/2025
Premiership Rugby Final 2025: Vintage clash between Bath and Leicester gets full...
13/06/2025
Premiership Rugby Final 2025: TNT Sports gears up for Bath vs Leicester battle w...
13/06/2025
NCAA Men's College World Series: ESPN Adds Two-Point SupraCam, Invests in Ne...
13/06/2025
New FSWX signal and spectrum analyzer with novel architecture overcomes limits o...
13/06/2025
Apple today announced the addition of iPad to Self Service Repair, providing iPad owners with access to repair manuals, genuine Apple parts, Apple Diagnostics t...
13/06/2025
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed iOS 26, a major update that brings a beautiful new design, intelligent experiences, and improvements to the apps use...
13/06/2025
At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple unveiled Apple Games, an all-new destination designed to help players jump back into the games they...
13/06/2025
Industrial AI isn't slowing down. Germany is ready.
Following London Tech Week and GTC Paris at VivaTech, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang's Europea...
12/06/2025
In 2018, Spotify launched Heart & Soul, a mental health initiative developed to ...
12/06/2025
50 Years Strong: SBS and NITV Supercharge NAIDOC Week 2025 in a joint 50th celeb...