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// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Max Cutler a barber? He's a cut above.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Max Cutler
Max Cutler
Born
Max Cutler

Los Angeles, California, US
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounding Pave Studios & Parcast
RelativesRon Cutler (father)

Max Cutler is an American entrepreneur, media executive, businessman and author. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of PAVE Studios, an entertainment company he launched in 2024 that develops creator-led intellectual property across video, audio and live experiences.[1] Cutler previously founded the podcast studio Parcast in 2016 and served as Vice President, Head of Talk Creator Content and Partnerships[2] at Spotify.

Spotify acquired Parcast in 2019.[3] The company disclosed initial consideration of approximately $56 million in its quarterly financial filings[4], with additional contingent consideration of up to $53 million payable over three years, and the Financial Times reported the total deal value at more than $100 million.

At Spotify, Cutler led the division responsible for identifying, recruiting and overseeing exclusive deals with major audio creators, including Joe Rogan (The Joe Rogan Experience), Alex Cooper (Call Her Daddy), Dax Shepard (Armchair Expert), Ashley Flowers (Crime Junkie) and Emma Chamberlain (Anything Goes).

Max Cutler has been featured on Fortune 40 Under 40,[5] The 40(ish) Most Powerful People in Podcasting,[6] Forbes 30 Under 30,[7] and The Hollywood Reporter's 35 Rising Executives Under 35 lists.[8] In 2023, Cutler stepped down from Spotify.[9]

Early life

[edit]

Cutler was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.[10] He attended Viewpoint School, a nondenominational school in Calabasas, California. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance and entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona in 2013.[7]

Cutler's father, Ron Cutler, is a veteran radio broadcaster who went by the name Ron Diamond. Ron started Cutler Productions, a radio syndication[11] company in the 1980s. Max has cited his father as having a huge influence on his career and life.[10]

Career

[edit]

Parcast

[edit]

In June 2016, Max Cutler and his father founded the podcasting Studio Parcast[12] without outside investment. While he has cited podcast Serial by Sarah Koenig as an inspiration, his vision was to consistently produce high-quality content across various genres.[13][14] In the latter half of 2021, Parcast ventured into limited-run investigative series, including podcasts Imposters and Revelations (with Blumhouse Productions).[15] At its peak, Parcast achieved over 1 billion downloads, employed a team of over 120 staff and produced more than 140 shows weekly in eight different languages. Cutler is known for creating and producing podcasts like Conspiracy Theories, Supernatural, Horoscope Today[16] and International Infamy.[17]

On April 1, 2019, Spotify acquired Parcast in what was reported at the time as one of the largest acquisitions in podcasting. The Financial Times, citing a source close to the negotiations, reported a deal worth more than $100 million[18] in cash plus future earn-outs.Spotify’s subsequent SEC filings disclosed initial consideration of approximately $56 million, with maximum potential contingent consideration of a further $53 million over three years[19]. The transaction was reported as largest single deal within Spotify’s $400 million to $500 million podcast acquisition program that year.

Spotify

[edit]

Following the acquisition, Cutler became Vice President, Head of Talk Creator Content and Partnerships[20] at Spotify, based in Los Angeles and reporting to Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer Dawn Ostroff. He led the division responsible for identifying, recruiting and overseeing exclusive deals and partnerships with major audio creators on the platform.[21]

Creators signed or overseen during Cutler’s tenure included Joe Rogan (The Joe Rogan Experience), Dax Shepard (Armchair Expert), Ashley Flowers (Crime Junkie), Ash and Alaina (Morbid), Alex Cooper (Call Her Daddy),[22] Emma Chamberlain (Anything Goes),[23] Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and the Fantasy Footballers. Cutler also greenlit a number of nontraditional podcasters such as Kim Kardashian, Brené Brown,[24] and Addison Rae.[25]

Cutler also led efforts to expand Spotify’s creator tools for audience growth and interaction and to grow the platform’s video podcasting business. In addition, Cutler was tasked with leading Kids Content and Audiobook Originals as well as developing content for Spotify’s push into live audio and oversaw Spotify’s push into live audio with the launch of Live on Spotify, which featured programming from The Ringer, Deuxmoi, and live music shows including Lorem Life and New Joints Live.

Cutler left Spotify[26] in 2023 to launch a new venture.

Pave Studios

[edit]

In April 2024, Cutler launched PAVE Studios, a Los Angeles based entertainment company. The name is an acronym for Podcasts, Audiobooks, Video and Entertainment.[27] The company develops and owns creator-led intellectual property across audio, video, books and live experiences, and is structured as a portfolio of genre-specific consumer brands rather than a single podcast network.[28]

PAVE launched with two brands: Crime House, focused on true crime, and OpenMind, focused on personality-driven and curiosity-led programming. In April 2026, the company launched a third brand, Rewind[29], focused on history. OpenMind produces Khloé in Wonder Land, a video and audio series hosted by Khloé Kardashian.[30] Crime House programming includes Clues with Kaelyn Moore, Murder: True Crime Stories, and the twice-daily series Crime House Daily, which Triton Digital ranked as the third biggest new U.S. podcast launch of 2025.

Creators signed to PAVE brands include Connor Tomlinson[31] of Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, Niecy Nash-Betts and her daughter Dia Nash[32], Dr. Harini Bhat, Sarah Turney, and many more[33].

In June 2026, PAVE Studios announced a partnership with A+E Global Media to adapt six of the network’s unscripted franchises, including The First 48, History’s Greatest Mysteries and Modern Marvels, into podcasts under the Crime House and Rewind brands.[34]

PAVE grew from fewer than 10 employees at launch to roughly 70 by late 2025.[35] The company has been cited in coverage of the creator economy as an example of growth in digital-first production at a time of contraction in traditional Hollywood employment.

Author

[edit]

Cutler is the author[36] of Cults: Inside the World’s Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them, based on the podcast Cults.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2024-04-16). "Former Spotify Exec Max Cutler Launches Creator-Focused Media Company Pave Studios". Variety. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  2. ↑ Hayes, Dade (2022-05-12). "Bill Simmons Upped To Head Of Global Sports Content, Max Cutler To Head of Talk Creator Content & Partnerships In Spotify Exec Revamp". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  3. ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (26 March 2019). "Spotify acquires true crime studio Parcast to expand its original podcast content". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  4. ↑ "ck0001639920-6k_20190630.htm". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  5. ↑ "Max Cutler | 2020 40 under 40 in Media and Entertainment". Fortune. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  6. ↑ T. H. R. Staff (2022-10-05). "The 40(ish) Most Powerful People in Podcasting". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  7. 1 2 "Max Cutler, 30-under-30". Forbes. August 2, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  8. ↑ Ford, Rebecca; Sandberg, Bryn (6 November 2019). "Next Gen 2019: Hollywood's 35 Rising Executives 35 and Under". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  9. ↑ Chan, J. Clara (2023-02-21). "Spotify's Top Creator Partnerships Executive to Depart in May". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  10. 1 2 "The Story Behind Parcast". Podcast Business Journal. February 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Radio Kid Sells Company To Spotify". Radio Ink. 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  12. ↑ Locker, Melissa (August 19, 2019). "Spotify Parcast just launched a new daily true-crime podcast for all you crime junkies". Fast Company. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  13. ↑ Coyne, Marley (June 4, 2018). "Parcast Founder Max Cutler On Creating Original Content". Forbes. online. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  14. ↑ Engel, Jonah (April 16, 2018). "Pulp Nonfiction: Podcasts Go Mass-Market". The New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  15. ↑ White, Peter (2021-10-01). "Blumhouse TV & Vespucci Team On Spotify Original Cult Podcast Series 'Revelations'". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  16. ↑ Jarvey, Natalie (3 September 2019). "Spotify's Parcast Launches 'Horoscope Today' Podcast Series | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  17. ↑ Marks, Andrea (2021-06-08). "Ashley Flowers of 'Crime Junkie' Goes Global in New Podcast 'International Infamy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  18. ↑ Ingham, Tim (2019-08-05). "Spotify has acquired three podcast companies this year. Total cost: $404m". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  19. ↑ Sawers, Paul (2019-04-29). "Spotify confirms it paid $56 million for Parcast, taking its total podcast acquisition value to $400 million". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  20. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2022-05-12). "Spotify Reorgs Podcast Content Studios, Promoting Parcast's Max Cutler and The Ringer's Bill Simmons to New Roles". Variety. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  21. ↑ Steele, Anne; Cheung, Philip (2022-08-27). "WSJ News Exclusive | Spotify's Head of 'Talk' Talks Crime, Creators and Exclusivity". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  22. ↑ Ferris, Luke (2023-06-24). "Former Spotify Executive Max Cutler on What's Next in Podcasting". Foundr. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  23. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2022-11-17). "Emma Chamberlain Inks Exclusive Spotify Podcast Deal". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  24. ↑ Jarvey, Natalie (23 September 2020). "Brené Brown Signs Exclusive Podcast Deal With Spotify (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  25. ↑ "TikTok Star Addison Rae And Her Mom Launch 'Mama Knows Best' Podcast For Spotify/Parcast". All Access. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  26. ↑ Chan, J. Clara (2023-02-21). "Spotify's Top Creator Partnerships Executive to Depart in May". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  27. ↑ White, Peter (2024-04-16). "Former Spotify Exec Max Cutler Launches New Media Company". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  28. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2024-04-16). "Former Spotify Exec Max Cutler Launches Creator-Focused Media Company Pave Studios". Variety. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  29. ↑ Studios, PAVE (2026-04-24). "PAVE Studios Launches Rewind to Focus on the Stories that History Forgot to Finish". podnews.net. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  30. ↑ Weprin, Alex (2024-06-20). "Khloé Kardashian to Launch Video Podcast on X (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  31. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2026-04-23). "Connor Tomlinson to Launch Video Podcast in First Project After 'Love on the Spectrum,' Part of PAVE Studios' New Slate of History Shows". Variety. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  32. ↑ White, Peter (2026-06-18). "Niecy Nash Launches True-Crime Video Podcast With Pave Studios". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  33. ↑ Studios, PAVE (2026-07-22). "PAVE Studios Expands Creator Roster with Top Voices in True Crime, Lifestyle and History". podnews.net. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  34. ↑ Hayes, Dade (2026-06-03). "A+E Teams And Pave Studios Team On Podcast Adaptations Of Six Unscripted Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  35. ↑ X; Email; Instagram; LinkedIn (2025-07-12). "This is the rare bright spot in a tough Hollywood job market". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-09-06. {{cite web}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  36. ↑ Cults. 2022-07-12. ISBN 978-1-9821-3354-2.
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