Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
In a pivotal deal, NPR announced that its entire podcast catalog is now available on Spotify for the first time. All shows from the public media outlet, both familiar favorites and new titles, will have a home on the streaming audio service. The arrangement brings the world’s largest podcast publisher into one of the largest podcast distribution platforms. Continue Reading
WNYC Studios is partnering with Night Vale Presents in a deal that will revisit The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air). The podcast — which is part radio drama, part variety show, and all cult classic — released a single season in October 2016. Under this deal, the original show will get a new release and a second season. Continue Reading
The first season of Serial jumpstarted podcasts as a mainstream for of entertainment. The subject of that true crime exploration, Adnan Syed, was convicted for murder almost two decades ago. Jeff Bossert of Virginia Public Radio spoke with Julie Snyder about the latest developments in his case and the third season of the show. Continue Reading
Vox Media is exploring new options for creative advertising in podcasts. Three of the media company’s shows will have ad breaks where Kara Swisher, co-founder of Recode and host of the Recode/Decode podcast, interviews a character from the HBO comedy Silicon Valley. The interview with actor Chris Diamantopoulos (in character as tech investor Russ Hanneman) covers the current cryptocurrency plotline of the show. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio has formed a partnership with Barbara Corcoran, one of the regular “sharks” in the reality startup show Shark Tank, to launch the Business Unusual podcast hosted by Corcoran, sponsored by Dell Small Business. It is a monologue format in which the real estate mogul delivers a business lesson (or two) in what is promoted as a “snackable” five-minute show. Continue Reading
Podcast content and advertising company Midroll Media harvested $11-million in first-quarter revenue, according to the Q1 earnings call for parent company Scripps. How that haul filtered down to the bottom line was undisclosed in the call. Continue Reading
Carrie Lieberman has joined iHeartMedia as vice president of podcast revenue strategy. In this role, she’ll be responsible for expanding the podcast portfolio, increasing revenue, and strategic partnerships. She joins the company after two years as the director of content distribution, licensing & business development at First Look Media. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: James expounds on the potential for niche radio stations to land wins by tight targeting of listeners. Continue Reading
NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ Chicago, and This American Life have joined forces to acquire podcasting app Pocket Casts. Owen Grover, formerly executive vice president and general manager of iHeartRadio, will join Pocket Casts as its new CEO. Continue Reading
Cadence13 and Nielsen have released a research report titled The Purchasing Power of Podcast Listeners, the first in a series that will examine the behaviors and trends within this audience. The first report explores listeners of shows about sports, society & culture, and television & movies and their spending habits in the consumer packaged good categories of snacks, carbonated beverages, and beauty products. Continue Reading
The New York Times has hired Amanda McCartney as director of audio and podcasts. In this newly created position, McCartney will be responsible for selling the Times’ podcasts in collaboration with the publisher’s advertising team and working with direct-response podcast agencies. Continue Reading
Disney is taking the plunge into podcasting. During its NewFront presentation in New York City, the entertainment giant has announced that the Disney Digital Network will release at least one podcast this year. Continue Reading