iHeartMedia and the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar have signed a new multi-year partnership. The intent is to grow a thriving podcasting industry in the Middle East and North Africa.

The partnership brings a new podcasting infrastructure to Qatar and hopes to spark a wave of creative storytelling across the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Both parties aspire to make the area into a global podcasting hub. Click for details. Continue Reading →

A newly released advertiser survey conducted by EMARKETER, in partnership with Amazon Ads, is titled A Sound Move: Marketers say digital audio is ready for bigger investment. The field work queried 100 U.S. marketers about the value of investing in digital audio advertising.  Continue Reading →

We hear from music publishing administration firm Songtrust that its parent company Downtown Music Holdings has completed its acquisition of, and merger with, Virgin Music Group. The combination was first announced in December, and is reportedly valued at $775 million.  Continue Reading →

Triton Digital has released its 2025 U.S. Podcast Report: A Year In Review. This research summary is meant to supplement Triton’s well-known monthly podcast ranker, creating a “Listening Landscape” which measures podcast reach, listener demographics, download methods, audio/video measurements, genre performance, new-listener behaviors, and quite a bit more. Click for our review, and link to the source download. Continue Reading →

In Spotify’s just-released earnings report (Q4 2025) we see good news on the top lines motivating a vigorous bounce in stock price. A long view puts that surge in larger perspective. Click for the charts. Continue Reading →