RAIN Notes: March 26
New phases and hidden risks — two podcast thinkers lay out divergent visions of podcasting.
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Trash(no)more: Reminder to radio as April 1 approaches
Attorney and digital media expert David Oxenford has published his annual cautionary note to broadcasters regarding April Fools tomfoolery. There is a law against announcing a fake emergency. Continue Reading
Apple formally releases HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) podcasts
Apple developed the HTTP Live Streaming video protocol in February, and released it publicly via the March 24 update of the company’s iOS operating system (v. 26.4). The program allows podcast creators to create high-quality video podcast episodes directly within… Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: March 25
– Catch-up (Paul Riismandel))
– Seats at the table (E.B. Moss)
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Podcasts are dominating (Audacy research)
Broadcasting and entertainment giant Audacy has released the latest in a seemingly unending streaming of industry podcast endorsements. The thesis of this one is that the expansion of podcasting is understated; the audio category isn’t only dominating — podcasts are… Continue Reading
iHeartMedia / Tik Tok alliance sought to reinvent album releases
iHeartMedia is trumpeting a partnership with TikTok which introduced a new album release protocol combining the strengths of each platform. The initiative aspires to create “a new blueprint for artist launches moving forward.” The alliance brings fans into the album… Continue Reading
Streaming fraud perpetrator Michael Smith faces the music
In September 2024 we reported a startling case of fraudulent streaming, when a guileful North Carolina musician named Michael Smith was accused of fraudulently streaming AI-created songs and dishonestly collecting royalties. We now learn a judge has determined the consequences/ Continue Reading
CBS News Radio plans total shutdown
In a startling moment that is sending shock waves through American news and reporting industries, CBS News announced the shutdown of its Radio News division. Seven hundred affiliate stations will cease operations. Industry professionals react. Continue Reading
BMG brings infringement lawsuit to Anthropic over AI training
In a lawsuit filed this week (March 17) music publisher BMG Rights Management accuses AI startup Anthropic of copying and reproducing song lyrics. Overall, this is an AI-based lawsuit which alleges that Anthropic used nearly 500 songs to train its Claude AI chatbot. Continue Reading
Quince, McDonald’s top Magellan podcast advertiser lists
Podcast data and analytics company Magellan AI has released February rankings of podcast advertisers. This monthly drumbeat informs us of two distinctions: Top spenders (dollar count) Top Movers & shakers (spending increase from previous month) In the Top Spenders list… Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: March 18
– A new studio (Substack)
– Sing Along With Zip (Zip Recruiter)
– Audio = Trust (Journal of Experimental Psychology)
– School Season (Podpage) Continue Reading
Podcasts vs radio: Time spent metrics favor both by age (Edison Research)
In today’s edition of the Weekly Insights feature from Edison Research, we learn how four different age categories spend time listening to AM/FM radio and podcasts. The most apparent takeaway shows the 13-24 cohort preferring podcast listening by more than… Continue Reading