With over 300,000 podcasts in the market, most of which are jammed into the narrow funnel of Apple’s Podcasts app, it’s no wonder that program discovery is a prominent pain point for consumers. Discovery is emerging as an issue for distributors, too — networks who are beating the bushes for talent to create new programs. Continue Reading
Bumpers is the newest mobile app exploring the podcast space. It allows people to record their own podcasts directly on their phone. The company secured $1 million in seed funding and its app is currently available on iOS. Spark Capital led the round, and Twitter co-founder and Medium CEO Evan Williams is involved as a strategic angel investor. Continue Reading
Independent label network Merlin has inked another licensing deal, this one for Russia. Merlin signed an agreement with Mail.ru, which owns social network and media hub vKontakte. Continue Reading
Australian podcast host Omny Studio released a new tool for sharing audio on Facebook. The company now offers automatically generated waveform videos called Visualised Audio. These customizable clips are intended to help podcasters get their shows ranked higher by the algorithms used by the social network. Continue Reading
Spotify is rolling out new video projects left and right. The latest one is called Flash Frame, and it’s an interesting mix of artist profile and fan service. The series will highlight major moments from a performer’s career with live performances of iconic songs. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio shared two announcements about where to tune in to its lean-back digital audio service. It has revised its presence on Xbox One and is part of a family programming service from Samsung. Continue Reading
Bob Shennan has been promoted to the new BBC Director of Radio. His appointment follows the departure of Helen Boaden, who recently stepped down as the broadcaster’s director of radio. Continue Reading
Swedish industry group Musiksverige released a report about the nation’s music business in 2015. As shared last month by the IFPI, 85% of recorded music revenue in Sweden came from streaming last year. But this report demonstrates just how sudden and thorough the shift was in that market. Continue Reading
AudioBoom was recognized with one of The Radio Academy’s new Audio & Radio Industry Awards. It received the ARIA for best digital audio service. Continue Reading
NPR announced some improvements to its ratings and audience growth. President and CEO Jarl Mohn credited some of the boost to the election cycle, but added that “first rate journalism, riveting storytelling, revamped newsmagazines, live reporting, and better user platforms” were also part of the success. Continue Reading
At RAIN Summit Nashville in September, Steve Goldstein (Founder & CEO, Amplifi Media) moderated a panel called Podcast Forecast: What’s Next? The conversation went into fascinating detail about the present and future of on-demand audio. Click for full video. Continue Reading
Spotify is rolling out a new product called branded moments that serves vertical video ads to listeners. This offering gives listeners 30 minutes of commercial-free music after they view the advertisement. Bacardi, Gatorade, and Bose are among the first brands to beta test this new ad approach. Continue Reading