RAIN Notes: Friday July 30
Jottings of Note
— Charting a Career Move (Karo Chakhlasyan)
— More Than Opinionated (NY Times)
— Not Called Artists for Nothing (TuneCore)
Month: July 2021
Spotify podcasting in Q2: Higher gross, higher margins, mix of exclusive and open strategies
Yesterday we covered the financials of Spotify’s Q2 earnings report. The broad strokes in the financials are: positive numbers, slightly missed expectations, and a stock drubbing. (SPOT stock has recovered about half of yesterday’s loss as of this post.) Today we look at podcast news. Huge year-over-year revenue jump. Continue Reading
Acast Creative expands from Europe to U.S.; Shantae Howell will lead
Acast Creative, a unit of the global podcast company which produces podcast content (shows and/or episodes) for brands, is expanding with a U.S. launch this week. Acast has tapped Shantae Howell as Creative Director of the Americas to lead the team and expand the success of Acast Creative in the U.S. market. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia and TuneIn enter wide-ranging partnership: iHM stations added, iHeart to rep, Triton to monetize
In a hefty, wide-ranging partnership, iHeartMedia and its Triton Digital subsidiary are going into business with TuneIn. In the agreement iHM’s 850 radio stations will be piled into TuneIn. iHeart will also become TuneIn’s premier local ad sales representation partner. Further, Triton will monetize TuneIn’s local inventory, which promises to help advertisers reach new audiences at scale, according to the press notice.
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Programmatic audio and contextual targeting both evangelized at RAIN Summit, along with research
In a very interesting Zoom event produced by RAIN today, digital audio advertising was discussed from perspectives of survey research, a comeback of contextual targeting, and the growth of programmatic advertising. Click for details, quotes, and images. Continue Reading
Spotify Q2 earnings: Users and revenue up slightly; stock down harshly
Spotify released its Q2 financials and user metrics today. The story for investors seems to be disappointment with missed guidance around user growth. The story for everyone else appears as positive change in all key metrics. Click for graphics and charts. Continue Reading
Echoverse podcast studio announces ambitious & celeb-studded new podcast slate
L.A.-based Echoverse, a podcast creation studio specialized in science fiction, supernatural and fantasy audio dramas, is releasing its new portfolio of projects. “It’s been a very busy year,” said Mark Stern, head of the network who owns a long executive resume in SciFi production. Click for show summaries. Continue Reading
AIR bestows “New Voices” awards to 16 honorees in podcasting and radio
Audio industry advocacy group AIR (Association of Independents in Radio) is announcing today its 2021 group of “New Voices” — an annual award and career support program. Each of the 16 honorees will receive personal mentoring and networking opportunities over a five-month period, and a $1,000 stipend. Click for honoree profiles. Continue Reading
WideOrbit announces a raft of executive appointments as Bruce Roberts steps down
Digital media campaign buying and management company WideOrbit is remaking its executive ranks, as Bruce Roberts prepares to step down as President and EVP of Sales after 20 years. He will remain in the traditional role of advisor to the company. Seven new executive appointments flow into upper management at the company. Continue Reading
Sports Illustrated goes with iHeartMedia for multi-year content deal and boutique production studio
iHeartMedia has announced a multi-year deal with Sports Illustrated. It includes original podcast production and the formation of Sports Illustrated Studios. iHeartPodcast Network will distribute the new shows, naturally, as well as SI’s existing portfolio. Most of the new shows will be launched in 2022; one new title scheduled for later this year. One of the new audio sports network podcasts will dip its toe into the true crime genre. Continue Reading
Clubhouse exits beta, opens membership to all, and lists 30 open jobs
Clubhouse, a pioneer in social audio and the most recognized brand in that field, has emerged from a year-long beta period, celebrating the new phase as “Opening Day.” Key to the emergence is the elimination of the invite-only method of bringing in new users. Now, anyone can join. Click through for several usage statistics, and a link to 30 job openings. Continue Reading
Megaphone signs The Weather Network in Canada
Spotify-owned podcast publisher and ad-tech platform Megaphone has signed The Weather Network in Canada. This deal brings The Weather Network’s flagship podcast, “This Day in Weather History” onto the platform. Continue Reading