Author: Brad Hill
The diztractables: Gen Z media juggling
We learn from EMarketer that Gen Z podcast listeners have extra room in their brains to consume a second stream of content. Texting is the most popular second stream — 45% of survey respondents do that. When the entire survey… Continue Reading
Townsquare Media Q2: Investors satisfied
Radio giant and digital marketing company Townsquare Media released second-quarter earnings, generally satisfying investor expectations. Click for details. Continue Reading
Cumulus follows bankruptcy plan with layoffs
Nearly four months after Cumulus Media revealed its bankruptcy plan (RAIN HERE), the company has reportedly completed a layoff action across several business units, including the Cumulus Podcast Network. That division remains in operation despite the losses. Also impacted are… Continue Reading
Podcast TV listening continues growth (Edison)
From Edison Research, we receive an update on its continued measurement of podcast listening on television. Very interesting trend. The survey is part of the quarterly Edison Podcast Metrics project, measuring the habits and preferences of 13+ podcast consumers. Continue Reading
Digital becomes radio’s growth engine (RAB report)
The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), official trade association of the U.S. broadcast radio industry, has released a metrics study documenting the growth and standing of digital advertising revenue.
The depth of work in this project results in a 71-page presentation deck, freely available. The report is sponsored by business software and services company Marketron, for the 14th consecutive year. Click for details and a download link.
Continue Reading
Rumor Fact(ory) Spotify tests podcast ad-skipping tool
Spotify is testing a podcast ad-skipping tool. If implemented, such a tool would be offered to premium (paying) users. The assertion is fairly tectonic among podcast content owners and the podcast industry as a whole. Continue Reading
RAIN Time Travel: August 2016 headlines
In this monthly feature, we look back one decade and revisit selected headlines. Today: highlights from August 2016. Continue Reading
Spotify Q2: Rising numbers, milestones, and ambivalent investors
Spotify released its Q2 earnings report, with generally upward-moving numbers and new records set. Those numbers didn’t hit investor expectations, though, creating tumult in the company’s stock movement. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: July 31
Catalytic (UK publication: Campaign)
Libsyn lands Lemon
Continue Reading
UK digital audio plummets in one measurement of Q1 digital publishing
We learn from ExchangeWire, which produces global analyses of media, that UK digital publishing revenue dropped nearly five percent in Q1, year over year. Not great news on the whole, and then we find that digital audio fell a stomach-dropping 47% in the same measurement. Click for the details. Continue Reading
Steve Goldstein: The Download Built Podcasting. Now It’s Holding It Back. A review of the AMP Accords
In this epochal piece, more a manifesto than an article, guest columnist Steve Goldstein lays out a detailed and convincing interpretation of podcasting moving through a middle-ground era, toward solid adaptation of new usage metrics and advertiser clarity. In one way, this article is a response to the recently released AMP Accords and a deeper questioning of its measurement solutions. With comparisons to YouTube, Steve promotes impression-based presentation of podcasts to advertisers — all the more important as podcasts extend deeper into video. Also — the one-year transition proposed by the AMP Accords is too long, Steve asserts. Among the many must-reads in Steve’s column series, this one is preeminent. Essential insights.
Continue Reading