RAIN Notes: Thursday, June 2
Jottings of Note
— Crypto Cast (a16z)
— Thirsty (Rob Greenlee)
— Limited Series (iHeartMedia)
Author: Brad Hill
Acast and Focusrite partner to raise quality, lower expenses, for podcasters
Acast announces its teased partnership with audio equipment make Focusrite, unleashing details today. The new relationship aspires to raise podcast audio quality for producers equipping their shows (by selling them new Focusrite gear), and saving them money post-production with free use of Acast’s mid-level hosting plan for six months. Focusrite, maker of Scarlett mic-to-computer interfaces, is releasing a new product as part of this. Click for details. Continue Reading
After a rise in April, podcast ad rates dip in May
According to Libsyn subsidiary AdvertiseCast, podcast CPMs dropped a bit in May after an April rise from the preceding month. The sharpest movement was in the 1,000-9,999 listeners trendline. Click through for more metrics and an illustrative chart. Continue Reading
Podcast creation continues 2022 decline in May
Podcast creation in May dropped to 9,391 new shows, from 14,282 in April, according to Listen Notes. It is the fourth consecutive monthly drop which has seen podcast creation on the slide through 2022. Click through for details and graphics. Continue Reading
AdvertiseCast earnings grew 150% in 2021; celebrates anniversary of being acquired by Libsyn
Podcast company Libsyn and podcast ad marketplace AdvertiseCase are celebrating the one-year anniversary of their merger. In this recognition, Libsyn takes the opportunity to disclose a general picture of AdvertiseCast earnings. It’s double-digit percentage growth. Continue Reading
Acast ventures into Asia with Singapore launch; Timi Siytangco leads
International podcast company Acast has launched in Asia with the appointment of Singapore-based Timi Siytangco as Key Account Director. Acast calls Siytangco’s hire as “the next iteration in Acast’s ambitious international growth strategy.” Click for relevant Asia listening metrics. Continue Reading
Ads in the top 10 U.S. podcasts deliver 33% reach of weekly U.S. listeners (Edison Research)
In a startling demonstration of how long the “long tail” of media can be, Edison Research has posted an article illustrating that the top 10 podcasts reach a third of weekly U.S. listeners. In a field of nearly three million podcasts, this data point is a stark reminder of how concentrated is media success and reach.
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Slip.stream music library platform raises $7.5M Series financing; Sony Music involved
Music library platform Slip.stream, which contains over 100,000 tracks and sound effects, has obtained $7.5-million in Series A financing led by Sony Music Entertainment, Third Prime, and Lightshed Ventures. Slip.stream joins an industry segment of music libraries in an addressable market of 22-million YouTube creators and 30-million independent creators who need audio assets for their creations. Continue Reading
Four new-listener trends in podcasting (SXM Media Podcast Trends Report)
The report identifies and profiles a new breed of podcast listener. That profile is younger, equally gender-divided, and more likely to be Black or Hispanic. And they don’t (yet?) listen nearly as much as longtime (6+ years) listeners. Four major new-listener trends are identified. Click for graphics and analysis. Continue Reading
Focusrite teases agreement with Acast
Acast is teasing a quasi-announcement, timed with the Podcast Show happening in London this week. In it, we learn that Focusrite and Acast will do something together, sometime. It’s a tease. Our guess: A discount on the Scarlett brand of Focusrite recording interfaces. Continue Reading
Six podcast advertisers in Top 15 for 12 straight months; zero newcomers (Magellan AI)
Magellan AI released its always-interesting Top Spenders list, listing the highest 15 spenders for April. BetterHelp lands in the #1 spot, as it has for the last 12 months in today’s RAIN analysis of this ranker. There are zero newcomers. Click through for downloadable 12-month chart. Continue Reading
YouTube leads other platforms for podcasts that “simulcast” on YouTube
In an interesting piece of research from Podtrac, YouTube had a larger share of podcast plays for shows that distribute full video episodes on YouTube. The results add dimension to the growing idea that putting a podcast on YouTube is a good idea for discoverability. Podtrac’s work points to YouTube as a potential leader in audience reach. Continue Reading