RAIN Notes: Friday, April 2
Jottings of note:
— Sounds like calisthenics (Univison)
— Segmenting the radio audience (Edison & NPR)
— Directing traffic (Spotify)
— The winner will be… (The Ambies)
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Author: Brad Hill
In new infrastructure bill, U.S. government seeks to limit number of podcasts
In what could be described as governmental overreach, the U.S. administration has included a “podcast restraint” section in its proposed $2 trillion infrastructure bill that was unveiled yesterday. “Enough is enough,” declared Deborah Rode, newly confirmed Secretary of Listening. “Everybody in this country has a box mattress by now.” Continue Reading
In startling reversal, AccuRadio moves to radio, citing high music royalty costs
AccuRadio, one of the two leading brands of pureplay online radio in the U.S., has stunned the online audio business community by announcing that it is switching to broadcast radio distribution. The change will occur on April 5. In an aggrieved press release the company cites high royalty costs, and says it can find greater profitability in AM radio “playing up to 22 minutes of commercials per hour.” Continue Reading
Spotify acquires Betty Labs, creator of live social audio, elbowing into Clubhouse’s space
Spotify has announced its acquisition of Betty Labs, a tech startup which build Locker Room, a live audio conversation space for sports fans. The company says the grab will “accelerate Spotify’s entry into the live audio space.” Other remarks from Spotify sound like a plan to eat Clubhouse’s lunch. Continue Reading
Mechanical Licensing Collective hires three execs
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), the government-appointed and regulated agency for collecting and distributing blanket compulsory mechanical license for digital music services, has hired three new executives. The MLC was formed from the Music Modernaization Act of 2018. Last month the unit received a first stash of $424-million in royalty payments from Apple, Spotify, Google, Pandora, and 15 other streaming entites for distribution. Continue Reading
IAB reveals Podcast Upfront presenters for first springtime event
In December the Interactive Advertising Bureau announced a new annual schedule for its Podcast Upfront event, formerly in the fall. Going forward it would be a springtime event, planned for May 11-13 in 2021. Today the trade organization revealed its presenters. Continue Reading
Newly named Audacy app leaps into action with exclusive binge release of new podcasts
Audacy, the new branding of both Entercom radio group and its RADIO.COM listening app, is pushing its new identity into the public sphere today by announcing the two new podcasts from subsidiary Pineapple Street Studios. The shows will enjoy exclusive full-series binge listening on Audacy, while outside podcast apps will distribute normal RSS feeds on a weekly cadence. Continue Reading
Libsyn raises $25M and will acquire AdvertiseCast
Libsyn, one of the world’s largest podcast hosting companies, announces today that it will acquire AdvertiseCast, a podcast ad planning and buying platform. The purchase is supported by $25-million in funds that the publicly traded company raised privately. While this funding is apparently motivated chiefly to enable the AdvertiseCast purchase, the investment is also intended “to provide Libsyn with additional capital for other strategic acquisitions.” Continue Reading
Acast launches Acast+ offering hosted clients subscription tools for podcasts
Today global podcast platform Acast makes public Acast+, a suite of tools giving podcasts ways of offering subscriptions to their shows as aternatives (or additions) to ad-funded shows. With Acast+, podcasters can offer ad-free streams, exclusive content, early access and much more to paying subscribers. Continue Reading
NPR releases finalists in Student Podcast Challenge for college students during Covid
NPR announces the finalists in the netwrok’s most recent Student Podcast Challenge, targeted to college students for the first time. Fascinatingly, the contest intersected the Covid pandemic, a collision might have given students more time to focus on audio projects, and definitely influenced the content. Click through for links to each submission for listening. Continue Reading
Radio giant Entercom rebrands as Audacy; renames RADIO.COM; new look and feel throughout
Entercom, the second largest radio holding company in the U.S., a major podcast producer and audio streamer, has rebranded the entire organization as Audacy. Podcast subsidiaries Cadence13 and Pineapple Street Studios remain unchanged. Click through for lots of images of redesigned websites and the (former) RADIO.COM listening app. Continue Reading
Pod Drop: Rock and Roll, Drugs and Baseball, Health and Happiness
New podcasts of note.
The Rock Podcast (PodcastOne)
Crushed(Religion of Sports / PRX)
No Kidding? Me Too! (KMG Utopia Studios)