In research conducted by the Audio Publishers Association (APA), Edison Research, and InterQ Research, the APA announced earlier this month that audiobook revenue rose 12% in 2020, to $1.3-billion. Click through for many more stats in this vibrant and fast-growing audio field. Continue Reading
by Matt Deegan
Guest columnist Matt Deegan (Folder Media) reports on radio and podcast acquisition activity. Not much more to buy in UK radio, and a deep dive into Sony Music’s grab of Somethin’ Else podcasts. “The deal with Sony could be seen as a bit of a reverse take-over. The Somethin’ Else team, with Steve Ackerman soon to be in New York, and Jez Nelson in London, take over all of Sony’s podcast activities, merging them with their own – all under the Sony Music banner.” Click for more. Continue Reading
Listening on the go, or when alone, or on weekends, or weeknights — how do different audio content types draw listeners? That’s one question examined by the Audacy Insights blog, in a piece authored by Idil Cakim, SVP Research & Insights. Click through for interesting metrics andc charts. Continue Reading
A proposed bill called the American Music Fairness Act was introduced yesterday in a public spectacle attended by Dionne Warwick and other music celebrities. The legislation is fronted by congressional reps Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Darrell Issa (R-CA). Click for details on the argument and the proposed solution. Continue Reading
Audacy, a leading sports broadcaster and streamer, is opening a new sports podcast studio called 2400Sports. The venture begins with a content partnership with Major League Baseball, and another with Jody Avirgan’s Roulette Productions. Get ready for a LOT of baseball documentaries and team-specific podcasts. Continue Reading
Yesterday’s late-afternoon acquisition of ART19 was buttoned down by Amazon with exceptional discipline. Which is to say nobody in either company would talk about it. But Kintan Brahmbhatt, GM Podcasts (Director) at Amazon, celebrated more openly in social media, and offered career opportunities to “define the future of podcasts.” Continue Reading
Amazon has acquired ART19 for its Amazon Music distribution platform. ART19 has long been one of the most innovative and future-tech podcast hosting and monetization platforms. The acquisition puts a third leg on Amazon’s podcast stool, joining the Wondery acquisition in December and Amazon Music’s distribution power through Alexa smart speakers. Continue Reading
A majority of Latinos in the U.S. have listened to a podcast. That teaser is leaked by Edison Research to promote an upcoming webinar release of the second annual Latino Podcast Listener Report. Dual-language presentations are scheduled at different times on Tuesday, July 13. Click through for details and registration links. The webinars are free. Continue Reading
As of today, global audio streamer Deezer has joined Ad For Good, a certification label that encourages brands to give at least one percent of their media budgets to social or environmental causes, and provides technology to do so via partnership with Boon.Today. Click for details.
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If podcast rankers reveal stagnation at the top levels of popularity (they do), Magellan AI’s monthly ranking of top advertisers shows the same characteristic. Looking at the just-released list of top 15 spenders in May, and comparing it to April, we see the same top five advertisers: BetterHelp, HelloFresh, ZipRecruiter, Amazon, and Geico. Click through for comparison chart. Continue Reading
Jottings of Note
— Smart (“Smartless” podcast)
— No Party Favors (Wondery)
— Missing the Mark (Apple Music)
The Washington Post has hired Renita Jablonski as director of audio (title uncapitalized in the press release). Jablonski comes from Spotify, and is also ex-NPR. The move signals the importance of audio to WaPo, which displays neary 30 shows on its podcast page. Continue Reading