WNYC Studios has signed with talent agency UTA, presumably to explore podcast crossovers to film and TV. The potential extension might seem surprising to listeners who think of WNYC’s podcast creation mainly for its intellectual programming. But the network also produces Dolly Parton’s America, Dead End, and Radiolab. Continue Reading
Jottings of Note
— Crypto Cast (a16z)
— Thirsty (Rob Greenlee)
— Limited Series (iHeartMedia)
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
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 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
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
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
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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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
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
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
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