We got a note from Pocket Casts that two in-app discovery features we’ve been waiting for became active today. They are Guest List (favorite podcasts of a guest curator) and Network Highlight (a selection of one network’s catalog). We checked them out. Continue Reading
Trader Joe’s launched a high-profile podcast about itself in 2018. It just launched its third season, calibrated to the calendar year. Now, the grocery store podcast category has doubled in size (as far as we know), with the launch of Noshtalgia, a feel-good mix of family storytelling, recipes, and the values of grocery chain Kroger. Continue Reading
The classical music industry is rarely at the vanguard of technology in 21st-century digital music. But streaming service Idagio is taking a bold step. Partnering with Maxim Vengerov, on of the world’s top violinists, Idagio is exclusively releasing his albums… Continue Reading
In the startup world, a unicorn is a singular company that reaches a billion-dollar capitalization. More informally, a unicorn denotes a company that is unequaled in marketplace reach and influence. Is there a podcast unicorn? One research group thinks so. Continue Reading
We last heard about AudioGO, a self-serve digital audio ad-buying platform for small businesses, last May when the company offered an update of its $250-minimum ad buying operation. Today, AdsWizz is announcing two agreements — with Entravision and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices — that bolster the platforms’ recognition and effectiveness. Continue Reading
An article in Digiday sources Vox Media Studios president Marty Moe saying that the company’s 200 podcasts across its many topical categories currently earns $10-million per year. The goal is to double that. Continue Reading
Podsights, a podcast research and ad measurement platform, is announcing today a successful $1.5-million fundraising round and new hires. It’s all about attribution — a key word in podcasting 2020. Continue Reading
At the European Radio and Digital Audio Show in Paris, a three-day exhibition and presentation conference, one of the panels turned its focus to the future of radio in the next few years. A persistent and sometimes controversial point was whether to rebrand the radio industry to “audio.” Continue Reading
A story in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reported that Serial Productions, maker of influential podcast Serial, is seeking acquisition. While a great deal of institutional money has flowed into podcasting in the last three years, an acquisition headline focused on a single show is unusual and striking. Continue Reading
Spotify’s assertive growth in podcasting (see yesterday’s report of the company’s growing distribution influence) was headlined in 2019 by acquisitions of Gimlet, Anchor, and Parcast. But outright acquisition isn’t the only way to gain content. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Podnews apparently inspired podcast analytics and attribution company Chartable to crunch some numbers defining the share of podcasting distribution among leaders in that space. The question derives from Spotify’s rapid growth in this field. Apple is still #1, but Spotify’s influence in this field is growing impressively. Continue Reading
Yesterday we reported rumors that Spotify might acquire sports/pop podcast network The Ringer, founded by ex-ESPN Bill Simmons. Today a second swirl of rumors speculates that Simmons is asking $200-million for the deal. We scratch out some rough arithmetic. Continue Reading