In the December report of Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics Top 20 Ranker, overall stream listening remained steady from the previous month. The three leaders — Pandora, Spotify, and iHeartRadio — each gained a single percentage in Average Active Sessions (Triton’s AAS metric). Spotify continued its chase of Pandora. Continue Reading
Today Pandora sent an announcement that observers have been waiting for: The leading internet radio platform has launched a private programmatic marketplace for its digital audio advertising inventory. “It’s clear the future of advertising is digital audio,” evangelizes John Trimble, Pandora’s Chief Revenue Officer. Continue Reading
Ticket sales are open for the RAIN Podcast Business Summit , March 22, at New World Stages in New York. First Mover registrations benefit from the lowest price — just $299 for the only event examining and defining the business marketplace of on-demand audio, and the opportunity for advertisers. These early buyers will also receive a $15 RAIN-branded Starbucks gift card when they pick up their badges. The First Mover tickets last until February 22. Click through for special speaker reveals.
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Today, Triton Digital®, a leading technology and services provider to the digital audio industry, announced a planned merger with UK-based podcast network and technology provider audioBoom, in which Triton Digital will combine with AudioBoom Group PLC, the corporate structure by which the British podcast platform company is traded on the London Stock Exchange. Exclusive interview with Neal Schore. Continue Reading
RAIN is pleased to announce the second annual Podcast Business Summit, following the success of the 2017 event in New York. The 2018 edition of this breakthrough event will be held at New World Stages, 340 W. 50th Street, on March 22. The Podcast Business Summit is the only event examining and defining the on-demand audio marketplace, its growth, trends, and the podcast opportunity for brands, businesses, and advertisers. Continue Reading
A three-person podcast agency called The Podcast Exchange (TPX) has launched in Canada, with the mission of connecting podcasts with advertisers. The company stands in the middle ground between podcast publishers and marketers, and intends to better fertilize that middle ground by matching content to advertising. Continue Reading
When Pandora announced the Dynamic Audio ad product last February, the idea was to create a targeting technology that could personalize audio marketing to the listener to an unusually individual degree. The launch partner for that development venture was British ad company A Million Ads. Now, the two companies are starting to roll out the result of that work, on a testing basis with two advertisers. Continue Reading
In what Pandora calls a “redesign,” the company has announced a company reorganization that includes layoffs, a remapping of its key initiatives, and prioritization of its Atlanta office for growth even as its official HQ remains in Oakland. The staff reduction will affect 5% of Pandora’s workforce. At the same time, the company plans to hire for its new initiatives in the less expensive, talent-rich Atlanta market. Continue Reading
In a rare case of national politics reaching into the online audio industry, PodcastOne has announced distribution of $1,000 bonuses to all full-time employees. The company cites the newly passed tax bill which dramatically reduced the top-line corporate tax rate, and also a successful 2017. There might be another reason. Continue Reading
As the new Copyright Royalty Board rate ruling sinks in today, we look at how it might affect Pandora. Using the company’s 2017 Annual Report and financials from the most recent earnings report, it becomes clear that the new rates will not apply to most of Pandora’s royalty cost, and that the simple 44% CRB rate hike is actually more complicated … and lower. Continue Reading
Podcasting content and advertising company Midroll Media has post a top-of-the-year round-up of its business, and predictions for podcasting as a whole. One of those predictions is exceptionally bold. Also, is 2018 the year when podcasting is measured by listens instead of downloads? Continue Reading
The venerable E.W. Scripps Company, a multimedia national player in newspapers, radio, television, and digital media, has announced a tectonic and identity-changing restructure plan. As with many corporate reinventions, headcount will be reduced over 12-18 months, costs will be lowered, technology will be centralized, resources will be optimized across divisions. And radio will be ditched entirely. Continue Reading