RAIN Notes: Friday, May 24
— Q&A (Sounds Profitable)
— Blatant (Billboard)
— Up North Ranking (Triton Digital)
— Starbucks P1 (Jacobs Media)
Author: Brad Hill
April podcast ad spend drops 6% (Magellan); 10 of top 15 are repeaters
Magellan AI’s accounting of podcast advertiser spending for April, for the top 15 spenders, shows a total spend down six percent from March. Ten of the top 15 are repeats from the previous months. Three companies are members of RAIN’s unofficial 12-of-12 club. Click for graphics. Continue Reading
Simplecast and AdsWizz get tighter in launch of the SimpleCast Professional Tier
Top-tier podcast ad company AdsWizz is announcing that hosting platform Simplecast is now “officially part of the AdsWizz family.” That’s acquisition language, but both companies are acquired subsidiaries of audio giant SiriusXM, so this appears to be an internal tie-up of the two technologies. Click for more. Continue Reading
Sony Music fiercely withdraws its music from all AI training
It’s an “an affirmative, public declaration.” That’s how Sony Music characterizes its statement, released yesterday, declaring the giant music company’s entire catalog off-limits to all AI training systems. It is fierce, comprehensive, and bears a certain resemblance to the 1990s. Continue Reading
UK weekly radio listening edges upward in Q1 on various devices (RAJAR)
The weekly reach of radio listening in the UK is traditionally strong, and the Q1 RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) report shows a surge for the first quarter. Fifty million adults — 89% of the 15+ population, tuned in each week, for a total time-spent metric of 1.023 billion hours. Click for much more. Continue Reading
Edison Research releases Top 50 Podcasts; “Exciting newcomers”
Edison Research has released its latest Top 50 Podcasts in the US, representing survey results for Q1 listening. The survey method is important in the ranker business; unlike many others, Edison’s survey method opens the door to any podcast in the world. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Monday, May 13
Audacy Q1: Upbeat results from accelerating digital revenue
Audio giant Audacy released Q1 earnings, characterized by CEO David Field as “a solid start to 2024.” Audacy’s financial positioning is complicated by a recent bankruptcy, but the company is moving smoothly through that financial reorganization process with uplifting net… Continue Reading
Jon Stewart enters the podcast-first realm
Comedian and political satirist Jon Stewart will extend his relationship at Comedy Central with a new weekly podcast: The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart. The program compliments his iconic The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. The announcement comes from MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Audio. Continue Reading
New podcast production continues 2024 slide; episode volume remains strong
New podcast production continued a three-month slide in April, after a strong January. 12,864 new shows were released in April, compared to 16,256 in March. January hit a one-year high of slightly more than 20,000 new podcasts. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Wednesday, May 8
— Full Spectrum (Libsyn)
— Exciting Audio Moments (iHeartMedia)
— The Biggest (Inside Radio)
Wondery opens Ad Analytics, a multi-service array
Podcast and creative solutions network Wondery has opened Wondery Ad Analytics, a campaign success evaluation service which leverages multiple information and measurement services. Four areas of focus are highlighted, and an ad effectiveness funnel. Click for details and graphics. Continue Reading