RAIN Notes: Tuesday, January 9
Author: Brad Hill
iHeartPodcast Awards returns with SXSW partnership
The iHeartPodcast Awards, formerly held independently in a Los Angeles performance venue, and simulcast online, will return on March 11 at the Fairmont Hotel in Austin. The event is revived via a partnership with the SXSW Conference and Festivals. Details. Continue Reading
Triton Digital announces integration with Amazon Publisher Service; expansion for both services
Triton Digital is taking advantage of this week’s CES electronics trade show to announce the integration of its advertising marketplace with Amazon Publisher Services (APS). The union expands Triton’s audio ad inventory to existing APS publishers, and extends Amazon’s “interactive audio ads” to the Triton Digital advertising network. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Monday, January 8
— Spearheading (iHeartMedia)
— New to the Team (The Podglomerate)
— More Mysteries (Libsyn AdvertiseCast)
SoundCloud owners reportedly ready to sell in 2024; $1B+ expected
SoundCloud, which has fashioned itself “the YouTube of audio,” will reportedly be on the acquisition market in 2024, according to a report in Sky News. SoundCloud is the leading crowdfunded music showcase and streaming listening platform, founded in 2007. Over 40-million musicians and labels upload to the platform, contributing to a catalog of 320-million tracks. Continue Reading
Podcast ad rates flat in December: Libsyn AdvertiseCast
The average cost per thousand (CPM) for podcast advertising remained essentially flat in December, about one dollar lower than the average rate in November. This from the monthly reckoning at AdvertiseCast. Click for graphs and multi-year high and low points. Continue Reading
Audacy prepares Chapter 11 while facing ~$2B debt
Radio/audio giant Audacy is reportedly undergoing bankruptcy negotiations with lenders. The expectation is that Audacy will file for Chapter 11 protection as it renegotiates approximately $1.9-billion in debt. The company is parent company to two acquired podcast studios, Cadence 13 and Pineapple Street Studios. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Thursday, January 4
— Royalty (Bernth Brodtrager)
— Retrospection (Pacific Content)
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Fewer new podcasts in 2023; episode volume remains stable
2023 saw fewer new podcast launches than in each of the previous four years. The most recent year which produced fewer was 2018. New episode volume remains high, over four years. Click for numbers and charts.
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1.5B downloads; 10k advertisers; $50M creator payments — Audioboom 2023 snapshots
Audioboom released a few snapshot statistics for 2023, representing the scale of its consumption, sales, and podcaster payments. Citing an Edison Research metrics, UK-headquartered Audioboom observes that it is the fifth biggest podcast publisher in the U.S.A. Click for more numbers. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Tuesday, January 2
— Profound Change (Digiday)
— Anthem (Steve Keller)
— Recovered Share (Edison Research)
Triton podcast ranker: NPR absent again; The Roost jumps into top 10
Triton Digital released its U.S. Podcast Ranker for November, ranking the top 100 podcasts measured by Triton’s service. As always, this list connects each of the 100 listed shows with its sales network. Four podcasts debuted on the November list. Continue Reading