RAIN Notes: Tuesday, August 15
— Podcast Finances (Libsyn)
— Groundbreaking + New Heights (Interview Valet)
— Upshift (Sirius XM)
Author: Brad Hill
Descript podcast editor acquires SquadCast recording platform
Descript, the text-based audio editing platform, has acquired SquadCast, the cloud-based conversation recording system. As of today, SquadCast becomes a free-to-use component of Descript. Descript describes the acquisition as making a “complete stack.” Continue Reading
Bridge Media Networks invests in media which has “forgotten” the basics
Bridge Media Networks, an investment company owned by 5-hour ENERGY founder Manoj Bhargava, has announced widespread investment in major media companies across the categories of magazine, TV, and radio. Two major radio groups are part of it. Dollar amounts are not mentioned. Continue Reading
Startup turns any webpage into a podcast, accelerating an AI trend
At a time when AI is facilitating content creation in audio and other media categories, an ingenious new startup called PodStash reduces creative friction to practically zero. Not a creative tool for turning original content into audio, the key purpose is to turn any Internet text page into audio. (Wikipedia is a good example.) We dig in, and chat with the founder. Continue Reading
Major labels sue Internet Archive over pre-1972 recordings
Universal Music Group (UMG), Capitol Records, Sony Music Entertainment, and Arista Music have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the Internet Archive. The heart of this confrontation is a branded section of the Internet Archive’s Great 78 Project, a streaming database of 400,000 streaming, downloadable, and shareable recordings. Click through for the whole story. Continue Reading
Audience drop & revenue gain: Pew Research Public Broadcasting Fact Sheet
Pew Research released its annual Public Broadcasting Fact Sheet, offering data glimpses into key listening and finance metrics. We excerpt highlights, including reach, revenue, and app use. Continue Reading
Audacy splits from American Public Media partnership in costly separation
Audacy has separated from an ad-sales agreement with American Public Media, clarifying a remark made by Audacy CEO David Field in a recently published quarterly earning statement. No reason or explanation has yet emerged. But in Audacy’s Q2 earning statement, David Field referred to an unnamed break-up which he called “onerous.” Click for details. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Friday, August 11
— Podcast Finances (Libsyn)
— Groundbreaking + New Heights (Interview Valet)
— Upshift (Sirius XM)
Shifting Share of Ear: A nine-year comparison of radio and podcasts
Edison Research has been operating its landmark Share of Ear Study for nine years. The full service is for subscribers, but Edison releases a summary graphic with each iteration of the survey. Looking back at the first release, and comparing it to the most recent (Q2 2023), reveals dramatic tidal shifts in time spent listening to different audio categories among American adults and teens. Click for revelations. Continue Reading
Alex Cooper (“Call Her Daddy”) launches Gen Z podcast network
Leading podcast entrepreneur and Spotify star Alex Cooper, creator of Call Her Daddy, is forming a podcast company with her fiancee Matt Kaplan (Founder/CEO of ACE Entertainment). The company is called The Unwell Network. This enterprise does not change Cooper’s exclusive licensing of Call Her Daddy on Spotify. Continue Reading
CoHost/Quill launches Advanced Audio Demographics, adding interests, hobbies, social habits
Podcast analytics and audience insights platform CoHost is announcing a new slate of demographics that includes listener interests, hobbies, and social media habits (and pets!) in addition to standard age/gender/income identifiers. Click for details. Continue Reading
Spotify bolsters pod subscription business, adding Patreon-exclusive streams
Spotify has built a new piece of linkage between the streaming giant’s platform and Patreon, where many subscription podcasts are managed. The new connectivity allows Patreon subscribers to access their paid-for podcasts within the Spotify app. Continue Reading