In a sad but arguably predictable action, Sirius XM announces it will shut down the Stitcher podcast app in August. Founded in 2008, Stitcher is a venerable brand in the renaissance of podcasting. Existing Stitcher registered users will be shifted to the Sirius XM platform. The decision might have a brand maintenance aspect as well. Click for details. Continue Reading
In a notable piece of dealmaking, LibSyn has acquired the podcast ad-monetization business for This Week in Tech (TWiT), one of the most venerable podcast networks. TWiT was founded by tech/podcast celebrity Leo Laporte in 2005, and was one of the world’s first all-tech podcast networks. AdvertiseCast will use its Automatic Ads solution to dynamically fill TWiT’s unsold inventory. Click for more detail.
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— Contemplating Takeaways (Lou Paskalis)
— Buy-side Findings (Borrell Associates)
— Powerful Rationales (AudioGo)
AdLarge, an independent ad sales company which connects all kinds of audio publishers with brands, and brands to audiences, has launched AdLarge Labs. The company describes the new venture as “a digital accelerator program to market, monetize, and maximize opportunities for podcast creators.” It is open to all creators and networks. Click for details and key to the waitlist. Continue Reading
Preeminent audio consumer survey and knowledge company Edison Research has released The Infinite Dial 2023 Australia, the seventh annual edition of its comprehensive survey of listening habits, preferences, and trends. We examine podcast listening trends, and compare them to the American population. Click for details and graphs. Continue Reading
Acast announced today that it has expanded its self-serve podcast advertising platform, which now enables self-serve advertisers to buy host-read sponsorships across the entire Acast Marketplace. “This is a real moment for us,” said Product Manager at Acast Niklas Lagerberg. Click for details. Continue Reading
The Gracies award program, honoring women in media, has announced and listed the 2023 winners. Click through for the list of winners and corresponding producers in the National Digital Media category. Continue Reading
— How They See It (Sounds Profitable)
— Breather (Dominick Milano)
— Change At The Top (Entravision)
— Clearing the Myst (CoHost)
— Learnings (Arielle Nissenblatt)
— Cutback Clouds (LAist Studios)
In Nielsen’s recently released Audio Today 2023 bundle of research, we are not surprised to learn that AM/FM listening remains top of the time-spent audio sources. Among all U.S. adults 18 years and older, radio reaches 91% percent. The domination is decisive. Click for graphs. Continue Reading
Spotify will launch a third subscription tier to its legacy two-tier access, introducing a “Supremium” plan above its current subscription and free-listening options. This according the Ashley Carman’s reporting at Bloomberg — and CEO Daniel Ek promised it during the Q1 earnings call. We look at the rumored benefits, and compare to competitors. Featuring RAIN’s Spotify user growth chart. Continue Reading
Triton Digital announced its acquisition of Manadge, and advertising intelligence and revenue management platform. Manadge offers publishers management of sales inputs from all demand-side partners. Continue Reading