Spotify announced it is partnering with Warner Bros. and DC to create narrative scripted podcasts set in the entire DC universe. All content resulting from this partnership will live on, and be distributed by, Spotify exclusively. It has been an important 30 days for Spotify. Click through for perspective and details. Continue Reading
The Wall Street Journal scooped that Spotify has signed Kim Kardashian West to create and host a new podcast about criminal justice. No name for the show is publicly disclosed at this point, or a launch date. It will be produced by Parcast, a podcast production company previously acquired by Spotify. Continue Reading
Podcast technology company ART19 is announcing a new platform layer which, in Founder/CEO Sean Carr’s words, seeks to “push audio ad tech to catch up to other industries.” It is a tools which assesses available podcast advertising inventory, and accurately predicts campaign results. Continue Reading
Podtrac released its monthly Top Podcasts ranking for May. NPR appears most often, as owner of seven shows. iHeartRadio has three of the top 20. The #4 spot was claimed by Call Her Daddy, returning after a 5-week break over a controversy that was covered by The New York Times, moved up 11 spots in the ranker. Continue Reading
LAist Studios sent us a note announcing a new slate of podcasts. One standout: Servant of Pod with Nick Quah. Quah founded, writes, and edits the well-read Hot Pod. It’s a weekly deep dive into the evolving world of podcasts, launching June 17. Continue Reading
iHeartPodcast Netweork’s Australian subsidiary, which is managed by media group ARN, is starting the week with an announcement of two network partnerships: Audioboom and Kast Media. ARN is also releasing listenership numbers showing May as a strong month (+6%), along with a 22% rise during the pandemic period of mid-March through june. Continue Reading
Townsquare Media CEO (and RAIN keynoter) Bill Wilson was named First Vice Chair of the Radio Board in the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Wilson joined Townsquare Media from AOL in 2010; he became co-CEO in 2017 and sole CEO in 2019. Continue Reading
Jay Walkerdon, the ex-Nova podcast executive in Australia, has announced the acquisition of two podcasts for his recently formed Podshape company. Walkerden left his Nova position as General Manager and Head of Podcasting in February. Continue Reading
RAIN’s Pod Drop podcast, a unique flash review of new podcasts, released Episode 8 – Heaven Bent, Borrasca, Hope in Darkness. The three new shows selected for this episode all touch on the unusual and strange. Pod Drop is a five-minute, highly produced audio tour of new podcasts, weaving in excerpts. It is a unique podcast discovery podcast, Continue Reading
According to a recent Nielsen survey, most Americans (83%) are listening to radio as much as, or more than, they did before the Covid-19 pandemic. but a shift has been happening, to streaming and on-demand listening via mobile devices and smart speakers. A WideOrbit blog post adds context. Continue Reading
A startup called Podhero is making waves today with its official launch, helmed by Pete Curley and Garret Heaton, founders of HipChat (sold to Atlassian, and from there sold to Slack). Podhero is a subscription service and podcast listening app… Continue Reading
FOX News Audio is announcing that its daily news digest has started playing on SiriusXM, and that all of FOX’s podcasts are now on Pandora (a Sirius subsidiary). The reach expansion is pegged at 100-million listeners. Continue Reading