RAIN Notes: March 11
— Farewell to Fellow Fanatics (Rachel Whitney)
— Legacy Media Getting Rocked (Scott Klass and Nathalie Hill)
— Two for One (iHeartPodcasts)
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News
iHeartPodcast Awards bestowed; Las Culturistas is top winner
The annual iHeartPodcast Awards celebration happened las night (March 10) at SXSW in Austin. The recorded ceremony will be broadcast tonight (March 11) on AXS TV at 8pm ET. SPOILER ALERT: This post contains complete winner information. Continue Reading
Bill Freund, co-founder of Triton Digital, passes away at 56
Entrepreneur and digital audio executive Bill (Billy) Freund has passed away. He was 58. We learn this sad news from Inside Radio, which supplies this note: “In place of flowers, the Freund Family requests that contributions be made in Billy’s… Continue Reading
February podcast production drops 32% year over year (Listen Notes)
New podcast production took a substantial step downward in February, compared to the same month a year ago. And in the month-over-month view, January-February represents the biggest single-month drop of the 12-month period. A macro view of new podcasts per year shows the Covid-era surge followed by a return to normal. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia announces hosts & presenters for upcoming Pod Awards
iHeartMedia has sent around a bulletin revealing who will host the iHeartPodcast Awards next Monday, March 10. The event is a live ceremony at SXSW in Austin, at the Moody heater. Multiple presenters during the ceremony are also revealed today. Continue Reading
LyricFind sues Musixmatch for anticompetitive behavior
Two major providers of song lyric services are locked in a battle over licensing access to lyrics. LyricFind is the plaintiff here, accusing MusicMatch over what LyricFind calls “an anticompetitive scheme” with major music publisher Warner Chappell Music, Inc. Continue Reading
Libsyn anoints new VP Marketing
Podcast creative and advertising platform Libsyn announces a new executive appointment: Christopher Avello takes the position of vice President of Marketing. Avello will lead the company’s marketing strategy while expanding Libsy’s reach and strengthening engagement. The new role starts immediately, and is based in Boston. Continue Reading
Wondery cuts staff: “No longer required.”
Prominent podcast studio Wondery is trimming staff, but details are not in focus. The story broke in Reuters, which quotes an unnamed source estimating the scope of the action as “dozens and dozens.” Amazon’s public remarks refer to a small number of jobs. Continue Reading
YouTube: One billion monthy podcast users; claims supremacy
YouTube has been counting it up, and yesterday announced an enviable metric: One billion monthly podcast users. Tim Katz, Vice President, Partnerships, Podcasts posted the notice with a bit of competitive spirit. Continue Reading
Podcast ad spend +19% — benchmark metrics from Magellan AI
Podcast advertising research and solutions company Magellan AI has released the Q4 2024 edition of its Podcast advertising benchmark report. Click for key findings, link to the source, andlink to an upcoming live webinar. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: February 25
— Benchmarking (Magellan AI)
— Celebrating and Amplifying (iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God)
Radio two thirds; podcasts one fifth. Nielsen/Edison measure ad-supported audio audiences
Radio grabs 67% of daily time spent listening to ad-supported audio by American 18+ adults, while podcasts claim 18% of that time. These metrics are key takeaways from Nielsen’s just-released Q4 edition of The Record, a quarterly assessment of how U.S. consumers spend their listening time. Click for measurements, visuals, and takeaways. Continue Reading