RAIN Notes: Monday, September 18
News
Project Gutenburg, MIT, and Microsoft collaborate on free audiobook project
Project Gutenberg, whose mission is to make copyright-free books available online, has partnered with Microsoft and MIT in an AI project to narrate thousands of open-access audiobooks with synthetic voices. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Friday, September 15
— Latino Learnings (Edison Research)
— Exposition (Laura Beil)
— Fixer-Upper (Acast)
RAIN Notes: Thursday, September 14
— Economical (The Economist)
— Holistic (E.B. Moss)
— P.S. from PM (Podcast Movement)
RAIN Notes: Wednesday, September 13
RAIN Notes: Tuesday, September 12
— Small-biz Victory (Acast)
— World’s Best Tailgate? (ESPN)
— Synthetic Personalities (Jacobs Media)
RAIN Notes: Monday, September 11
NPR adjusts to revenue realities with flat budget projections for -23/24
In the wake of whiplash change, calm fiscal waters appear to prevail at NPR. In a presentation of the public radio giant’s topline finances for fiscal 2022-2024, a small drop of 2.4% is projected for 2023. (The 023 fiscal year… Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Thursday, September 7
— Degrees (Kevin Bacon)
— End of a [Short] Era (NPR)
— Truly Artist Centric (Mark Mulligan)
Luminary opens select podcasts from walled garden; signs with Acast for distro & sales
Today we learn of a strategic partnership that brings podcast network Luminary together with global podcast platform Acast. Six Luminary exclusives will leave the walled garden for Acast’s open platform. Additionally, Acast will serve as Luminary’s monetization agent for those… Continue Reading
ABC signs Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast to rep podcast ads
ABC Audio announced today an exclusive, multiyear podcast advertising deal with Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. Ad buying and management platform AdvertiseCast will handle ad sales across ABC Audio’s entire portfolio in this exclusive deal. That includes productions in the ABC/Walt Disney Group partnership. Continue Reading
“It’s happening now.” Nielsen rocked by layoffs
New York-based audience measurement company Nielsen is undergoing a round of layoffs today, reportedly dismissing nine percent of its 15,000 employees. The action was presaged internally, as Nielsen employees shared apprehensions and reported today’s event on a public message board. Continue Reading