The recently released Cumulus Media 2023 Audioscape study offers a deep dive into podcasting, smart speakers, and the status of AM/FM radio in those relatively new home speakers. Click through for charts, and a link to the study. Continue Reading
Today’s loudest buzz is about YouTube music, which has enabled podcast listening. The extension of RSS-driven podcast listening to YouTube Music enables web-based YouTube users to continue a partially heard podcast on one platform, to the other. Some users (and we) have uncovered gaps in the podfolio. Despite that, we find the YT Music podcatcher works essentially as in Google Podcasts. Continue Reading
— A Question of Disruption (Music Tectonics)
— Knowledge Plus (Passionfroot)
— Mom Trends (Edison Research)
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After Spotify’s Q1 earnings report this week, we review the company’s responses to investor questions about podcasting and future new audio categories. Continue Reading
Publicly traded Spotify held its Q1 earnings report this week. As of the first quarter, Spotify serves more than a half-billion total users, of which over 200-million are paying subscribers to the Premium tier. In this post we look at the finances. Continue Reading
— Millions of Reasons (Westwood One)
— The Opportunity (Coleman Insights)
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— Mission Accomplished (Ari Shohat)
— Evolution (Idil Miriam Cakim)
— Excitement (A.J. Feliciano)
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— Crime and More Crime (iHeartPodcasts)
— Playing Ball (Tom Webster / Sounds Profitable)
— Removals (AI music)
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Global podcast company Audioboom released its Annual Report & Financial Statements for 2022. In it, we see double-digit growth in several key metrics. Click through for metrics and insights. Continue Reading
Media sales tech company WideOrbit has launched WO Fusion, which the firm describes as “a next-generation sales platform that creates a scalable application for broadcast TV and radio, as well as cable and broadcast network sales teams.” Continue Reading
Major label Universal Music Group (UMG) has asked Spotify, Apple, and other streaming platforms to block AI-generated music. Based on reporting (HERE and HERE), this is not a legal action, but an urgent request. For now, the news is framed as a request from UMG to streaming services. That stage of protest is reminiscent of major-label protests of Napster and other file-sharing platforms in the late 1990s. That tumultuous period eventually led to label lawsuits against Napster users, meant to both punish individuals and demonstrate purposeful intent to everyone. We see a significant likeness harking back to the 1990s file-sharing epoch. Click through for key facts and RAIN’s speculation. Continue Reading