Spotify offers subscription publishing to all U.S. podcasters, in direct competition with Apple

Bringing an end to a testing period begun in April, Spotify now allows any U.S. podcaster to offer a subscription feed to listeners. It’s the latest benchmark in a growing trend of pay-to-listen in podcasting, where consumers can buy into a monthly fee for membership benefits that include ad-free listening, bonus exclusive episodes, and other attractions. Click for details. Continue Reading

Second annual The Next Great Podcast contest launches from iHeartRadio and Dan Patrick

Part incubator and part contest, The Next Great Podcast is beginning its second annual installation, produced by renowned sports journalist Dan Patrick with iHeartRadio. The end product will be a newly launched podcast with all the advantages of major network backing. Last year’s winner just launched this month — it is original and entertaining. Click for all the details. Continue Reading