Digital audio advertising exchange company DAX is announcing today that it has reached agreement with NPR to manage the public radio juggernaut’s Canadian podcast ad inventory. The agreement establishes DAX as the exclusive third-party partner for handling sponsorship deals across NPR’s podcast inventory in Canada. Continue Reading
Online counseling service BetterHelp and used car retailer CarMax were the leaders in Magellan AI’s two January podcast rankers: Top Spenders and Top Movers and Shakers. Click through for details and graphics. Continue Reading
Jottings of note:
— Frequency and reach
This Harvard Business Review article separates correlation from causation in digital advertising. Which is better: frequency or reach? P&G and Unilever cut their overall budgets and increased returns.
— Digital marketing predictions
Adobe presents “Three Digital Marketing Predictions for 2021 and Beyond. In briefest summary: Non-linear, privacy, and AI.
— New podcast book
Director of Podcast Pioneers Katharine Kerr is out with a new book: Step by Step Podcasting for Business.
Wednesday, February 24, click through for links Continue Reading
Many of the announcements in Spotify’s flood of news in yesterday’s “Stream On” presentation were about platform features for creators and advertisers. But new and exclusive podcast content was also featured. The biggest headline is certainly the launch of a Barack Obama / Bruce Springsteen conversational show called “Renegades: Born in the USA.” Also, DC Comics and Ava DuVernay. Click through for info, audio, and video Continue Reading
In the slew of announcements during Spotify’s “Stream On” presentation Monday, the company seemed to recognize an affinity between podcasting and blogging. Spotify’s new agreement with WordPress.com, which leverages Spotify’s Anchor podcasting platform, bridges the two realms. The result is near-instant podcasts. We now await the reverse.
Spotify grabbed part of competitor Tidal’s key differentiator yesterday by announcing the introduction of a new subscription level called Spotify Hi-Fi. We have always questioned the degree to which most people can distinguish hi-rez differences, especially given the degrading audio signal chain most people use. Still, it’s a market, and Spotify says users ask for it. Continue Reading
While new features within Spotify and its Anchor subsidiary get most of the attention among the ream of announcements in the company’s “Stream On” presentation, the expansionary push into new regions around the world might be the most eye-opening, certainly is the most ear-obtaining, and could be described as the most imperialistic. Continue Reading
TED is a highly differentiated brand, and its TED Radio Hour (150 episodes; #1 in Apple Technology) and TED Talks Daily (160 episodes; #1 in Spotify Business) are steady category leaders. TED cites that its podcasts are downloaded an eye-popping 1.65-million times a day. It makes sense for TED to extend its brand patina outward, and that is what the company has done with TED Audio Collective. The pitch to advertisers: “Stand out from the pack in an oversaturated market.” Continue Reading
Jottings of note:
— AIMP Webinar
“Live Streaming in the COVID Era,” an AIMP webinar, is on Thursday (2/23) at 5:30 ET. It’s about revenue and rights, moderated by Arthur Levin. Free to register.
— Thoughts on Timed Audio
Dan Misener of Pacific Content posted a column about Apple’s “Time To Walk” audio feature. Dan expands the idea to music, and why activity-based audio could be important to brands.
— Podcast Discovery
Metronome, the Malaysia-based podcast landing page provider, has launched a new Episode Reminder feature to encourage listeners moving sideways in a podcast to hear other episodes.
— Partnership
Lori Lewis, well known social marketing exec in audio, and Rob Wagman’s Straight Path Media + Marketing have partnered. Not exactly a merger, each is still reachable: lori-at-lorilewismedia.com & straightpathmande-at-gmail.com
Monday, February 22 Continue Reading
Jottings of note:
— Spotify webinar
Spotify is promoting its “Stream On” virtual event, Monday Feb. 22 at 11am ET. No registration necessary — just go to http://spotify.com/StreamOn
— Major league rep
Lemonada podcast network, famous for its “Last Day” podcast and others, signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
— Superstudy
Coleman Insights has announced its third annual “Contemporary Music Superstudy.” Results will be publicized in April.
Friday, February 19 Continue Reading
New podcasts of note.
Call of the Wild (WWF)
Reparations: The Big Payback (iHeartRadio)
Cupid and the Reaper (Gen-Z Media)
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) has received $424-million in royalties from Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google, Pandora, and 15 other streaming entities from Aspiro to Xandrie. With funds in hand, the MLC starts its US government mandate to accurately distribute payments to songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Click for the list streaming services by dollar amount. Continue Reading