Bill Rosenblatt: Amazon Takes On Spotify In Podcasting

by Bill Rosenblatt
Guest columnist Bill Rosenblatt analyzes Amazon’s most significant entry to podcasting — a podcast listening service integrated with Amazon Music. Comparing Amazon to Spotify is instructive, and this piece also takes into account how Amazon’s lead in the smart speaker market plays into strategic decision around podcasting. One question for the near future, according to rosenblatt: How will audiobooks play in these global audio platforms? Continue Reading

Steve Goldstein: How to Know When to Pull The Plug on Your Podcast

by Steve Goldstein
Everyone knows about podfades, podcasts that start but don’t continue due to lack of initiative. “Many are started on a whim; some creators hope for instant stardom and riches,” Steve Goldstein observes. But this column is about making a strategic choice to end a podcast run. “The ongoing question for podcast producers and creators to ask when thinking of pulling the plug is whether a show is on its way up, sideways, or out.” Goldstein itemizes and explains six decision points in this important column. Continue Reading

Steve Goldstein: Chartapalooza — Why Every Podcast Chart Is So Different

by Steve Goldstein
Podcast success charts have multiplied, and it’s understandable if your confusion has multiplied along with them. Steve Goldstein is undaunted, as he accepts the challenge of untangling who is measuring what, and explaining why the competing rankers (there are at least eight of them) differ. An illuminating column. Continue Reading

Jeff Vidler: Could Apple Show Broadcasters the Way For Live Radio?

Signal Hill Insights President Jeff Vidler contributes this very interesting column about Apple’s interesting movement toward traditional radio. “It’s interesting that Apple’s latest foray into audio is a doubling down on the old school notion of human-hosted, human-curated radio.” What does it mean for broadcast radio, if anything? Jeff does some blue-sky thinking. Continue Reading

Jeff Umbro: Lemonada Media Moves to Stitcher’s Midroll for Ad Sales, an interview with CEO Jessica Cordova Kramer

by Jeff Umbro

In this week’s column, Podglomerate CEO Jeff Umbro provides news and commentary about Lemonada’s ad rep move, Joe Budden’s apparent separation from Spotify, Audible’s new plan, Joe Rogan and Apple … and an interview with Jessica Cordova Kramer. Continue Reading