Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: James discusses the need for standards and Global’s move to open up to third-party podcasts. Continue Reading
Podtrac shares monthly updates about top-performing podcasts and podcast publishers. Now, the analytics company has taken a broader view and shared its list of the top new shows of 2018. The chart is based on average U.S. downloads per episode across all listening devices. Continue Reading
Podcasting company Acast announced that it has secured an investment of $33 million. The Series C funding round will support Acast’s growth in the United States and will further expand its international footprint. “This has been the biggest year in our short history as a company,” Acast CEO Ross Adams said. Continue Reading
Cadence13 has entered an exclusive partnership with Pushkin Industries. This new audio company is the work of co-founders Jacob Weisberg, former chairman and editor-in-chief of the Slate Group, and Malcolm Gladwell, a writer and bestselling author. Cadence13 will exclusively represent shows from Pushkin Industries beginning January 1, 2019. Continue Reading
Panoply Media’s lead data analyst, David Martin, has penned a blog post exploring the value of podcast ratings. Martin defines a rating is the number of 1-5 stars a listener gives a show, while a review is their written assessment. The podcast company’s statistics showed that about 80% of shows in the U.S. iTunes store have no ratings listed. Continue Reading
Major labels and publishers are quick to call in the copyright lawyers, and this time their target was a podcast that they claimed was illegally using music in episodes. David Oxenford explains the distinctions between different performance licenses and what podcasters should do to stay on the right side of copyright law. Continue Reading
Fox News Radio is adding three original podcasts to its slate of free-to-listen programs. The radio network archives many of Fox’s TV shows for on-demand listening, but those programs are maintained behind a Premium firewall. On the free side, the FOX News Radio page shows 21 shows. Continue Reading
Free podcast production and hosting service Anchor is introducing a new monetization plan for U.S. podcasters. Anchor Sponsorships is an automated service which matches advertisers with podcasts, and invites podcasters to create host-read breaks and insert them in their new and past shows. It’s an interesting long-tail play for both podcasters and brands. Continue Reading
Omny Studio, the audio publishing platform, has entered a programmatic advertising partnership with Rubicon Project. This deal will see Omny Studio offering pre-roll video advertisements for podcast listens on the web. Customers will be able to connect their shows to Rubicon Project’s video advertising marketplace, adding a new monetization option for podcasters under Omny’s umbrella. Continue Reading
Global, the UK-based media and entertainment conglomerate, announced that it will launch support for podcasts in its Global Player app. The software platform lets listeners tune in to all of Global’s radio brands. Now it will also house a library of 1,500 premium podcasts. Continue Reading
Acast announced that it is launching its first personalized podcast ads. The podcast platform’s latest feature is powered by A Million Ads, and the service will be available across Acast’s entire global network. According to the press release, elements including the voiceover, the sound effects, and the music of an ad can be customized to a particular listener’s specific situation. Continue Reading
Magellan has released its October ranking of top podcast advertisers, noting two new participants in the list: security company ADT, and stock-trading app Robinhood. The monthly report highlight the top 15 podcast advertisers in the 2,000 podcasts tracked by Magellan. Continue Reading