Podcasting 17 - RAIN News

Steve Goldstein: Authenticity And AI In Podcasting

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Steve Goldstein

by Steve Goldstein

“Authenticity is Merriam-Webster’s 2023 word of the year,” Steve Goldstein informs us in his latest guest column. That word resonated in the podcasting field, used to represent a unique value to both listeners and advertisers — “both a cliche and a cornerstone,” Steve says. That brings podcasting up against AI, arguably pretty low on the authenticity scale. Things brings up a conundrum: Is AI a boon to podcasting or a threat? Steve holds forth. Continue Reading →

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Weekly podcast listeners overwhelmingly prefer YouTube, and other new stats (Cumulus Media / Signal Hill Insights)

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Brad Hill

For the eleventh edition of the Podcast Download series, Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights retained MARU/Matchbox to conduct an in-depth study of 608 weekly podcast consumers from October 13-19, 2023. This work, combined with Triton Digital’s Podcast Metrics study, comprise this annual fall report. YouTube is the star. Click for metrics, graphs, and a download link. Continue Reading →

Vox Media Podcast Network to produce live podcasts on branded stage at SXSW

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Brad Hill

Vox Media and SXSW (owner of the South By Southwest annual business and networking conference) are partnering to produce a dozen or more live-staged podcasts at the 2024 conference in March. Vox currently claims 39 owned and operated podcasts, and ten of them are confirmed to produce an episode on the SXSW stage.
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Podtrac releases top new podcasts for 2023; no matches with top October podcasts

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Brad Hill

Podtrac has released its annual Top 25 New Podcasts. We compare the 2023 edition with Podtrac’s Top 20 Podcasts for October. One of the values in the New Podcasts list is discovery. These are shows that have succeeded in building and retaining audience, but are largely unknown in the broad market. Continue Reading →

Spotify latest layoff sweep: 1,500 employees, 17% of staff, public memo

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Brad Hill

In an internal memo also posted publicly, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced the company’s third layoff sweep of 2023. Seventeen percent of the company — about 1,500 employees — will receive severance packages. Click through for detailed coverage, quotes, severence package details, and SPOT stock activity. Continue Reading →

Three brands dominate podcast ad spend; $48M in top-15 (Magellan AI, October)

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Brad Hill

In Magellan AI’s reckoning of the top podcast advertisers (by spend) in October, we see a lot of repetition from the previous months. Nine of the top 15 in the previous month of September landed on the October list again. BetterHelp was the top advertiser, continuing a long streak of supremacy. Click for more analysis and graphs. Continue Reading →

Steve Goldstein: Podcasting’s Multiplatform Imperative

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Steve Goldstein

by Steve Goldstein

In his latest guest column, Steve Goldstein shares insights from students in his Business of Podcasting course at NYU. Most notably, these students consume podcasts in many venues, from Tik Tok to Spotify to YouTube. The lesson for podcasters? Keep students in mind. “For most podcasters, relying on a single platform for distribution is no longer sufficient.” Continue Reading →

The how, when, and where of UK audio listening (MIDAS report from RAJAR)

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Brad Hill

RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Limited) has released the fall 2023 edition of its MIDAS (Measurement of Internet Delivered Audio) Services metrics report. The 17-page document sweeps across the entire audio landscape in the UK. Click for metrics, graphs, and a download link. Continue Reading →

American news consumption favors digital, ignores print, indifferent to TV and radio (Pew)

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Brad Hill

The Pew Research Center has mounted a study of how U.S. adults use devices to consume news. The preferences and trendlines are definite: Digital devices on the ascendence, while legacy delivery platforms are in decline. Click for charts. Continue Reading →

Magellan AI partners with Sounder for post-campaign measurement and verifications in podcast advertising

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Brad Hill

AI-powered audio intelligence platform Sounder is partnering with podcast intelligence company Magellan AI to provide advertisers with a holistic solution for comprehensive post-campaign measurement and verification. The deal shapes up with Magellan providing campaign performance insights, and Sounder ensuring brand-safe environments. Continue Reading →

Podchaser launches new tech for evaluating podcast ad campaigns

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Brad Hill

For direct response podcast advertisers, “reach doesn’t necessarily equal conversions.” That’s the rationale for a new Podchaser feature called Performance+, voiced by CEO Bradley Davis. The new addition to Podchaser’s tech offerings promises to deliver the strongest results against a client’s advertising objectives. Continue Reading →

Culture and impact in new Spotify podcast advertising trends report

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Brad Hill

In its newly released 2023 Podcast Trends Report, Spotify seeks to tease out indicators of major cultural and industry trends, and track those trends to podcast listening behavior. The report evangelizes podcast advertising, naturally, and delivers several elaborate and interesting infographics.
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