Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
It’s not a competition. But we observe that in December Amazon invested more in podcast advertising than perennial budget champ BetterHelp. This from Magellan AI’s December 2023 reckoning of top-spending podcast advertisers. Click for details and graphs. Continue Reading
Apple has declared that its next version of iOS, the iPhone operating system, will be equipped with automatically generated podcast transcripts. That feature will be helpful for users who sometimes prefer reading, or reading along with the audio. But does Apple have the right to do so? Who owns the transcript of an audio production which has been distributed by the audio owner? Continue Reading
by Steve Goldstein
Apple changed podcast measurement when it changed how downloads are counted. Numbers dropped, but integrity rose. “The podcast industry supported the move to uphold the integrity of the metrics advertisers see {…} cognizant that downloads would take a hit but chose long-term credibility over the vanity.” In his latest guest column, Steve Goldstein tours through media categories including radio, digital advertising, email marketing, television, and print media. In all cases, measurement is a challenge. This is an illuminating read. Continue Reading
London-based global podcast company Audioboom released a raft of Q4 metrics, as a 2023 trading update. Not a formal earnings report, the release offers financial statistics, commercial developments, and comments from CEO Stuart Last. Continue Reading
Podfest Expo and Libsyn today unveiled the 2024 Podcast Hall of Fame Inductees. Launched in 2015, the Podcast Hall of Fame’s mission is to recognize and celebrate the distinguished group of individuals who have made a significant impact on the podcasting industry. Click for details. Continue Reading
YouTube has (belatedly) enabled RSS feed uploads of audio podcasts. This awaited feature is important because YouTube is commonly cited in listener surveys as a preferred platform for consuming podcasts. RSS is the foundational anatomy of podcast distribution which makes hooked-up shows appear in all podcast listening apps. The announcement is plainly good news, eagerly awaited by the creator class. There is also uncertainty about details. Continue Reading
The iHeartPodcast Awards, formerly held independently in a Los Angeles performance venue, and simulcast online, will return on March 11 at the Fairmont Hotel in Austin. The event is revived via a partnership with the SXSW Conference and Festivals. Details. Continue Reading
The average cost per thousand (CPM) for podcast advertising remained essentially flat in December, about one dollar lower than the average rate in November. This from the monthly reckoning at AdvertiseCast. Click for graphs and multi-year high and low points. Continue Reading
by Steve Goldstein
In his latest guest column, Steve Goldstein observes that Americans listen to four hours of audio per day … and that metric has not changed for a decade. “Time spent is unmoving,” he says, “and so it begs the question: How can podcasting (or any audio sector) continue to grow listening in a seemingly static audio environment?” Steve details five recommendations. Continue Reading
2023 saw fewer new podcast launches than in each of the previous four years. The most recent year which produced fewer was 2018. New episode volume remains high, over four years. Click for numbers and charts.
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Audioboom released a few snapshot statistics for 2023, representing the scale of its consumption, sales, and podcaster payments. Citing an Edison Research metrics, UK-headquartered Audioboom observes that it is the fifth biggest podcast publisher in the U.S.A. Click for more numbers. Continue Reading
Acast released a handful of metrics resulting from a survey of U.S. podcast listeners. We learn about in-car listening, a comparison with audiobooks, and more. Continue Reading