Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
Podcast giant Acast has landed a sales representation agreement with The Athletic, a sports content powerhouse which operates a podcast stable of 35 shows. As a content brand across podcasts and other editorial facets, The Athletic serves over five million subscribers.
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A key metric: 85% of podcast consumers say a podcast can be audio or video. That number has been growing for years. In this edition of Steve Goldstein’s guest column, we learn that 77% of podcast listeners alternate between video and audio. “Video is a significant and growing force, especially with younger audiences.” And YouTube dominates podcast discovery. But there is a head-snapping surprise in this piece, and it’s about smart TV consumption. Continue Reading
That’s the year, not the number of categories. It’s 20 categories, ranging from Advice to TV, and much in between. Small indie productions rub shoulders with household names in audio. Continue Reading
Keep what’s good; change what’s wrong. That’s the message of a 21-page research manifesto produced by podcast ad agency Oxford Road with data from Edison Research. The premise? “Podcasting has reached a pivotal moment where its next phase of growth depends on how clearly we define and measure it.” A densely packed, powerfully informed rumination follows, and solutions. We extract key points and link to the full presentation. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia, which never fails to remind its press contacts that it is “the No. 1 podcast network globally according to Podtrac,” is dropping news of a dramatic expansion of its global podcast presence. iHeart is partnering with Mammoth Media Asia to create and launch a slate of shows targeted “across the region” in Asia. It’s a cross-continental effort based on APAC’s potential for growth. Click for details.
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In his latest guest column, Steve Goldstein shares findings from The State of Video Podcasting 2025, a landmark study by Coleman Insights and Amplifi Media. Continue Reading
ABC News, known in podcasting for its morning show Start Here and others, is reported to shift its overall podcast strategy to the TrueCrime genre. ABC’s current flagship morning news podcast, Start Here, hosted by Brad Mielke, is an important lynchpin in the new endeavor. RAIN News has confirmed that Mielke will continue with Start Here, while also expanding to a weekend edition called Start Here Weekend. Continue Reading
The annual iHeartPodcast Awards celebration happened las night (March 10) at SXSW in Austin. The recorded ceremony will be broadcast tonight (March 11) on AXS TV at 8pm ET. SPOILER ALERT: This post contains complete winner information. Continue Reading
New podcast production took a substantial step downward in February, compared to the same month a year ago. And in the month-over-month view, January-February represents the biggest single-month drop of the 12-month period. A macro view of new podcasts per year shows the Covid-era surge followed by a return to normal. Continue Reading
Prominent podcast studio Wondery is trimming staff, but details are not in focus. The story broke in Reuters, which quotes an unnamed source estimating the scope of the action as “dozens and dozens.” Amazon’s public remarks refer to a small number of jobs. Continue Reading
RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research), the radio/audio measurement organization of the UK, released its Winter 2024 MIDAS report. It is designed to “provide context and insight into how, when, and where audio content is being consumed.” The mission is to show and quantify how listeners are embracing the multi-platform and multi-device offering, as well as how on-demand audio is contributing to listening behaviour. The report also reveals consumer location and behavior while listening, how listening happens in groups, and how audio makes listeners feel. Click for detailed coverage and download link.
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In a new data release from Sounds Profitable, a meticulous analysis of self-described listener behavior seeks to understand the listening habits and preferences of people who listen to News podcasts. Called The News Podcast Consumer, it is part of an ongoing study. Click for details and source link. Continue Reading