Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
We see a continuing trend developing in the monthly podcast metrics published by Listen Notes. As was the case last month, June’s new podcast launches dropped from the previous month, showing the lowest new-show production in a year. Click for more info and graphs. Continue Reading
Sounds Profitable has released a data+interview report (The Podcast Opportunity) which explores buyer perceptions of podcast advertising. With a rich mix of survey data and qualitative interviews with agencies and brands, this project delivers a holistic understanding of podcast advertiser habits, preferences, and perceptions. Click for a sample of survey results, some quotes, and the download link. Continue Reading
Global podcast juggernaut Audioboom has released a “Trading Update” [get it HERE] in which the company cites challenging advertising markets while lowering revenue expectations. The company’s first-half 2023 earnings report is scheduled for mid-July. “The operational KPIs of the… Continue Reading
Acast sent us a fascinating piece of survey work that questioned podcast listeners about their sentiment toward AI influencing podcasts in over 20 ways. The broad takeaway is approval by listeners for AI in the production process. That approval slants toward technical improvements, with lower levels of acceptance of content manipulations. Click for the interesting details. Continue Reading
In a sad but arguably predictable action, Sirius XM announces it will shut down the Stitcher podcast app in August. Founded in 2008, Stitcher is a venerable brand in the renaissance of podcasting. Existing Stitcher registered users will be shifted to the Sirius XM platform. The decision might have a brand maintenance aspect as well. Click for details. Continue Reading
In a notable piece of dealmaking, LibSyn has acquired the podcast ad-monetization business for This Week in Tech (TWiT), one of the most venerable podcast networks. TWiT was founded by tech/podcast celebrity Leo Laporte in 2005, and was one of the world’s first all-tech podcast networks. AdvertiseCast will use its Automatic Ads solution to dynamically fill TWiT’s unsold inventory. Click for more detail.
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AdLarge, an independent ad sales company which connects all kinds of audio publishers with brands, and brands to audiences, has launched AdLarge Labs. The company describes the new venture as “a digital accelerator program to market, monetize, and maximize opportunities for podcast creators.” It is open to all creators and networks. Click for details and key to the waitlist. Continue Reading
In Nielsen’s recently released Audio Today 2023 bundle of research, we are not surprised to learn that AM/FM listening remains top of the time-spent audio sources. Among all U.S. adults 18 years and older, radio reaches 91% percent. The domination is decisive. Click for graphs. Continue Reading
by Steve Goldstein
In his latest guest column, Steve Goldstein makes this observation: “Podcast monetization and the concentration of dollars chasing a relatively small number of shows is a big problem for our industry.” In a powerful interview with Christiana Brenton, Acast’s U.S. Head of Sales and Brand Partnerships, these two experts discuss the revenue concentration in podcasting: According to Edison Research, advertisers can reach half of all weekly listeners with just 44 podcasts. Steve calls this “a frightening stat and a systemic problem.” Christiana Brenton calls this “an inflection point” for ensuring a sustainable long-term medium. A must-read. Continue Reading
Edison Research interviews 1,003 Gen Z respondents (13-24) in the U.S. to field the Gen Z Podcast Report 2023. The effort is sponsored by SXM Media, and we covered the teaser report from SXM a couple of weeks ago (here). Now, Edison releases the full detail — 45 pages of Z-specific metrics around podcast listening, discovery, acceptance of advertising, and more. Continue Reading
A quick glance at the interactive version of Triton Digital’s US Podcast Report for May (more exactly, May 1-28) shows two notables — in a mostly stable ranking one network (NPR) and one podcast (CounterClock) stand out. However, the top 100 podcasts remain identical (with minor position jumping) as the previous month. Click for details and links. Continue Reading
An annual research study jointly conducted by Reuters Institute and Oxford University reveals the stability of news podcasts, and shapes the profile of the category listeners. A project of extraordinary reach, this survey examines frequency of use, country-level comparisons, top ten rankers, and much more. This is a global research project, and the PDF delivers 160 pages of country-specific results. Click for samples, graphs, and links to an executive summary and the entire study (160-page PDF). Continue Reading