Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
Checking the U.S. Weekly Podcast Download Growth chart from Podtrac, we see that downloads last week were up over three percent from the previous week, which brought the year-long trendline up to 54% growth year-over-year. Click for the visuals. Continue Reading
Apple top-10 charter and NPR hit How I Built This with Guy Roz has been licensed by Amazon Music subsidiary Wondery for semi-exclusive distribution. Wondery and Amazon get the show exclusively for a week, and also enjoy exclusive ad-repping. NPR continues to underwrite. Click for details. Continue Reading
Sweden-HQ’d global podcast company Acast released Q4 and full-year 2021 finances today. For the first time, Acast shows registered a billion listens in a single quarter. Full-year listening reached 3.7-billion plays. Click for finance details. Continue Reading
“We’re really pleased with Stitcher where we’re at right now,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer. He and his executive colleagues bragged about Stitcher’s shows and the placements on “best of” lists in the past year. Additionally, the call noted a synergy of content, marketing, and sales which, Greenstein said, would attract new podcasting talent to Stitcher. Click for more, including an interesting bit about semiconductor shortages. Continue Reading
Leaping into the moment, Canadian research firm Signal Hill Insights has produced a survey study of consumer reaction to the controversy swirling around Spotify’s distribution ownership of The Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan’s wide-ranging interview show is possibly the most successful podcast in the world. Signal Hill dashed into the field for survey work on February 2 and 3. One fulcrum of opinion lies on the American-Canadian border. Click for findings. Continue Reading
In the beautifully produced (virtual only) iHeartRadio Podcast Awards, You’re Wrong About won the Podcast of the Year prize. It is produced by journalist Sarah Marshall, who partners with guests to reconsider a person or event that’s been miscast in the public imagination. Click for competing nominees with their publishers and number of episodes. Also a link to catch-up watch. Continue Reading
Spotify released quarterly earnings last night. In the investor call, the Q&A session began as many observers probably guessed it would: “Our first question today is going to come from Rich Greenfield on Joe Rogan.” CEO Daniel Ek treated it as a non-emergency, with careful answers. Meanwhile, podcasting contributed to higher gross margins. Continue Reading
Spotigate? Roganomics? Today we learn that Spotify and its headline podcaster Joe Rogan are maneuvering to get in front of apparent accelerating damage resulting from a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience which created public outcry over statements about Covid vaccines. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek clarified and disclosed; Rogan apologized and promised. Click for more. Continue Reading
The latest turn in the Neil Young vs. Joe Rogan drama on Spotify shifted from a musician to a star podcaster on Saturday afternoon when Dr. Brene Brown announced on Twitter that she would cease production on her two Spotify-exclusive podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead. Continue Reading
Podcast.co, a UK-based hosting and production house, has expanded its work for brands, and separated the business with a distinct name and website destination: Cue. The new division specializes in interview shows, and factual narrative podcasts.
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Podcast database company Podchaser is announcing a new integration with Audacy, the 2nd largest U.S. commercial radio group and owner of podcast production brands Cadence13 and Pineapple Street Studios. The partnership is geared to providing additional value to Audacy clients and ad agencies. Continue Reading
RAIN News will be inaugurating the RAIN Podcast Business Lunch next Wednesday, February 2. The weekly lunchtime series of appointment viewing will be inaugurated by Tom Webster, SVP at Edison Research, and one of the world’s most honored and respected voices in podcasting and online audio. Click for details and FREE registration. Continue Reading