Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
Serial entrepreneur Brad Smith, who founded podcast hosting platform Simplecast, has been named Head of Podcast Products for SiriusXM, effective immediately, the company tells RAIN. Smith will manage a team responsible for SiriusXM’s podcast product strategy across all of its owned platforms – including SiriusXM, Pandora, and Stitcher. Continue Reading
The second and final day of the IAB Fall Podcast Upfront featured video presentations, podcast hosts, metrics, conversations about technology, and a clear winner of RAIN’s informal “win the funny” prize. Click for very detailed coverage. Continue Reading
by Jeff Vidler
New opportunities for audio are capturing the attention of advertisers. But is audio advertising coming from new sources, or being moved around from one type of audio to another? Guest columnist and Signal Hill Insights President Jeff Vidler discusses how the audio industry is selling audio short. This is a manifesto, and a clear commitment for his company. A must read. Continue Reading
The first day of the two-day fall IAB Podcast Upfront occurred today, in a packed four-hour series of 10 presentations. The event, formerly annual and now a twice-a-year, spring-fall occurrence, showcases podcast networks to audio advertising buyers. Click for detailed coverage. Continue Reading
Slate has made an interesting partnership between its podcast division and Pocket, the Mozilla-built app which offers topical reading collections. Slate will put podcast-specific reading collections onto Pocket. The project is called “Stories Behind the Podcast.” We like how it crosses over media categories and broadens the podcast experience. Continue Reading
U.S. Podcast listeners exceed national medians in several categories which advertisers value, such as employment, income, and education. These just-released numbers come from Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard on the Westwood One blog. “The podcast audience profile is exceptionally attractive,” Bouvard writes. Continue Reading
In an example of podcasting’s growing allure across media categories, the film and television documentary studio XTR has opened a podcast division, and is announcing its first production. The new division is called Radio XTR — an interesting call-back to broadcast for a new media outfit. Continue Reading
Marbyl, a nascent podcast discovery solution created by audio startup Tree Goat Media, seeks to solve a particular problem: Topics people want are buried inside of long listening experiences. The AI-powered app promises to surface and socialize topics within podcast conversations, broadening audiences and facilitating surprising new discoveries. Click through for much more about how it works, illustrations, and how the founders plan to monetize. Continue Reading
CNN has released info about its new podcast season, which includes five new CNN Originals. Chief political correspondent Dana Bash and chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward helm new shows. Click for details. Continue Reading
Toronto-based Frequency Podcast Network, owned by Rogers Radio, has released a slate of new and returning 2021 podcasts for fall release. The schedule includes nine shows. Frequency was created by Rogers in mid-2018, with a single show: The Big Story, a daily show breaking down a single news story. Click through for show descriptions. Continue Reading
Three of Spotify’s top five podcasts of the summer are exclusives to the platform. The other two are also top entries in Apple’s chart and Edison Research’s consumer survey. Continue Reading
A new regional podcast awards program has opened — this one for New Zealand podcasters living anywhere. An open nominations process leads to expert judging and a “Listeners’ Choice” segment. Click for nominating link. Continue Reading