Podcasting

Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.

Podcast Taxonomy Consortium seeks to standardize creative roles in broad industry effort

Posted on by Brad Hill

A venture called the Podcast Taxonomy Consortium, which consolidated and formulated its key product through the second half of 2020, has  come into public this week. The output is a whitepaper called Podcast Taxonomy which establishes and defines creative roles in podcasting. The effort certainly is broadly collaborative, with a working group that spans across 39 organizations and 53 individuals. Click through for the basic taxonomy the group has developed, and links to more info. Continue Reading →

Podspec: Which show has the most episodes in Apple’s top 200 Episodes in Comedy? (Hint: Is it smart?)

Posted on by Brad Hill

There are many ways to measure a hit podcast. Audience reach. Downloads. Number of reviews. Star rating. Another is to observe how persistent the back catalog is in charts. We looked at Apple’s top-200 Episodes chart in the U.S., in the Comedy category — with a goal of discovering which shows hold the most chart placements. Click through for the results. Continue Reading →

Bank of America, McDonald’s lead increased podcast spend in November (Magellan AI)

Posted on by Brad Hill

Podcast advertising intelligence company Magellan AI released its “Spenders, Movers & Shakers” list for November. Bank of America and McDonald’s take the #1 and #2 spots for increased podcast ad spending. Bank of America jumped from $128,000 in October to 1.9-million in November. Mcdonald’s jumped from $174,000 to $1.7-million. Click through for context and the full list. Continue Reading →

Jeff Umbro: Staring Down the Barrel of 2020 (Podcast Lists)

Posted on by Jeff Umbro

by Jeff Umbro

In this week’s column, Podglomerate CEO Jeff Umbro unleashes an epic list of lists — 32 media brands which released end-of-year “best podcasts of 2020” roundups. From Esquire to Vanity Fair. From Town & Country to Teen Vogue. Dive in now; thank Jeff later. (Or blame him; your choice.) Continue Reading →

Spotify signs Meghan Markle & Prince Harry in exclusive podcast production

Posted on by Brad Hill

The Spotify podcast deal-making dreadnought sails on, now signing the ex-royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to an exclusive production arrangement. The model seems to be taken from the Spotify/Obamas deal which tied a new production company, Higher Ground, to Spotify (not an equity acquisition). Likewise, Harry and Meghan have fashioned a production company called Archewell Audio. Click through for details and a trailer. Continue Reading →

Steve Goldstein: Previously Audio was on Nobody’s Radar – In 2020 it was on Everyone’s Radar

Posted on by Steve Goldstein

by Steve Goldstein
In this year-in-review guest column, Steve Goldstein ruminates on audio’s growth from outdated also-ran in the media universe, to an essential component of the media mix. And the audio story is more than just Spotify and SiriusXM. Continue Reading →

Podtrac Top 2020 podcasts: Two-list comparison

Posted on by Brad Hill

Podtrac released its Top 25 New Podcasts of 2020 list. The release follows an earlier reckoning at the end of Q3 — an intermediary list. We compare the two for a look at which podcasts (six of them) were added in the two months which separate the two list measurements. Click through for the graphic. also — the network power of Wondery and iHeartRadio is on display. Continue Reading →

IAB Podcast Upfront shifts to May in 2021, closer to the video NewFronts

Posted on by Brad Hill

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced that the annual Podcast Upfront, a fall event in past years (September in 2020), is moving to the week of May 10 in 2021. The idea is to get it closer to the IAB NewFronts (week of May 3), the video counterpart to the podcasting event, “to enable marketers to evaluate their omni-channel investments in an increasingly holistic way.” Continue Reading →

Jeff Umbro: Courses, Webinars, and Learning Opportunities

Posted on by Jeff Umbro

by Jeff Umbro

In this week’s column, Podglomerate CEO Jeff Umbro covers key podcast news items from the past week. In this edition, a rundown of four online courses and webinars for getting a better understanding of podcasting issues and skills. Also — Sirius XM and Howard Stern. Continue Reading →