Podtrac Top 2020 podcasts: Two-list comparison

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

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

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

iHeartRadio Podcast Awards 2021 (virtual) — all the nominees here

iHeartRadio announces today that its Podcast Awards program will continue in 2021, in a virtual format. In past years the January event was staged at the iHeartRadio Theater in Burbank, CA. The 2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards will be on January 21, streamed on iHeart’s Facebook and YouTube locations, the iHeartRadio app (naturally), and broadcast or streamed on some iHeartMedia radio stations and virtual sites. Click through for a complete list of categories and finalists. Continue Reading

Bill Rosenblatt: The Axis Collision of Amazon Possibly Acquiring Wondery

by Bill Rosenblatt
Guest columnist Bill Rosenblatt speculates a podcast world in which Amazon has acquired Wondery, fulfilling that rumor. A certain bifurcation would become evident in that scenario, pitching an Amazon/Spotify axis pushing for exclusivity of content, and an iHeartRadio/NPR axis pushing for ad revenue. A must-read column. Continue Reading

As podcasts run more ads, listener attidues remain mostly favorable (Edison Research)

In a new study from Edison Research, supported by content and sales network PodcastOne, and digital ad ad rep firm Ad Results Media, podcast “Super Listeners” were queried about their feelings about, and responses to, podcast advertising. The results are mostly favorable, with year-over-year rises in key favorability answers compared to a year-ago survey. Click through for details. Continue Reading

Podtrac Top Podcasts for November: Nothing new; slight shuffling

File this under “Nothing new under the sun.” Or, “Nothing succeeds like success.” Or, wow, podcasting is like every other media category. In the November edition of Podtrac’s Top Podcasts industry ranking, not a single new show entered the list from October. In October, three new shows came in, a reasonable 15% turnover. The top four slots remained resolutely unchanged. Click through for the list. Continue Reading

Magellan AI releases October Movers and Shakers. Geely (which owns Volvo) on top.

Magellan AI has released the October edition of the company’s Top Movers and Shakers list, a monthly survey of podcast advertisers which have increased their month-over-month spend the most. October’s top mover/shaker is Geely. Who? Magellan explains that Geely is the parent company of Volvo. Geely spent about $2.1-million in October, nearly a $2-million increase over September. Click through for more details. Continue Reading

Dan Misener: I analyzed 20 million Apple Podcasts star ratings. Here’s what I learned.

by Dan Misener
“Leave us a five-star review!” — the plea of podcasters everywhere. How well does that work? Pacific Content’s head of audience development offers another fascinating research project in which he dives deep into star ratings, breaking out where they are concentrated. You’ll be surprised. Click through. Continue Reading