Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
Week-over-week podcast downloads were nearly flat in Podtrac’s just-released weekly report. The longer year-over-year view shows 45%+ increase in downloads. Click through for charts. Continue Reading
CUMULUS MEDIA’s Westwood One today announced a partnership with Rolling Stone to market and distribute their podcasts Useful Idiots with Matt Taibbi and Katie Halper, and Rolling Stone Music Now. The agreement includes the back catalogue in addition to future episodes. Continue Reading
After Spotify’s Q3 earnings call this week, SPOT stock demonstrated investor unhappiness with some aspects of the financial performance, along with a wider midweek market downturn. This post digs into the call details to uncover several key points related to content metrics, audience size, and podcast strategy. Click through for some interesting metrics. Continue Reading
In one of its most imaginative studies to date, Magellan AI has released data showing how the two main party presidential campaigns have used podcast marketing. The quick summary is that both campaigns have advertised in podcasts, but on different schedules and in different ways. Click through for details and graphics. Continue Reading
Podcast Radio, the all-digital, all-podcast radio station heard in London, Surrey, Manchester, and Glasgow, has partnered with Curiouscast, the Canadian podcast network and part of the Corus Entertainment Network. A selection of Curiouscast episodes will be inserted into Podcast Radio’s rotation. U.S. listeners can hear Podcast Radio, too. Continue Reading
by Jeff Umbro
In this week’s column, Podglomerate CEO Jeff Umbro returns from a four-week hiatus with a review of podcast news from near and far. Also, his favorite pods of the moment. Continue Reading
Three executives have teamed up to launch an agency which will create branded podcasts and branded events, sometimes in combination. Called Amaze Media Labs, the company’s purpose is to connect brands to their audiences “in authentic and meaningful ways.” There will be a specialty on virtual events at first, with the company looking forward to a resumption of in-person gatherings. The founding team comes from big business, not from podcast production or publishing. Continue Reading
Nielsen is justifiably bragging today that is has signed NPR, one of the world’s most powerful podcast publishers, to Nielsen Podcast Buying Power, an insight service which matches genres to consumer purchase behavior patterns. The service is founded on the big Nielsen Scarborough database of consumer survey information. Continue Reading
Podcast management and monetization platform Sounder is announcing today an alliance with Triton Digital to bring dynamically inserted ads to Sounder-hosted podcasts. The integration reportedly makes it easy for podcasters to bring revenue to their entire catalogs via audience-targeted ads. Continue Reading
Though some observers would wish that subscription-based exclusive podcast services would cease and vanish, neither is happening. The latest? Quake Media which announces its launch, funded by Wndrco and “a few other” undisclosed individuals. The roll-out content is verticalized as a news & politics destination, with six podcasts hosted by recognized news anchors. Five bucks a month to listen. Click through for details. Continue Reading
Podcast attribution company Podsights has released a Conversion Benchmarks report (download HERE) that shines lights onto key factors in a successful podcast advertising campaign. In addition, a hefty appendix section illuminates parts of the anatomy of the podcast ad business. Click through for tons of detail, graphics, and a download link. Continue Reading
In an Instagram video, Joe Rogan — the world’s most successful podcaster, by consensus and most measurement — announced that a member of his production staff has tested positive for Covid. Production of The Joe Rogan Experience is halted indefinitely. Rogan speculates “deep into next week” before the show resumes. Continue Reading