Podcasting

Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.

Amazon acquires podcast.com and podcasting.com

Posted on by Brad Hill

In a blockbuster domain acquisition which indicates strategic purpose, Amazon has acquired the domains podcast.com and podcsting.com, we learned from Podnews. The domains lead to the Audible landing page for podcasts. Audible does not distribute public podcasts via RSS, but it does create originals. This is a land grab by Amazon-owned Audible, and it seems like the company is creating a unique category definition and experience of audio storytelling. Continue Reading →

Sam Harris: Has the Pandemic Offered a Pathway to Kids’ Podcasts?

Posted on by Sam Harris

RAIN is delighted to introduce the first piece from guest columnist Sam Harris of Hook Research in the UK. In this inaugural column, Harris explores the state of the kids spoken word content market in the UK and contemplates the benefits for brands operating within it. Plenty of research and quotes here, plus an overview of the child-oriented podcast and audiobook markets. Continue Reading →

Acast adds keyword targeting to podcast advertising, citing the supremacy of context

Posted on by Brad Hill

If users search for online content based on keywords, why shouldn’t advertisers purchase marketing campaigns the same way? In fact, they can do that within Google’s ad ecosystem. Now, podcast advertisers have an avenue for keyword-based targeting within the Acast marketplace, according to an Acast announcement. The initiative is based on proprietary technology, and an interesting view of the future. Continue Reading →

Spreaker launches Campaign Manager, giving podcasters more direct control of ad trafficking

Posted on by Brad Hill

Podcast host and technology company Spreaker has launched the Spreaker Campaign Manager, a tool which allows podcasters to have a more direct relationship with advertisers while increasing the podcaster’s control over ad placement. It is geared to shows where advertisers are “knocking down your organization’s door to be included in your catalog of podcasts,” Spreaker says. Continue Reading →

IAB UK Podcast Upfronts 2020: Presentation summaries and videos

Posted on by Brad Hill

Following the U.S. Podcast Upfront a month ago, today the IAB UK produced its corresponding event. This post contains summaries and videos of the presentations. As in the U.S., the UK Upfronts transpired virtually. Presenters for this event were Acast, Audioboom, Bauer Media, DAX, Podfront, and Spotify. Following are the session summaries from the IAB UK website, and the complete video presentations. Click through to see it all, and link to the IAB UK. Continue Reading →

Bryan Barletta: Programmatic Advertising is the Hero Podcast Publishers Are Looking For

Posted on by Brad Hill

The latest Sounds Profitable column by Bryan Barletta explores, demystifies, and evangelizes programmatic audio advertising. Along the way he offers a much-needed review of the VASt standard, and explains why audio publishers love programmatic. Continue Reading →

Religion of Sports partners with PRX for distribution, monetization, and production

Posted on by Brad Hill

Media company Religion of Sports is affiliating with PRX to expand its podcast activity in 2021. PRX is announcing the multi-faceted collaboration today. Religion of Sports was founded by creator Gotham Chopra, six-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady, and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan. To date it has mainly been known for this video content. The idea here is to push deeper into podcasting next year. Continue Reading →

Nearly unchanging Podtrac top podcasts list illustrates why non-top podcasters want better discovery

Posted on by Brad Hill

Nothing succeeds like success, the saying goes, and podcasting is illustrating that maxim as much as any media category. Podtrac released its monthly Top Podcasts ranker (U.S. listening) for September. As with other recurring podcast rankers, this update shows stability in the 20-show cohort. Two shows which weren’t present in the previous month crept into the September list: How I Built This (#19) and TED Radio Hour (#20). In the top ten, only three shows shifted position, each by just one spot up or down. Click through for the whole list. Continue Reading →

AdLarge partners with boostr for digital audio order management and customer retention

Posted on by Brad Hill

AdLarge announces today that it has settled on boostr, the customer retention and order management platform for media companies. Boostr self-describes as “the only end-to-end revenue solution for ad sales organizations seeking to upgrade their systems and save money.” From AdLarge’s viewpoint, the point of the boostr alliance is to benefit advertisers. The company told RAIN News that it can now respond to RFP’s faster, create scale faster, and provide enhanced reporting. Continue Reading →

Jason Calacanis in Oxford Road podcast: “Skip the video.”

Posted on by Brad Hill

Podcast pioneer, A-list entrepreneur, and RAIN keynote speaker Jason Calacanis is guesting in the current episode of Oxford Road Presents The Divided States of Media. In it, he evangelizes audio and podcasting, while sketching a history of how his show (This Week in Startups) and the resources needed to produce it. It’s an interesting glimpse into one of the longest-running and successful audio/video podcast hybrids. Click through to hear the episode. Continue Reading →