Comprehensive coverage of the podcasting industry and its business ecosystem.
Audioboom released information about its finances for the first half of 2020 in a blog post. The document, signed by CEO Stuart Last, contains the main bullet points at the top, followed by interesting discussions of various aspects of the podcast industry, COVID-19, Audioboom’s partnerships, and more finances at the bottom. Revenue increased 20% year-over-year. EBIDTA loss was trimmed. Continue Reading
In a two-way press release from Westwood One, Magellan AI is announcing an expansion of its podcast insights service. Westwood One, already a subscriber, is expanding its buy-in to take advantage of the broader service. The company’s scope covers 22,000 podcasts and millions of ads. Continue Reading
Acast is announcing the Acast Marketplace Virtual Storefront. It is a self-service campaign planning tool which gives advertisers and agency buyers a way to browse podcasts and their targeting characteristics, before engaging the Acast sales team. The Virtual Storefront gives the buyer more hands-on control than previously. Click through for a screenshot. Continue Reading
Pod Drop features new and returning podcasts. Today — A TV show history involving the whole cast, how historical figures dealt with epidemics, and a show about forgiveness. Continue Reading
Spotify knows a magnetic star when it sees one. Last month, Joe Rogan. today, Michelle Obama. The audio platform has signed the former First Lady and memoir author for a conversational podcast that promises real-life inspiration. In the trailer (listen below) Obama plans to speak with members of her inner circle to start, then expand outward. Click through to hear the trailer. Continue Reading
UK-based podcast network Audioboom is announcing today the acquisition of three existing podcasts, and the renewal of two others already in the network. Audioboom claims a premium network of 250 podcasts. The company also produces the Audioboom Originals Network. Continue Reading
Through its parent company Triton Digital, Omny Studio announced today the launch of secure distribution of podcasts. Systems like this enable podcasters to separate some content from the main feed. Access to the private content can be regulated by subscription payment or some other premium system. The typical secure distribution model is creating ad-free episodes for paid subscription listening. Continue Reading
Spotify has offered podcast recommendation lists for a long time. today comes the announcement that the mobile apps (Android and iOS) now feature numbered lists — podcast rankings. The two flagship charts are Top Podcasts and Trending Podcasts — nothing innovative there, as other charting apps do the same. Click through for our experience prowling through the charts. Continue Reading
In the wake of SiriusXM’s acquisition of podcast hosting and tech company Simplecast, RAIN is pleased to announce that CEO Brad Smith will speak at the Global Podcast Leadership Summit, a ZOOM event, on July 29. Smith will speak with Anne Frisbie, SVP of Global Supply & Partnerships at ad-tech company AdsWizz, in a session titled The Evolution of Podcast Content: From Creation to Monetization. Continue Reading
Podcast listening app Pocket Casts has filled the CEO position that was exited by predecessor Owen Grover in march, with the hiring o f John W. Gibbons. Gibbons brings with him more than 20 years of experience in digital media and entertainment with globally recognized brands. Most recently, he served as a Principal at Atom Tickets as well as a strategic advisor to Podchaser and Props Project. Continue Reading
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released its annual Podcast Advertising Revenue Study for 2019. It contains last year’s metrics and projections for full-year 2020. COVID-19 is built into the forecast research. $1B annual revenue is in sight, though projections have slowed down that track. Host-read ads still dominate. So do direct-to-consumer ads. Click through for much more. Continue Reading
Pod Drop features new and returning podcasts. Today — A guru who’s also a convicted felon; a series about addiction; and unusual stories tracked down by CNN. Continue Reading