Google Podcasts creator program begins new year of accelerator training and funding

PRX, Google’s partner in the Google Podcasts creator program, is announcing a new year of the accelerator, training, and funding program that was first formed in October, 2018. The program’s mission is to provide a global audio community with open resources, empower underrepresented voices, and showcase new work. The 2020 focus differs from 2019. Continue Reading

Cadence13 to start C13Features Podcast Studio, for movie-style audio productions

Entercom-owned Cadence13 is distributing an announcement of a new production segment called C13 Features — a podcast studio for single-episode, movie-length, original fiction audio shows. The company says each production will be “similar to a movie arc, creatively produced and developed for the theater of the mind.” Endeavor Content has an exclusive development role in the venture. Continue Reading

“What was that promo code again?” Spotify testing a universal answer

Spotify, the global audio listening platform which is grabbing chunks of the podcast industry through acquisition, is also applying its customary tech chops to improving advertising effectiveness … while making life a little bit smoother for discount-minded consumers. The prospective feature is called “In-App Offers,” and is basically a link on a podcast’s show page which leads to an advertiser’s discounted offering. Tap through for details. Continue Reading

The Podcast Academy setting up as the Academy Awards of podcasting

In a kickoff webinar, The Podcast Academy publicly articulated its structure, goals, and membership details for the first time. The online event was hosted by Executive Director Michele Cobb (Forte Business Consulting) and Chairperson Rob Greenlee (Libsyn). After a brief introduction, most of the session was devoted to Q&A with attendees. Click through for details. Continue Reading

IAB Projects strong podcast spend in H2; also forecasts radio

In this time of flux, defined by COVID uncertainty, upheaval in the streets, and an upcoming US presidential election, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a study in which ad buyers were surveyed about their expected allocations in the second half of 2020. Podcasting fares well, and terrestrial radio fares better than other traditional categories. Continue Reading

SiriusXM buys Simplecast, pairs it with AdsWizz and connects it to Pandora

SiriusXM is hitting the nets this morning with a smart acquisition. The satellite radio and digital audio holding company is buying podcast host Simplecast. That’s the short story. The bigger picture is a full-on podcast distribution and monetization system for podcast creators at all levels. Continue Reading