RAIN Notes: Friday, December 1
— Transition (RAB)
— Turned Off (Spotify)
— Enough Is Enough (The Podcasting Playbook)
Spotify Wrapped 2023 launches, aspiring to an “unforgettable experience”
We have noted over several years that Spotify Wrapped has become a cultural touchpoint. Wrapped is both an individualized personal account of listening patterns for millions of users, and a global summary of trends and “top of” lists. It launched today. Click for details and two of its many lists.
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RAIN Notes: Thursday, November 30
— Backing Away (Spotify)
— It’s A Wrap (Edison Research)
— Discoveries (The New Yorker)
Apple reveals 2023 top podcasts, new podcasts, podcast episodes, most followed, most shared … and more mosts.
Apple showed off its podcasting influence with the 2023 edition of its podcast tabulations. Called “Apple shares the most popular podcasts of 2023,” the release explores many variations of popularity. Starting off, we learn that Crime Junkie was the top podcast… Continue Reading
Three brands dominate podcast ad spend; $48M in top-15 (Magellan AI, October)
In Magellan AI’s reckoning of the top podcast advertisers (by spend) in October, we see a lot of repetition from the previous months. Nine of the top 15 in the previous month of September landed on the October list again. BetterHelp was the top advertiser, continuing a long streak of supremacy. Click for more analysis and graphs. Continue Reading
Steve Goldstein: Podcasting’s Multiplatform Imperative
by Steve Goldstein
In his latest guest column, Steve Goldstein shares insights from students in his Business of Podcasting course at NYU. Most notably, these students consume podcasts in many venues, from Tik Tok to Spotify to YouTube. The lesson for podcasters? Keep students in mind. “For most podcasters, relying on a single platform for distribution is no longer sufficient.” Continue Reading
iHeartMedia will get $100-million in BMI sale. So will creators. Not everyone is thrilled.
The acquisition of performance rights organization BMI by New Mountain Capital, which transpired late last week, will put approximately $100-million of cash into iHeart’s balance sheet. Along with that, BMI announced that $100-million of post-sale proceeds will be distributed to music creators. There is some controversy. Continue Reading
The how, when, and where of UK audio listening (MIDAS report from RAJAR)
RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Limited) has released the fall 2023 edition of its MIDAS (Measurement of Internet Delivered Audio) Services metrics report. The 17-page document sweeps across the entire audio landscape in the UK. Click for metrics, graphs, and a download link. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Monday, November 27
— Pure Synth (Anna Indiana)
— Creating and Owning (Pacific Content)
— Unlocking Secrets (podpod)
Fewer words; better results. Quantifying the “Creative Standout” metric in audio advertising.
A new metric which gauges preeminence in audio advertising spotlights word density as an essential creative consideration. It’s called the Creative Standout score. Click for the explanation, graphics, and a study link. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Monday, November 20
Triton podcast ranker: NPR absent; downloads reduced by Apple changes
Triton Digital released its U.S. Podcast Ranker for October, measuring the top 100 podcasts measured by Triton’s service. As always, this ranker connects each of the 100 listed shows with its sales network. The top ten spots are nearly identical to the previous month, and six podcasts debuted on the list. Continue Reading