iHeartMedia is breaking news about the audio behemoth’s new partnership with business-oriented social media platform LinkedIn. Broadly, the agreement intends to support creators produce, launch, and scale podcasts.
From iHeart’s perspective, the goal is to pair its infrastructure and distribution capabilities with LinkedIn’s global community. The social site serves 930-million members, a substantial addressable audience for a partnership. LinkedIn also offers spaces for individuals and groups to continue a conversation around a podcast or series, making podcast consumption more engaged and communal.
iHeart sent us the key elements of this announcement:
- Launching New Podcasts: LinkedIn and iHeartMedia will collaborate to produce new shows for the LinkedIn Podcast Network powered by iHeartPodcasts, offering new, compelling content to professionals looking for ideas, insights, and inspiration they need to get ahead in their careers. iHeartMedia will monetize these new podcasts, connecting brands to important conversations in the professional space.
- Collaborating with Leading Industry Podcasters: LinkedIn and iHeartMedia will partner to license leading business and B2B podcasts, offering a differentiated promotional playbook to help them grow and monetize their content.
- Enhancing Resources for Emerging Podcasters: LinkedIn and iHeartMedia are teaming up to offer new resources for niche and emerging business podcasters. With this partnership, qualifying podcasters will gain streamlined access to LinkedIn’s tools, best practices, and coaching, and to iHeart’s hosting, distribution, monetization services, while receiving co-branding opportunities from the LinkedIn Podcast Network and iHeartMedia.
Courtney Coupe, Head of Original Programming at LinkedIn, said, “We are excited to partner with iHeartMedia to bring a new level of connection and conversation to the podcast space. Whether it’s around negotiation, the latest disruption in tech, or job seeking, our members have shown us they are hungry to listen and discuss these professional topics. By combining the scale of LinkedIn’s professional platform and iHeart’s reach and resources, we can offer podcasters a truly unique experience and build the communities and conversations that we know our members crave.”
Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group, said, “iHeartMedia is thrilled to team up with LinkedIn to help propel professional conversations through the podcast space. The combination of our vast reach and industry resources and expertise with LinkedIn’s professional network will allow us to bring a new level of innovation and growth to the communities’ business creators care about most.”
