RAIN Notes: Wednesday, May 3
— From Sirius to Soundrise (Eileen Bagshaw)
— Moving On (Mathew Passy)
— A Category for Every Podcast (People’s Choice Podcast Awards)
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Bleav Network joins Cumulus, adding huge library of sports shows
Self-described as “a sports and entertainment omnichannel production company,” Bleav owns over 500 podcasts covering all major sports, sports betting, and pop culture, and reaches over 50-million followers. In this news, the Cumulus Podcast Network will distribute, market, and monetize the catalog. Continue Reading
Podcast listening growth across all age demos at center of iHeartMedia report
The State of Podcasting 2023 is the ambitious title of a new iHeartMedia report. If the title reaches high, the data scale upwards too. The reach of podcasting, measured by daily listening. has soared upward for all age groups in timelines going back to 2015. There is also an interesting result when you put podcast listening next to Netflix subscriptions. Click for details, charts, and a download link. Continue Reading
Smart speaker ownership flattens, AM/FM radio thrives on it as in-home radio winnows
The recently released Cumulus Media 2023 Audioscape study offers a deep dive into podcasting, smart speakers, and the status of AM/FM radio in those relatively new home speakers. Click through for charts, and a link to the study. Continue Reading
YouTube unleashes podcasts in YouTube Music app
Today’s loudest buzz is about YouTube music, which has enabled podcast listening. The extension of RSS-driven podcast listening to YouTube Music enables web-based YouTube users to continue a partially heard podcast on one platform, to the other. Some users (and we) have uncovered gaps in the podfolio. Despite that, we find the YT Music podcatcher works essentially as in Google Podcasts. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Thursday, April 27
— A Question of Disruption (Music Tectonics)
— Knowledge Plus (Passionfroot)
— Mom Trends (Edison Research)
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Russ Crupnick: Does SirisuXM Deserve More Respect?
Russ Crupnick of MusicWatch returns to RAIN News with a bold and well researched assessment of SiriusXM, reaching a broad conclusion that the satellite/streaming service is underestimated after a challenging Q1 earnings call. Original research from MusicWatch bolsters the argument, in addition to several keen business-side observations from Russ. A thorough assessment and a good read. Continue Reading
Spotify Q1 2023 earnings: Podcasting and new categories
After Spotify’s Q1 earnings report this week, we review the company’s responses to investor questions about podcasting and future new audio categories. Continue Reading
Spotify Q1 2023 earnings: The financials
Publicly traded Spotify held its Q1 earnings report this week. As of the first quarter, Spotify serves more than a half-billion total users, of which over 200-million are paying subscribers to the Premium tier. In this post we look at the finances. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Tuesday, April 25
— Millions of Reasons (Westwood One)
— The Opportunity (Coleman Insights)
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Acast targets audience segments with new advertising platform feature
Global podcast company Acast is announcing a new podcast audience targeting capability, enhancing the value of its self-serve ad platform. Called Audience Segments, the feature enables marketers to address audiences defined by characteristics such as Business Leaders, High Income Earners, Tech Enthusiasts, Travelers, Parents, and Pet Owners. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Monday, April 24