Multiverses and influences: Acast Podcast Pulse study is released

Podcasting powerhouse Acast has partnered with Edison Research in a study called Podcast Pulse, supported by global agency Dentsu. Based on surveys of podcast listeners, this work is motivated by the perception that podcasting is shifting, especially on the listener side. Targeted to advertisers, this large, deeply researched, beautifully presented study advocates for a broader perception of podcasting and its listeners. Continue Reading

October podcast production continues 2024 dip (Listen Notes)

New podcast production skidded downward in October, establishing the sixth month trend of desultory trending. To be clear: Although no firm direction is established, the output  level of new podcasts is drawing a fairly stable line, as production seems to be settling after a January peak and gradual lessening during the year. Click for graphs. Continue Reading

UMG sues Warner-owned Believe, parent of TuneCore, claiming infringement

Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s largest record company, has sued Believe, the global distributor of music recordins. Believe is also the parent company of leading music distributor TuneCore, which is a popular on-ramp for indie musicians putting their music into global streaming platforms. Click for quotes and link to the court document. Continue Reading

SiriusXM Q3 earnings: Slippage in revenue comps and the sweep of history

SiriusXM released its Q3 finance report, announcing $2.17 billion in third-quarter revenue, and $93M in free cash flow. Digging into the weeds of the publicly available comparative income sheet going back nearly five years, we see small percentages of revenue drops. Charting backwards over three decades, we see the broad sweep of audio pre- and post-digital. Continue Reading

Acast chooses Barometer for latest brand safety effort

Acast announces that it has formed a partnership with brand safety, suitability, and planning service Barometer. The news is targeted to podcast advertisers, with a promise to navigate risk, discover new content, and measure campaign performance. Initiatives like this reassure advertisers that podcast advertising (still rather a new kid on the block for some advertisers) can be as trustworthy and exacting as longer established media categories. Click for more.

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