Jottings of note:
The State of Audio
Edison Research, the preeminent audio consumer research organization, has released a book containing some of its most meaningful data results of 2023. Called Sound Data; The State of Audio in 50 Charts, it contains selected slides from Edison’s The Infinite Dial, Share of Ear, Edison Podcast Metrics, and custom reports. The included charts are selected to portray how consumers experience audio today, and each chart is accompanied by substantial explanatory text. We love our copy, and think you should have one, too. The book is available HERE, and the $37.99 price is justified with sturdy semi-gloss pages that feel indestructible.
AI voice agreement
Professor and media/technology thought leader Shelly Palmer informs us that actor’s union SAG-AFTRA has made a licensing agreement with Replica, a voice cloning and AI voice acting platform. The deal allows SAG-AFTRA actors to license their voices for use in video games. The union terms of licensing include requiring studios to pay and obtain consent for AI voices likenesses. “Key aspects of the deal include minimum rates, secure storage, transparency, and limitations on usage without further payment and consent,” Palmer informs us. But the deal does not cover the use of voice replicas in training large language models (LLMs). The announcement was made at CES, where artificial intelligence is a key topic this week.
New Partner
Public media organization PRX today announced a new podcast collaboration to distribute Condé Nast’s podcasts across all listening platforms. Condé Nast’s shows are in categories of news, narrative storytelling, fashion, food, politics, travel, technology, media, music, and investigative journalism. PRX promises to unlock new revenue opportunities. “PRX has had an enormously positive impact on the development of the audio industry, and it has long supported original work by some of the most creative people in podcasting,” said Condé Nast’s Head of Global Audio, Chris Bannon. PRX also partners with TED, PBS, the Smithsonian, and Radiotopia.
January 10, 2024
