The leading audio production trade group in the UK is petitioning the government to give tax relief to podcast production houses, following precedents in the movie, animation, children’s TV, videogames, theater, museum exhibition, and orchestra businesses. The idea is to reduce corporate taxes applied to podcast and audiobook production that meets certain criteria. Continue Reading
In an interesting piece of technology development, Audioboom introduced AdRip, a tool which removes host-read commercials from old episodes, creating a new ad break into which timely marketing can be inserted. The company says that 50% of downloads are from back catalogs. Continue Reading
Newsweek has formally launched its first podcast, a current events show called The Debate. This podcast actually dropped its first episode on April 20, with little or no publicity, in what the company’s PR describes as an experimental phase. The show springs from a magazine feature. Continue Reading
Over one-third of Australians 12 years and older own a smart speaker. And Google is the dominant operating system, with 24% of Australians owning a Google device, and only 3% owning an Amazon speaker. These metrics from The Smart Audio Report Australia, from Edison Research, CRA, and TalkVia. Click for much more and graphics. Continue Reading
In 2019, 335,000 new podcasts were created, according to Listen Notes. As of today, 513,000 podcasts have started in 2021, far surpassing 2019’s benchmark year which saw more new podcasts than any previous year. Where are they? What languages? How many episodes? Where are they hosted? Click through. Continue Reading
In a thick and newly released report called Culture Next 2021, Spotify delivers research results that focus on the Millennial and GenZ demos, and how their media consumption trends can appeal to advertisers. Podcasting represents one section, which seeks to promote the effectiveness of podcast advertising for marketers. Continue Reading
Audio Valley subsidiary and digital audio solutions company Targetspot released first-half earnings for 2021, comparing the results to the same period a year ago. Revenue lifted 51% year-over-year. Continue Reading
Audioboom is announcing the promotion of Thomas Mancusi and Erica Tong. Mancusi becomes Chief Revenue Officer, and Tong becomes Chief Operating Officer. Continue Reading
Edison Research today released its 2021 edition of the Latino Podcast Listener Report, a survey of U.S. Latinos and that group’s relationship with podcasting. Results show an enthusiastic population where familiarity leads to listening at a higher rate than in the total U.S. population. Click for details and graphics. Continue Reading
Jottings of Note
— Accredited (Stony Brook University)
— Resuming the Conversation (Vox)
— Immortality (Radio Hall of Fame)
The Stitcher Podcasting Report 2021 examines listening and user metrics within the Stitcher app, which, because of its popularity and scale, might be considered a guide to user tendencies at wider scale. In Part 2 of our coverage, we see revealing charts which illustrate power listeners driving becoming more voracious over time. Continue Reading
Twenty-eight 1st-place awards, and three times that many total awards, were bestowed over the weekend by the British Podcast Awards. VENT Documentaries won Podcast of the Year — a show in which investigative stories are told by young people from a single London borough. The winner list of nearly 90 shows provides great discovery browsing, especially for American audiences. Click for details and link. Continue Reading