This is Sean Rameswaram, host of the news podcast Today, Explained, explaining his promotion: ““Eight hundred episodes in, I couldn’t be more thrilled to have finally been promoted to co-host of Today, Explained.” That was tongue-in-cheek, and there is more to the announcement. Continue Reading
“You wanna know who we’re crawling into bed with this time? […] We are now officially in an exclusive relationship with Spotify.” –Alex Cooper’s in-character announcement of a buyout deal with Spotify. The high-rated show will be exclusive starting July 14. Continue Reading
A 2021 Kantar study of American employees found that 83% of respondents are interesting in getting company news via podcasts, and 78% would like to hear from company leadership via internal podcasts. An appetite for work-specific audio is the impetus behind FieldCast — which supported the Kantar research — a full-service platform for private enterprise podcasting. Continue Reading
Audioburst, an AI-driven audio search and delivery platform, is eager to stream spoken-word audio within mobile apps in categories like fitness, weather, shopping and many others. The company released a study which supports the concept, surveying execs of mobile app companies serving large numbers of daily users. Continue Reading
After a delay to fix widely reported bugs, Apple announces today a firm launch of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, a platform for creators and networks to offer paid listening plans. In most cases, those plans will offer listeners and ad-free experience, and/or unique content not given to non-paying followers. (What will this do to the ongoing confusion of the word “Subscribe” in free podcasts?) Continue Reading
In a continuing follow-up to Friday’s CRB (Copyright Royalty Board) ruling on non-interactive music streaming royalty rates (called Web V), we spoke to Jon Stephenson, CEO of Media Creek, the parent company of webcasting platform Live365. Good planning and a big platform are easing the transition into a new royalty-rate period. Continue Reading
by Jeff Vidler
Guest columnist and Signal Hill Insights President Jeff Vidler identifies three key facts about on-demand content, and speculates about the future. “The audience, not the regulator, is setting the rules.” Continue Reading
by Jeff Vidler
In this valuable column, Signal Hill Insights President Jeff Vidler lays out the six keys to podcast discovery on the creator side. It’s based on survey research conducted as part of the Canadian Podcast Listener 2020. Continue Reading
As the CRB unleashes higher music licensing fees for webcasters, we ask two pioneering and enduring webcasters for their reactions. Rusty Hodge (SomaFM) and Bill Goldsmith (Radio Paradise) gave us insights and wishes for the industry. Should there be a zero-royalty zone? And how will YouTube play in this field? Continue Reading
Delayed five months by Covid, the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) released its new government-regulated royalty rates for the use of recordings on non-interactive streaming. This every-five-year exercise is a crucial business factor for commercial and non-commercial companies which stream music to American audiences. The rate goes up, and minimum payments per channel double. Click for details. Continue Reading
Jottings of Note
— TV / Podcast (NATPE)
— Talkative Ads (Instreamatic)
— Yikes (The Verge)
Podcast and audio network Audioboom has added two shows to its Audioboom Originals array. The home-grown network swells to 22 podcasts with these additions, many of them personality-driven shows in chat and interview formats. Continue Reading