iHeartRadio has resumed its Commencement series of audio graduation speeches by celebrities. Started in 2020 as a remedy for cancelled ceremonies, the franchise picks up this year with a new slate of presenters. We hope it continues post-Covid, and also note the heavy load of pre-roll material. Continue Reading
The RAIN Global Audio Evolution Summit is set for Thursday, May 20. Click through for speakers, schedule, and free registration link. Continue Reading
Hyphen Media is a new audio-first network that tells stories by and about people of color. Founders Andrew Kuo and Kareem Rahma aim to make Hyphen a platform to help unrepresented voices grow exponentially in entertainment from podcasts to TV to film. Continue Reading
Veritone has launched a new service called MARVEL.ai, a synthetic voice product the company characterizes as a “Voice-as-a-Service” (VaaS) solution for media companies, brands, and celebrities. The product can mimic any person’s voice, given a sufficient sample, then make that synthetic voice say anything, read any script, or speak an entire audio program (such as podcasting) in another language using the original speaker’s voice. Veritone President Ryan Steelberg agreed to a knowledge-gathering chat, which ended with a compelling use case for podcasting. Continue Reading
Sounder, a podcast hosting platform with data intelligence and monetization features, reveals this morning that it has acquired Podnods, an AI-based recommendation platform for listeners with audience growth support for podcasters. The deal marries two companies which each brings advanced technology to the legacy industry functions of hosting, recommending, and monetizing. Continue Reading
Dying for Sex won the Podcast of the Year award at the inaugural Ambies Awards, produced by The Podcast Academy. The Wondery-produced show posted its final episode 14 months ago, perhaps demonstrating how evergreen podcasts retain their currency. We analyze how many winners are from “top publishers.” Continue Reading
iHeartMedia is announcing a multiyear agreement with Bloomberg Media which will see Bloomberg’s nearly 30 podcasts hosted on iHeart, and the two companies co-produce a dozen new ones. Continue Reading
With podcast subscriptions a rising feature for creators, what benefit is important to listeners? We turn to the Cumulus Podcast Report 2021, produced with Signal Hill Insights, for an answer. Continue Reading
Who provided the best laughs at the IAB Podcast Upfront? We call out two winners. They don’t actually get anything, and had to cut the video clips for us. So unfair. Continue Reading
Edison Research and Triton Digital presented The Infinite Dial Canada 2021 yesterday, revealing listening trends up north, and frequently comparing them to the same questions asked in the flagship Infinite Dial research conducted in the U.S. Click through for highlights and graphics. Continue Reading
Podcast analytics and attribution company Chartable is launching a new division: Chartable for Brands, which employs new features to the firm’s tech stack targeted to branded podcasts. Click for details and a chart illustrating the remarkable growth of branded podcasts. Continue Reading
by Steve Goldstein
In this guest, um, “column,” Steve Goldstein demystifies (maybe) the podcasting ecosystem with a helpful infographic. Must see. Continue Reading