In a venture to encourage kid-friendly podcasts, PRX has launched Ready To Learn, an accelerator program for producers who have the same goal. It’s a 16-week training course, and five production teams will be accepted. Winning teams get $10,000 plus travel expenses. Click through for details and the application website. Continue Reading
One of the world’s largest podcast hosts, Libsyn, has acquired the Auxbus podcast creation platform. The deal expands Libsyn’s suite of podcast hosting and measurement, adding tools for planning and recording shows. Auxbus has developed proprietary (patent-pending) tech that automates parts of the audio creation process. Continue Reading
MelodyVR will rename as Napster after acquiring the brand and assets last summer, and will list on the London Stock Exchange. This will be Napster’s fifth incarnation. As a branding asset, it is still trading on its revolutionary reputation, even though its revolutionary impact is an echo from the past. For anyone who has been following online audio for 25 years, there is a coherent historical line between the original Napster and today’s ecosystem of on-demand streaming music. Click through for details. Continue Reading
Yes, another ranker. But the Edison Research Top 50 is distinguished by its underpinning of in-the-field survey work, part of the company’s Podcast Consumer Tracking Report. Over 10,000 podcast listeners were queried about their show preferences “continuously throughout 2020.” This means that, unlike server-side measurement by online tech companies, no podcast on earth is excluded. Click for details and the entire list. Continue Reading
New podcasts of note.
The Jab (The Economist) / The Washies (Westwood One) / Suave (Futuro Studios & PRX)
Tap for details. Continue Reading
In a new eMarketer report, US Time Spent with Media 2021 Update, the company states that time spent on digital audio listening grew 8.3% in 2020. Projecting to this year, eMarketer expects a further time-spent gain of 4.8%. The time-spent gap between digital media and “traditional” media is widening over several years. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio is announcing the launch of iHeart 3D Audio, using binaural recording and production techniques. The company will debut a new slate of podcasts in this new category of experiential media — Aaron Mahnke will be involved in that effort. Bonus episodes of The Ron Burgundy Podcast will also be created in 3D mode. Click through for a link to a demo reel. Continue Reading
The buzz and activity surrounding Clubhouse, a new audio social app for chatting and meetings, indicate an appetite for social audio experiences. Reports are swirling about a looming, well-funded competitor called Fireside, reportedly co-founded by Mark Cuban. Click through for what we know now, and perspective on a growing category. Continue Reading
Jottings of note:
NASA podcasts relaunch … their logos
“Surprise! NASA’s podcast portfolio has a brand new look,” says Kate Atkinson, NASA’s podcast producer. We don’t see podcast art celebrations often. This one is well deserved.
Apple seeks head of international podcasts
Apple is engaged in a major recruiting effort for Head of International, Apple Podcasts. The company is seeking “Significant and relevant international management experience in the Podcast industry.”
Big growth of spanish and Portguese podcasts: Spotify
On Spotify, the number of podcasts in Spanish and Portuguese has grown more than 400%. That from Raúl Rivera, Spotify Sales Director for South America.
— Tuesday, February 9 Continue Reading
Monday, February 8 President Biden’s not-podcast, not-radio weekly address Posted on February 8, 2021 by Brad Hill Following a tradition of weekly radio addresses started by Franklin D. Roosevelt, revivied by Reagan, and carried forward in different forms by other chief executives,… Continue Reading
Following a tradition of weekly radio addresses started by Franklin D. Roosevelt, revivied by Reagan, and carried forward in different forms by other chief executives, President Biden has launched a weekly communication series. It won’t be on the radio, though — a White House spokesperson told Engadget that Biden’s weekly chat with Americans will be “where people are.” (That has to feel insulting to radio, especially considering radio’s 93% reach.) So … what is this thing? Continue Reading
Chartable released its latest podcast report which details 2020 measurements and makes a few general predictions for 2021. Overall, the data and tone of the report are bullish. Click through for details, graphics, and a (free) link to the report. Continue Reading