Podtrac released its monthly Top Podcasts ranking for May. NPR appears most often, as owner of seven shows. iHeartRadio has three of the top 20. The #4 spot was claimed by Call Her Daddy, returning after a 5-week break over a controversy that was covered by The New York Times, moved up 11 spots in the ranker. Continue Reading
When we last reported on Podcast Radio, the London-based all-podcast DAB+ station, it had broadened its signal to include Manchester. We now learn of a new expansion, bringing the city of Glasgow into range. The license adds 600,000 potential listeners to the station’s addressable market. Continue Reading
Edison Research sent an advisory release comprising a piece of that company’s subscription Share of Ear project, an ongoing study of what Americans choose to listen to, and in what measure. In-home listening during COVID-19 is sharply up, predictably. Also, podcasting and smart-speaker listening gained by double-digit share in listening. Continue Reading
LAist Studios sent us a note announcing a new slate of podcasts. One standout: Servant of Pod with Nick Quah. Quah founded, writes, and edits the well-read Hot Pod. It’s a weekly deep dive into the evolving world of podcasts, launching June 17. Continue Reading
A fascinating flow chart of music streaming values that could be developed and captured by streaming services, but aren’t. (China is an exception.)
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iHeartPodcast Netweork’s Australian subsidiary, which is managed by media group ARN, is starting the week with an announcement of two network partnerships: Audioboom and Kast Media. ARN is also releasing listenership numbers showing May as a strong month (+6%), along with a 22% rise during the pandemic period of mid-March through june. Continue Reading
Pod Drop features new and returning podcasts. Today: modern skeptical sprituality in Unholier Than Thou, storytelling and laughs in Good Yarns, Hip Hop meets politics in Waiting on Reparations. Continue Reading
Townsquare Media CEO (and RAIN keynoter) Bill Wilson was named First Vice Chair of the Radio Board in the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Wilson joined Townsquare Media from AOL in 2010; he became co-CEO in 2017 and sole CEO in 2019. Continue Reading
Jay Walkerdon, the ex-Nova podcast executive in Australia, has announced the acquisition of two podcasts for his recently formed Podshape company. Walkerden left his Nova position as General Manager and Head of Podcasting in February. Continue Reading
ESPN podcasts are moving to enterprise podcast tech company Megaphone for hosting and monetization via dynamic ad insertion. It’s an important “get” for Megaphone; ESPN has been makiong podcasts since 2005, owns 69 shows, and served 425-million downloads in 2019. Continue Reading
RAIN’s Pod Drop podcast, a unique flash review of new podcasts, released Episode 8 – Heaven Bent, Borrasca, Hope in Darkness. The three new shows selected for this episode all touch on the unusual and strange. Pod Drop is a five-minute, highly produced audio tour of new podcasts, weaving in excerpts. It is a unique podcast discovery podcast, Continue Reading
Is the world returning to normal life? There are many answers to that question. One set of answers can be derived from information released by Apple. The company has released a fascinating dataset of mobility information, covering the period from January 13 to June 8. The info comes from Apple Maps, and carries three trendlines: Driving, Walking, and Transit. Continue Reading