Warner Music Group shared its interest in going public earlier this year, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a delay in its plans. Even though the virus continues to wreak havoc on both markets and populations, the company is continuing to lay groundwork to move forward with listing. Continue Reading
Podtrac released its ranking of the top 20 podcast publishers for April 2020. iHeartRadio edged out NPR for the top spot, thanks to a U.S. unique monthly audience of 22.57 million. Continue Reading
PodcastOne has been acquired by LiveXLive. The podcast network includes shows from Adam Carolla, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Shaquille O’Neal, Kaitlyn Bristown, and more. The purchase is reportedly an all-stock deal valued at about $18 million. Continue Reading
Nielson is announcing a new vertical for its Gracenote division: Gracenote Audio On Demand. The company describes this as a comprehensive dataset which is “the catalog of reference driving podcast services with the ability to enhance navigation and discovery capabilities.” In other words, Gracenote is doing for podcasting what it has historically done for music — catalog the entire medium with metadata. In this case the dataset identifies and locates podcasts according to topics, personalities, and other criteria. Continue Reading
Triton Digital has published its Latam Podcast Report for March 16-April 12. The latest data saw a passing of the torch, with LOS40 MX – La Corneta dropping to second and O Assunto from Radios Grupo Globo taking the top spot. Continue Reading
Spotify has been stretching its definitions of a podcast with another new test. The streaming service is trialing video content for the Zane and Heath: Unfiltered podcast. The source said that the videos will only be on three episodes of the podcast, and that there will be no other designations in the app that any video is present. Continue Reading
Sonos has sent its latest shareholder letter with second-quarter financial results and some product updates. The company had a difficult period, with revenue down 17% and taking a big hit for sales figures. Continue Reading
Cadence13 has entered a partnership with Headspace, a company specializing in content for meditation and mindfulness. The pair will create a slate of new and original podcasts, beginning with the short-form meditation program Radio Headspace. Continue Reading
1A, WAMU’s successful current events radio/podcast show, has finalized its search for a permanent host. It is Jenna White, who comes to the Washington, D.C. station from WBEZ, Chicago where she hosts the station’s midday talk program Reset with Jenn White. Continue Reading
Warner Music Group released its financials for its fiscal second quarter. In the period ending March 31, The company posted a net loss of $74 million, reversing the income of $67 million in the year-ago period. The label also saw a slight dip of 1.7% in revenue, falling from $1.09 billion to $1.07 billion. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia announced that it launching a platform to help brands reach consumers during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The SmartAudio COVID Recovery Program is a collection of three products aimed at helping businesses reconnect with existing customers and reach new ones. Continue Reading
Les Hollander, veteran digital audio executive and frequent RAIN Summit speaker, has joined Globel-owned DAX as Chief Growth Officer. Hollander left Spotify in December after six and a half years as Global Head of Audio & Video Monetization. His career has included executive stints at Clear Channel, CBS, Pandora, and Gannett. At DAX, he will report to CEO Matt Cutair in New York and Guy Jones (Commercial Operations Director of DAX Worldwide) in London. Continue Reading