Steve Pratt of Pacific Content looks to TV news for inspiration in the podcast world. Drawing on his own experience in local television, Pratt explores the importance of consistency in staying on top. Continue Reading
Sonos posted positive results for its fiscal fourth quarter, and Wall Street celebrated the news. The audio company makes wireless speakers and is quickly asserting expertise in mid-tier and high-end smart speakers. The newly launched Sonos Beam in particular boosted the company’s performance, and investors boosted stock prices 20% in after-hours trading. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group has reported its earnings for the third quarter as rumors swirl that the major label could be moving toward a sale. Revenue rose 13.5% on-year to €1.495 billion ($1.732 billion) for the period. Parent company Vivendi said in the earnings update that it is in talks with about 15 banks, looking for assistance in finding a strategic partner for the major label. Continue Reading
Podcasting received the Saturday Night Live treatment with a send-up of some tropes that will likely be familiar to any regular listeners. Is it a good or a bad thing when late night comedy leans into the audio format’s stereotypes? Continue Reading
AdLarge’s digital audio advertising unit, cabana, announced that it has added Bear Brook to its content portfolio. The investigative podcast is from New Hampshire Public Radio, and is hosted by reporter Jason Moon. Continue Reading
Radio Consultant and podcast producer Mark Ramsey has created another “Inside” podcast — People Like Us: Inside Philadelphia — distributed by Wondery and sponsored by Coca Cola. All revenue from the show, which documents the making of the Tom Hanks movie about living with HIV, will be donated to an HIV/AIDS non-profit. Continue Reading
Gimme Radio announced the launch of a paid subscription tier called the Brigade. The 24/7 online radio station for metal music has unveiled an option for listeners to access its past programming, exclusive content, and other perks. Continue Reading
2 Dope Queens, a podcast under WNYC hosted by Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams, announced the end of its run. The popular comedy and storytelling show is closing with a special episode featuring former first lady Michelle Obama as the guest. Continue Reading
Tidal has made its streaming entertainment accessible on two new platforms. First, the company announced that Tidal is supported on all Amazon Echo devices. The second integration brings Tidal to Samsung Wearables. Continue Reading
NetEase Cloud Music has secured a financing round of $600 million to help it compete in both China and on the global stage. The streaming service has more than 600 million registered users and is a major player in China’s music market. Continue Reading
Voice assistants and smart devices are one of the hottest topics for the audio industry, and a new report from Voicebot.ai, PullString, and the RAIN Agency traces the trend’s progress. According to the report, voice assistants have moved out of their first phase, marked by availability across platforms and languages and access to core features. It suggested that the second phase of voice will be marked by more nuanced features, use in more contexts, and availability on more connected devices. Continue Reading
Pocket Casts today announced a comprehensive redesign and feature update that brings several improvements to the podcast app across web, iOS, and Android. In our testing of pre-launch builds, we found that Pocket Casts has gone beyond mere remedies of previous usability issues, innovating features and modernizing the experience. Continue Reading