RAIN Notes: August 12
Growth Not Vanity Amaze Media Labs
Double Focus Henry Blodget
Return Trip Janel Strachan / Ad Results Media
Search Results for: https
Collection yes; enforcement no — in SoundExchange court decision
Performance rights organization (PRO) SoundExchange, the mandated royalty collection agency for digital music performance royalties, has lost a ruling in its effort to gain allowance of legal actions against broadcasters. The controversy is occurring in US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Click for details. Continue Reading
Sharon Taylor elevated to CRO, Triton Digital
Veteran podcast executive Sharon Taylor has been appointed Chief Revenue Officer at audio technology and service provider Triton Digital, where she will report to CEO John Rosso. Australia native Taylor spent three and a half years at enterprise podcast tech and hosting company Omny Studio, where she served as Head of Operations, then CEO from 2016 to 2019. Triton, which is itself a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, acquired Omny Studio in 2019. Continue Reading
Podcast advertisers overrate targeting, and other presumptions
In what seems like an exhaustive exercise in debunking commonly held presumptions, a study released by the Audio Active Group (fronted by Westwood One and Cumulus Media), we see an argument that podcast advertisers overestimate the business-building power of audience targeting. At the same time, they underestimate the power of creative — how the advertisement is conceived, written, recorded, and produced. Click for very interesting metrics produced by Podscribe research. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: August 6
The Power of Community Podcast Movement
Seeking Speakers Copyright + Technology conference
Partners in True Crime iHM + BBC
The Wondery Reactions
Yesterday we covered rumors that established podcast production house Wondery had been shuttered. Then a more nuanced situation emerged: Amazon-owned Wondery will be reduced (110 staffers released) and repositioned in a different part of the parent company. Today, we collect public reactions from industry leaders. Continue Reading
Amid media frenzy, Amazon denies shuttering Wondery
In the biggest news item of the day, a unanimity of reporting asserts that podcast studio Wondery will be closed by parent company Amazon. CEO Jen Sargent reportedly will depart. Departmental reorganization is predicted. Podcast production will continue to some extent, and some will be positioned differently within the Amazon distribution empire. Continue Reading
Established podcast stars lead Edison Top 50
In the just released Edison Research Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. for Q2, we see long-familiar titles leading this elite pack. Continue Reading
Edison Research offers status badges for top-ranked podcasts
Edison Research enjoys unique status for its Podcast Metrics rankers of U.S. and UK podcasts. Since those rankers are derived from surveys, not from server-side download counts, no podcast in the world suffers a platform disadvantage. Now, Edison announces a Top Podcast badge, a bragging emblem for podcasts which rank in any of the three rankers published by Edison: Top 10, Top 25, and Top 50.
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RAIN Notes: July 31
“Heh. Toilet paper. Who cares?” – Ikea
Response to Demand – Acast
Insights and Highlights – Edison Research
What makes podcast ads effective? New research.
In Part 3 of its survey series The Advertising Landscape, podcast advocacy and advisement company Sounds Profitable sought to discover what advertising characteristics, attributes, and topics create a bond between listeners and sponsors. That bond could be manifested by a purchase, or a feeling of effectiveness, or writing down a promo code, or discussing an advertised product with others. Survey participants were also asked about ad effectiveness generally. Click for some of the results and the download link. Continue Reading
SPOT Q2: User growth and mixed financials
Spotify unleashed its Q2 earnings this morning. (Transcript HERE.) Investors reacted to the cautious tone expressed by CEO Daniel Ek, pulling the stock price sharply downward. Within that framework of reaction, Spotify did report increased revenue and surging subscribers. Click for details, graphics and linkage. Continue Reading