iHeartPodcasts, Wondery, and NPR were the top 1, 2, and 3 podcast publishers in March, according to the Podtrac Top Publishers ranker. This monthly accounting tracks Podtrac measurement clients only. Click through for the entire report, plus the RAIN Remix which re-sorts the data for an average per-show view. Continue Reading
Audio-centric content delivery network SoundStack is announcing today the launch of automated royalty reporting for its member webcasters. This first iteration of the new feature is specifically for SoundExchange royalties — those are the statutory rates for the use of recordings. The reporting feature is built into SoundStack Insights, the platform’s general data center for customers. Continue Reading
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced the presentation lineup for the Spring 2023 Podcast Upfront. In doing so, we learn that the event will expand from its Covid-era online format to a hybrid in-person/streaming arrangement. The date is May 11, and the location is Quorum by Convene in Manhattan. Click through for the agenda. Continue Reading
Jottings of Note
— Joining (iHeartMedia)
— Serving the Underserved (Libsyn)
— No Longer Live (Spotify)
This guest column from Mark Mulligan examines the evolution of music fans in what he calls the “endless hustle of the song economy” as streaming listeners rely on algorithms to furnish an endless succession of songs. TikTok is a better venue for developing a personal relationship between musician and listener. But TV is also a surprising source of music discovery for many people. Click for Mark’s analysis and an illustrative data chart.
Two-tier streaming service TuneIn has reportedly added 120,000 audiobooks to its streaming library. The collection is available to Premium membership, which is priced at $10/month. The newly assembled library makes a competitive posture with Audible, the Amazon-owned leader in audiobook publishing. Continue Reading
by Annalise Nielsen
RAIN’s newest guest columnist, Annalise Nielsen (Senior Manager of Business Development, Pacific Content), presents a thorough exploration of creating a sensible video strategy for podcasts, including flow charts and video examples. It’s not a one-size-fits-all decision, for sure, and this piece helps any podcast publisher consider a brand’s goals to determine an optimal video plan. Continue Reading
The average cost per thousand (CPM) for podcast ads inched upward in March, across all measures of audience size. This according to AdvertiseCast’s monthly tracker, where average CPM for all audience size buckets (1,000 to 100,000+) settled in at $22.14, rising from the February average of $21.99. Click through for a 3-year trend chart. Continue Reading
Hifi home speaker company Sonos has launched its first speaker using Apple’s spatial audio, a Dolby Atmos technology which promises to create a surrounding effect for the listener. The new Sonos speaker is called Era 300. Marketing the device is problematic because it
is challenging to convey the experience without the speaker itself doing the marketing. Sonos does it visually. Click for video. Continue Reading
by Steve Goldstein
There is a lot of chatter about the new era of “efficiency” in business today, says guest columnist Steve Goldstein. “Going forward, the podcast business will be scrutinizing everything more closely,” he notes. Good? Bad? Goldstein observes a shift to quality over quantity. Click for more. Continue Reading
March saw the launch of 12, 408 new podcasts, the fewest in the 13-month period which includes March 2022. That metric from Listen Notes, which produces monthly and annual statistics of podcast creation. The high point of that 13-month span came in March 2022, when 22,533 new shows were created. Click for annual productivity and charts. Continue Reading
In today’s guest column, James Cridland fixes 4ZZZ in Brisbane. An odd choice on BBC Breakfast. A note from Radiodays Europe. An FM in New Zealand is pulled off the air, bafflingly. ABC Australia starts dealing with its ratings slump. Bauer Media announces Rayo. And much more. Continue Reading