RAIN Notes: November 12, 2025
Closing the gap – Steve Keller
Climbing the charts – Breaking Rust
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Stingray to acquire TuneIn for $175M; “pivotal moment”
Stingray, the music and video distribution and advertising platform, is announcing that it will acquire 23-year-old audio streamer TuneIn. The transaction is valued at $175 million. Stockholder approval pending. Click for details. Continue Reading
TikTok enters podcasting with iHeartMedia partnership
Social media behemoth TikTok is planting its brand in podcasting, with partnership support from iHeartMedia. A new TikTok Podcast Network will be formed, holding 25 podcasts hosted by TikTok creators. iHeart will own the distribution, placing the shows across all major audio platforms. Click for details. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: November 7, 2025
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Ad-Mavs Netflix
Bigger, better? Edison Research
Spotify Q3: “Accelerated Execution” grows subs, users, revenue, and margin
In its Q3 earnings release Spotify might be daring observers to find a negative number. Perhaps there are some minuses deep in the metrics, but the headline numbers are all upward.
October podcast production drops 36% to 12-month low (Listen Notes)
In the 12-month measurement at Listen Notes (HERE), new podcast production in took a sizable step downward in October 2025 compared to November of last year, and also month-over-month (Sep – Oct). 2024. Further, the October monthly measurement represents the lowest podcast production of the 12-month period. Click for charts. Continue Reading
Influence, resonance, culture: Acast releases Podcast Pulse 2025 research
Global podcast company Acast has released Podcast Pulse 2025, the latest in its annual report series on global podcast trends. (RAIN’s coverage of the 2024 report is HERE.) The backbone theme of this year’s report describes an evolutionary step into a new era for podcasting, defined by a reshaping of influence, trust, and culture. Click for details and link to the source. Continue Reading
Steve Goldstein: The Great Content Flood — And Why Mediocre Doesn’t Stand a Chance
Is more better? Not necessarily. Algorithms don’t prioritize volume, Steve Goldstein astutely observes in his latest guest column. And he says the mandate is clear: “Make fewer things. Make better things.” Oh, and his famous Podcast Grid Of Pain graphic. A bracing and essential column. Continue Reading
RAIN Time Travel: November 2015 headlines
In this monthly feature, we look back one decade to November 2015, and revisit selected headlines. Click any item to visit the article. Happy decade surfing. Continue Reading
Cumulus Q3: More AI; bigger market share; lower net revenue
Total net revenue declined 11.5% year over year, in the Q3 finance report from Cumulus Media. The company separates digital revenue from total net revenue, offering a more nuanced look at the business. This is what we see in the… Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: October 30, 2025
Settled / UMG
Junkie to Tubi / Audiochuck
Paid music streaming reaches two-thirds of time spent in 10-year trend
In an impressively steady 10-year shift, two-thirds of time spent with streaming music platforms has shifted from free sources to paid streaming. This is from Edison Research in its Weekly Insights email bulletin. Continue Reading