by Steve Goldstein
In this guest column, Steve Goldstein ruminates on the possible podcast-industry-wide switch from “Subscribe” to “Follow.” He cheers Apple for announcing the switch, but wonders: “Have we seen the last of the term “subscribe” as it relates to podcasts?”
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Podchaser, a database of podcasting which could be compared to IMDb for movies, is announcing a double acquisition of Podcharts and Podrover. (Illustrating that “pod” is overused by startups.) Continue Reading
Entercom, the second biggest commercial U.S. radio group, has bought Podcorn, a marketplace which connects indie podcasts with advertisers and agencies. With this acquisition Entercom adds to its podcast holdings which include Cadence13 and Pineapple Street Studios. Entercom hopes to identify talented podcasters deserving of bigger spotlights. Continue Reading
Acast has released a review of 2020 metrics revealing year-over-year growth metrics and the company’s current global footprint. At the same time, the company sent us a notice of a Board review of “potential strategic and financial initiatives.” Click through for U.S. and global year-over-year listening and audience reach metrics, and growth of programmatic advertising and branded content. Continue Reading
Gina Garrubbo, President/CEO of National Public Media, and RAIN Summit speaker, has been elected as Board Chair at the IAB. She has served as the IAB Board’s Vice Chair since August 2020 and as the Co-Chair of the IAB Audio Committee since 2017. Garrubbo’s placement atop the Board puts an eminent audio executive in the top seat of the trade group which represents digital advertising across all media categories. Continue Reading
Australian broadcast and audio company ARN has released a metrics report after one year of managing the Australian franchise of iHeartPodcast Network. The headline brag point: Downloads doubled. Some categories outperformed. Click through for insights and a month-by-month graphic. Continue Reading
The annual webinar release of The Infinite Dial, the annual consumer survey project by Edison Research and Triton Digital, is scheduled for Thursday. The two companies are teasing the event by releasing one result of interest: Thirty-three percent of Americans own a smart speaker. That is a 22% increase from last year’s Infinite Dial, and represents an estimated 94-million people. There is a Covid element to this. Click through for more info and webinar registration. Continue Reading
Evergreen Podcasts has made an investment in Podcast Radio, the UK all-podcast DAB+ radio station that addresses the London, Surrey, Manchester, and Glasgow markets. The investment amount is undisclosed, but the purpose relates to the Podcast Radio production network, announced late last year, which we now understand will be powered by Evergreen. Continue Reading
Listening on a mobile device now accounts for 30% of all time spent listening to audio by those age 13+ in the U.S., an increase of 67% since 2014 — that from Edison Research, which has released a few munchable data snacks from its Share of Ear research. Click through for more highlights, including AM/FM analysis and age breakdowns. Continue Reading
In a notice sent out today, Bauer Media Audio is announcing an agreement to acquire Mediatakojat OY. (OY is a Finnish abbreviation for a limited company.) With the acquisition, Mediatakoja’s radio licenses will be transferred to Bauer Media. The two companies have a history of cooperating, and collaboratively launched two stations last year. Continue Reading
Nine months ago the BG Ad Group in Marietta, Georgia approached a metro Atlanta newspaper with an idea to increase non-traditional revenue, digital downloads, and hyperlocal following. The idea? A hyperlocal podcast. The model has scaled to other newspapers in Georgia. Click for a case study in hyperlocal branded podcasts. Continue Reading