iHeartMedia announced that it launching a platform to help brands reach consumers during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The SmartAudio COVID Recovery Program is a collection of three products aimed at helping businesses reconnect with existing customers and reach new ones. Continue Reading
Les Hollander, veteran digital audio executive and frequent RAIN Summit speaker, has joined Globel-owned DAX as Chief Growth Officer. Hollander left Spotify in December after six and a half years as Global Head of Audio & Video Monetization. His career has included executive stints at Clear Channel, CBS, Pandora, and Gannett. At DAX, he will report to CEO Matt Cutair in New York and Guy Jones (Commercial Operations Director of DAX Worldwide) in London. Continue Reading
Deezer has added a new quality of life feature for podcast listeners. The platform is rolling out an In Progress playlist, which automatically collects podcast epsiodes that a listener hasn’t finished. Continue Reading
Spotify has a history of opposition to exclusive releases in music, but it seems willing to make exceptions for other audio content. The streaming service will be the exclusive home to the audio recordings of a star-studded reading of the first book in the famed Harry Potter series. Continue Reading
Pod Drop features new, interesting, and returning podcasts. Today: Andrew Yang returns in high spirits. A sports podcast made by radio production house Benztown. And another Covid-19 informational podcast from FiveThirtyEight. Continue Reading
Most surveys into music streaming habits have seen the activity centered on the younger generations of listeners. According to research from the Entertainment Retailers Association, older audiences may start catching up. Continue Reading
Absent until now, FOX News Media podcasts are in Spotify, thanks to a new deal announced by VP John Sylvester. The catalog includes over 20 original series and three new show that will launch in May. Continue Reading
Triton digital is out today with its latest US Podcast Report, a top-100 ranking of podcasts measured by Triton’s Podcast Metrics. There are two top-100 lists: One for top podcasts by download count, and one for user count. This report also ranks the top 10 podcast publishers, including average weekly number of downloads and users per network. RAIN does a Remix of the network charts, showing how audiences and plays are distributed per show. Continue Reading
Acast has entered a partnership with audio streaming service JioSaavn. Both businesses share a goal of expanding podcasting across South Asia through this arrangement. Continue Reading
Google has unveiled an analytics tool for its podcast platform. The Google Podcasts Manager is the first move by Google to put data and analysis into the hands of creators using its service to distribute their shows. Continue Reading
Podtrac is continuing to share weekly updates of U.S. podcast listening, both in downloads and audience, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Its latest data is for the week of April 27-May 3. A few other interesting trends are emerging out of Podtrac’s download growth charts for different categories. Continue Reading
Tech company AdsWizz is announcing a new layer to its AudioMatic and AudioServe digital audio advertising platforms. Called Dynamic Creative Optimization, it allows advertisers to use targeting data to generate over 10-million (that’s not a typo; ten million) ad creative variations which personalize advertising to listeners. Click for details. Continue Reading