Mark Mulligan: The music industry’s tipping point is Right Here, Right Now

by Mark Mulligan

“Streaming is buckling under its own weight,” MIDiA Research head Mark Mulligan asserts in his latest guest column. Streaming solved the problems of piracy and cratering music sales, but with the unintended result of commodifying music consumption — passive playlist programming has squeezed out fan relationships. “The time is now to start building plan B,” Mark says — that would be a music world focused on fandom, identity, and exceptionalism. This is a vital thought piece from one of the world’s most informed thought leaders. A must-read.

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“The Podcast Opportunity” reveals buy-side planning, requirements, and experiences (Sounds Profitable)

Sounds Profitable has released a data+interview report (The Podcast Opportunity) which explores buyer perceptions of podcast advertising. With a rich mix of survey data and qualitative interviews with agencies and brands, this project delivers a holistic understanding of podcast advertiser habits, preferences, and perceptions. Click for a sample of survey results, some quotes, and the download link. Continue Reading

AI set to take over podcasting; majority of listeners approve (Acast study)

Acast sent us a fascinating piece of survey work that questioned podcast listeners about their sentiment toward AI influencing podcasts in over 20 ways. The broad takeaway is approval by listeners for AI in the production process. That approval slants toward technical improvements, with lower levels of acceptance of content manipulations. Click for the interesting details. Continue Reading

Farewell to Stitcher as SiriusXM seeks to consolidate users

In a sad but arguably predictable action, Sirius XM announces it will shut down the Stitcher podcast app in August. Founded in 2008, Stitcher is a venerable brand in the renaissance of podcasting. Existing Stitcher registered users will be shifted to the Sirius XM platform. The decision might have a brand maintenance aspect as well. Click for details. Continue Reading

Legendary pod network TWiT signs with LibSyn/AdvertiseCast for DAI and programmatic

In a notable piece of dealmaking, LibSyn has acquired the podcast ad-monetization business for This Week in Tech (TWiT), one of the most venerable podcast networks. TWiT was founded by tech/podcast celebrity Leo Laporte in 2005, and was one of the world’s first all-tech podcast networks. AdvertiseCast will use its Automatic Ads solution to dynamically fill TWiT’s unsold inventory. Click for more detail.
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