Steve Goldstein: Why Programmatic Ads Are Vital For Podcasting

by Steve Goldstein

In his latest guest column, Steve Goldstein makes this observation: “Podcast monetization and the concentration of dollars chasing a relatively small number of shows is a big problem for our industry.” In a powerful interview with Christiana Brenton, Acast’s U.S. Head of Sales and Brand Partnerships, these two experts discuss the revenue concentration in podcasting: According to Edison Research, advertisers can reach half of all weekly listeners with just 44 podcasts. Steve calls this “a frightening stat and a systemic problem.” Christiana Brenton calls this “an inflection point” for ensuring a sustainable long-term medium. A must-read. Continue Reading

Gen Z: Voracious and experienced podcast listeners, friendly to ads. (Edison Research / SXM Media)

Edison Research interviews 1,003 Gen Z respondents (13-24) in the U.S. to field the Gen Z Podcast Report 2023. The effort is sponsored by SXM Media, and we covered the teaser report from SXM a couple of weeks ago (here). Now, Edison releases the full detail — 45 pages of Z-specific metrics around podcast listening, discovery, acceptance of advertising, and more. Continue Reading

Wondery sales and the CounterClock podcast notable in US Podcast Report (May, Triton Digital)

A quick glance at the interactive version of Triton Digital’s US Podcast Report for May (more exactly, May 1-28) shows two notables — in a mostly stable ranking one network (NPR) and one podcast (CounterClock) stand out. However, the top 100 podcasts remain identical (with minor position jumping) as the previous month. Click for details and links. Continue Reading

News podcasts stable w/ favorable demographics — massive international study (Reuters/Oxford U.)

An annual research study jointly conducted by Reuters Institute and Oxford University reveals the stability of news podcasts, and shapes the profile of the category listeners. A project of extraordinary reach, this survey examines frequency of use, country-level comparisons, top ten rankers, and much more. This is a global research project, and the PDF delivers 160 pages of country-specific results. Click for samples, graphs, and links to an executive summary and the entire study (160-page PDF). Continue Reading

Spotify intros new Ad Analytics program, promising attribution, conversion, and brand lift metrics

In a vigorous and comprehensive product launch, Spotify today introduces Spotify Ad Analytics, a set of advertiser tools and solutions across podcast and music advertising. The new pixel-based technologies announced today grew from the company’s acquisition of then-indie attribution company Podsights over a year ago. Click for details and analysis of this important evolution in Spotify’s ad business. Continue Reading