RAIN Global Audio Revolution Summit offered fascinating studies of current and future trends in audio

The RAIN global Audio Revolution Summit, an international Zoom event produced today, was designed to shine light on the current, and prospective future, states of radio, podcasting, and digital audio advertising. The event was presented by Targetspot and AllMediaDesk, with additional sponsorship support from AdsWizz and AccuRadio. Click for summaries and quotes. Continue Reading

Veritone launches “Voice-as-a-Service” synthetic speech called MARVEL.ai — we unpack with president Ryan Steelberg

Veritone has launched a new service called MARVEL.ai, a synthetic voice product the company characterizes as a “Voice-as-a-Service” (VaaS) solution for media companies, brands, and celebrities. The product can mimic any person’s voice, given a sufficient sample, then make that synthetic voice say anything, read any script, or speak an entire audio program (such as podcasting) in another language using the original speaker’s voice. Veritone President  Ryan Steelberg agreed to a knowledge-gathering chat, which ended with a compelling use case for podcasting. Continue Reading

Audioboom chooses MAPP Media for dynamic ad insertion in podcasts

Audioboom has partnered with London-based MAPP Media to provide dynamic ad insertion commercials across Audioboom’s 8,000 podcasts. Audioboom serves 25-million unique monthly listeners who download 85-million episodes. The company is bringing MAPP into an existing premium sales enterprise which places bespoke host-read sponsor messages into podcasts. Click through for details. Continue Reading

Libsyn raises $25M and will acquire AdvertiseCast

Libsyn, one of the world’s largest podcast hosting companies, announces today that it will acquire AdvertiseCast, a podcast ad planning and buying platform. The purchase is supported by $25-million in funds that the publicly traded company raised privately. While this funding is apparently motivated chiefly to enable the AdvertiseCast purchase, the investment is also intended “to provide Libsyn with additional capital for other strategic acquisitions.” Continue Reading

As Acast considers IPO, a release of 2020 insights: Large annual growth in plays, audience, and brand advertising

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

Thursday, March 4   Wondering about CPMs for programmatic podcast advertising? Triton Digital reports a range. Posted on March 4, 2021 by Brad Hill Two questions about digital audio programmatic advertising were addressed in Triton Digital’s presentation at the RAIN Podcast Business Summit… Continue Reading

RAIN Podcast Business Summit illuminated the business of podcasting

The fifth annual RAIN Podcast Business Summit played on Zoom to a large virtual audience today, presented by iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Triton Digital, and founding partner NPR. Other sponsors supporting this event were Megaphone, AdsWizz, WideOrbit, and AccuRadio. In a compact 3.5-hour schedule, 22 speakers held forth on the business side of podcasting. Click for lots of quotes. Continue Reading