Apple’s annual release of top podcasts in various categories is here. It is based on devices that pull from Apple Podcasts — not a platform-agnostic list such as produced by Edison Research. Click for the list, and RAIN’s year-over-year comparison.
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Apple has declared that its next version of iOS, the iPhone operating system, will be equipped with automatically generated podcast transcripts. That feature will be helpful for users who sometimes prefer reading, or reading along with the audio. But does Apple have the right to do so? Who owns the transcript of an audio production which has been distributed by the audio owner? Continue Reading
Apple has news for podcasters as Podcast Movement begins in Denver today. In one of the most feature-laden upgrades we’ve ever seen, three new (and important in our view) tools are added to Apple for podcasters. Click for details, descriptions, and screenshots. Continue Reading
We scoured reports of Apple’s keynote to its Worldwide Developers conference, looking for audio-related features in iOS 17, Apple’s mobile operating system which will be released in the fall. Click through for seven new features. Continue Reading
In a significant upgrade to its reporting features and production requirements, Apple Podcasts has released and defined new podcast metrics for subscription podcast owners, and audio guidelines for subscription podcast producers. Click for details and screenshot of the new metrics dashboard. Continue Reading
Presumably (but not explicitly) in honor of International Podcast Day, Apple released two podcast charts: Top Subscriptions, and Top Free Channels. This is the first ranking released by the company since those two programs started three months ago. Click for the details. Continue Reading
Apple has introduced two new sharing and personalization features for its podcast listening platform. Both target personalized discovery. Users can share recommendations, and the platform also can deliver personalized suggestions that go across podcast categories. Continue Reading
The global smart speaker market is surging to record levels, according to research firm Strategy Analytics, which frames its recent report as a “market recovery.” The data are from Q2 of this year, compared to Q2 2020, and represent the highest-ever Q2 growth. Click for an illustrative table which tells the whole story. Continue Reading
Good news for classical lovers in Apple Music, bad news for Primephonic subscribers: Apple has bought Primephonic and will shut it down a week from today. Primephonic subscribers get put into Apple Music. The company will make a new classical streaming experience from Primephonic assets. Continue Reading
“Why would I go back to a visual medium?” the 58-year-old Jon Stewart wonders aloud after being startled by his image in the dressing room mirror. “I could have done a podcast.” Turns out, it will be one. Click for a video and details. Continue Reading
Three of Spotify’s top five podcasts of the summer are exclusives to the platform. The other two are also top entries in Apple’s chart and Edison Research’s consumer survey. Continue Reading
In its quarterly report of smart speaker shipments, London-based research company Omdia reports that Google took the top spot from Amazon in the U.S. And interestingly, Apple’s HomePod increased its shipments from a year ago at a surprising rate. Click through for the chart. Continue Reading