RAIN Notes: April 22
— Questionable Celebration (The new York Times)
— The Sprawl of Achievement (Webby Awards)
— “I listened, and it made me sad.” (James Cridland) Continue Reading
New York Times
NY Times plans deployment of podcast paywalls in hybrid subscription model
The New York Times is planning to use paywalls to limit free listening to its podcasts. This according to an exclusive report in The Wall Street Journal. It’s a nuanced hybrid plan that varies among the Times’ top podcasts. Continue Reading
New York Times launches dedicated listening app, NYT Audio
The New York Times, producer of leading news podcast The Daily, and owner of Serial Productions and voice narration provider Audm, has launched NYT Audio, a dedicated mobile listening app. We complain about the iOS-only launch, and enumerate the product’s many features. Continue Reading
NYTimes beta-launches dedicated listening app: New York Times Audio
The New York Times, producer of The Daily, one of the world’s most popular podcasts, is announcing the a beta testing launch of a NYT-specific listening app called New York Times Audio. Doing so stakes a reputational claim as a leading audio producer and podcast network worthy of a dedicated app. Click for more, and a link to volunteer as a tester. Continue Reading
5 years ago in RAIN: NYTimes launches audio division
Five years ago today we reported that The New York Times created an audio division. Today the Times produces the most popular podcast in the U.S. (according to Podtrac), owns Serial Productions which launched the podcast resurgence in 2014, and also owns Audm. Click for the April 5, 2016 article. Continue Reading
New York Times Company acquires journalism text-to-voice platform Audm
The New York Times Company has acquired Audm, a startup that creates audio versions of long-form journalism for subscription access. Founders Ryan Wegner, the director of spoken word audio production, and Christian Brink, director of product, will join the Times Company along with the rest of the Audm team. Continue Reading
NY Times “The Daily” crosses one-billion downloads; notches 2M per day
The New York Times issued a milestone brag today: Its flagship podcast, The Daily, has surpassed one-billion total downloads. “That’s billion with a b,” the company clarifies. In an exercise of imagination, arithmetic, and fudging the unknowns, we are led to imagine what “The Daily” is worth to the Times. Continue Reading
The New York Times doubles down on audio with five new hires
The New York Times announced five new hires to join its audio team. These additions show the publication’s commitment to its audio strategy, which has been paying off with accolades and popularity for its shows such as The Daily and Caliphate. Continue Reading
The New York Times hires director of audio and podcasts
The New York Times has hired Amanda McCartney as director of audio and podcasts. In this newly created position, McCartney will be responsible for selling the Times’ podcasts in collaboration with the publisher’s advertising team and working with direct-response podcast agencies. Continue Reading
New York Times to host Student Podcast Contest
The New York Times is hosting its first-ever Student Podcast Contest. The publication presented the contest as a way to incorporate audio narratives into a classroom setting. The official announcement of the contest is expected next week, but some preliminary details are available. Continue Reading
New York Times unveils its first narrative non-fiction podcast
The New York Times is launching a new podcast that marks its audio team’s first foray into narrative non-fiction. The audio documentary, titled Caliphate, will seek answers and context about ISIS and its role in the Middle East. Episodes will be released in the spring, and New York Times subscribers will receive early access to the series. Continue Reading
The Daily podcast plans public radio show for April launch
The New York Times’ morning news podcast The Daily will extend to radio, joining a cross-medium expansion trend. More than a simple syndication, The NYT team will produce a 30-minute version of the show offering a detailed dive into one or two big headlines from the day. Continue Reading