In a burst of platform development, ad-tech company AdsWizz has introduced seven new targeting and advertising efficacy features. The company is positioning the new features as helpful to both publishers (the sell side) and advertisers (the buy side). Leading the… Continue Reading
by Jeff Umbro
In this week’s column, Podglomerate CEO Jeff Umbro provides news and commentary about Lemonada’s ad rep move, Joe Budden’s apparent separation from Spotify, Audible’s new plan, Joe Rogan and Apple … and an interview with Jessica Cordova Kramer. Continue Reading
Magellan AI has posted its Top 15 spenders, movers & shakers list for July. NBCUniversal is perched as the biggest advertiser, mainly for Peacock, its new streaming TV app which launched on July 15 — $668-thousand was spent across 69 shows to promote Peacock. Click through to hear one of its ads. Turner Broadcasting and Quibi also received spotlight treatment from Magellan. Continue Reading
We couldn’t help noticing an Apple job listing for Apple Podcasts Manager. Russia does not appear on Apple’s corporate list of countries and regions, but maybe it will soon. We looked at Apple’s podcast chart for Russia, and discovered a couple of interesting finds. Click through for deets. Continue Reading
Taking TilTok seriously yet, as a music exposure, promotion, and distribution platform? Well TikTok is, and so is Ollie Wards if we go by his just-announced job change. Wards is leaving his post at Triple J, the nationally funded alternative music radio outlet in Sydney, Australia, for an appointment as music director in Australia ast TikTok. Continue Reading
We heard from Podcast Radio CEO Gerard Edwards that his company, the all-podcast DAB+ station, is raising a crowdfunded equity campaign on the Seedrs platform. Podcast Radio values itself on Seedrs as a 2.3-million British pound-valued company, and is offering 4.16% equity across this campaign. Click through for more details. Continue Reading
In what should be a treat for synesthetes, Pandora has released seven interesting playlists intended to demonstrate a relationship between sound and color. Unsurprisingly to those who know of his work, Steve Keller (Sonic Strategy Director at Pandora) is involved in the project and authored an explanatory blog post. Keller invokes Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, who asserted that music and color could not be separated. Keller’s thesis is that Kandinsky wasn’t being metaphoric — there is a scientific basis to tyiong together these two sensual perceptions. Click through for a link to the playlists. Continue Reading
Pod Drop features new and returning podcasts. Today — two CNN news shows drop, Carlos Watson brings great interviews chops to his podcast, and a podumentary about a student-operated marijuana black market syndicate. Continue Reading
Edison Research is set to deliver a short webinar as part of a lunchtime series, this one titled Listening Habits During Quarantine: A Share of Ear® Report. “Share of Ear” is an ongoing subscription survey project which measures time spent in all kinds of audio among Americans. Edison SVP Tom Webster will present the brisk, 15-minute report. Click through for the registration link. Continue Reading
In a peculiar reversal of standard audio subscription value and price points, and a demonstration of Audible’s often-overlooked power in audio publishing, the Amazon-owned company has launced Audible Plus, a subscription plan the provides access to the entire Audible Original library (audiobooks and podcasts) of 68,000 productions. It costs $7.95 per month. The legacy subscription bundles the traditional audiobook catalog with Audible’s original productions for $14.95. It is a dramatic example of Audible’s unique consumer economics and value propositions. Continue Reading
A new study by Signal Hill Insights, the Toronto-based research firm headed by Jeff Vidler, focuses on brand lift — increased awareness of a brand name when being exposed to it in a podcast ad. The research results are published on Pierre Bouvard’s Westwood One blog. Click through for details and key summary points. Continue Reading
Short form audio producer SpokenLayer, best known for audio narrations of articles published by media juggernauts Heart, Tribune, TIME, and others. According to CEO Andy Lipset, the company is increasingly doing original programming production for branded content. The latest to launch is Lucky Charms Magical Mission, a leprechaun-hosted adventure to magical lands. Click through for Alexa sample. Continue Reading