There’s not reason why a smart speaker must comply with the traditional stand-alone, single-function design which has made voice assistants famous. Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has crowdfunded its way to releasing the Xiao Ai mouse, a smart peripheral does performs all normal mouse-like duties, and is equipped with a microphone and speaker. And smarts. Continue Reading
E.W.Scripps, the media behemoth and parent company of Stitcher, is reported to be shopping the podcast company to potential buyers. Click through for a history of Scripps ownership, and how the Stitcher organization has changed during this time. Continue Reading
Triton Digital has released its latest 4-week U.S. Podcast Report, this one covering the May 11 through June 7 span. The Triton reports include two top 100 podcast rankers (one for show downloads, and one for show audience sizes), and… Continue Reading
Adding to piles of existing research on Covid-related listening shifts, eMarketer has today release a study of podcast listening during the shelter-at-home period. The short story: Reduction in 2020, recovery in 2021. But the actual amounts (minutes per day) are on the micro level. Continue Reading
A weekly column from the preeminent Radio Futurologist. THIS WEEK: How the BBC produced during coronavirus. How is Beats 1 doing? Ten best music radio stations. Radio recovery. Podcast promoter chat. And much more! Continue Reading
PRX, Google’s partner in the Google Podcasts creator program, is announcing a new year of the accelerator, training, and funding program that was first formed in October, 2018. The program’s mission is to provide a global audio community with open resources, empower underrepresented voices, and showcase new work. The 2020 focus differs from 2019. Continue Reading
Entercom-owned Cadence13 is distributing an announcement of a new production segment called C13 Features — a podcast studio for single-episode, movie-length, original fiction audio shows. The company says each production will be “similar to a movie arc, creatively produced and developed for the theater of the mind.” Endeavor Content has an exclusive development role in the venture. Continue Reading
9to5 Mac sorted through Apple WWDC slides and found one revealing that the company’s smart speaker, HomePod, will open up to allow non-Apple streaming music services. Doing so would represent an important strategic change. Continue Reading
When is less more? Perhaps APM’s marketplace is answering thast question with its new Marketplace Minute audio program, slated for ubiquitous radio/podcast distribution in alliance with Westwood One. The new show is a 60-second audio economic news report distributed nationally on commercial radio, across major podcast platforms and on smart speakers. It is the first time a public media entity has partnered with a commercial audio network to distribute a news product in these formats. Continue Reading
Pod Drop features new and returning podcasts. Today: modern skeptical sprituality in Unholier Than Thou, storytelling and laughs in Good Yarns, Hip Hop meets politics in Waiting on Reparations. Continue Reading
TuneIn has launched a media campaign to build awareness of its listening platform, and emphasize its ubiquity. The clever campaign tagline is “Hear, Here.” TuneIn listening has grown 27% year-over-year. Click through for a video featured in the company’s new marketing. Continue Reading
Podcast creative network Wondery is launching its own listening app, a first for the company. In doing so, wondery gives extra support and a more coherent presentation of the Wondery Plus subscription service, which offers ad-free listening to Wondery shows. Continue Reading