Music Streaming Needs a New Future
by Mark Mulligan
A fascinating flow chart of music streaming values that could be developed and captured by streaming services, but aren’t. (China is an exception.)
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iHeartPodcast Network Australia’s new partnerships: Audioboom & Kast Media
iHeartPodcast Netweork’s Australian subsidiary, which is managed by media group ARN, is starting the week with an announcement of two network partnerships: Audioboom and Kast Media. ARN is also releasing listenership numbers showing May as a strong month (+6%), along with a 22% rise during the pandemic period of mid-March through june. Continue Reading
POD DROP: Unholier Than Thou, Good Yarns, Waiting on Reparations
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
Bill Wilson named First Vice Chair of NAB Radio Committee; Santrella continues as Chair
Townsquare Media CEO (and RAIN keynoter) Bill Wilson was named First Vice Chair of the Radio Board in the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Wilson joined Townsquare Media from AOL in 2010; he became co-CEO in 2017 and sole CEO in 2019. Continue Reading
Jay Walkerden’s Podshape launches two new podcasts
Jay Walkerdon, the ex-Nova podcast executive in Australia, has announced the acquisition of two podcasts for his recently formed Podshape company. Walkerden left his Nova position as General Manager and Head of Podcasting in February. Continue Reading
Megaphone gets ESPN for podcast distribution and ad-serving
ESPN podcasts are moving to enterprise podcast tech company Megaphone for hosting and monetization via dynamic ad insertion. It’s an important “get” for Megaphone; ESPN has been makiong podcasts since 2005, owns 69 shows, and served 425-million downloads in 2019. Continue Reading
Pod Drop (the podcast) drops Episode 8, covering three (strange) new shows
RAIN’s Pod Drop podcast, a unique flash review of new podcasts, released Episode 8 – Heaven Bent, Borrasca, Hope in Darkness. The three new shows selected for this episode all touch on the unusual and strange. Pod Drop is a five-minute, highly produced audio tour of new podcasts, weaving in excerpts. It is a unique podcast discovery podcast, Continue Reading
Apple’s COVID-19 mobility trends show routines returning to normal (maybe)
Is the world returning to normal life? There are many answers to that question. One set of answers can be derived from information released by Apple. The company has released a fascinating dataset of mobility information, covering the period from January 13 to June 8. The info comes from Apple Maps, and carries three trendlines: Driving, Walking, and Transit. Continue Reading
“Threshold” and three other podcasts win Peabody Awards.
The 2019 Peabody Awards winners are announced (oddly not referenced as 2020 winners), and they include four podcasts in the News, Radio/Podcasts category. One of them is “Threshold,” produced by Montana Public Radio. Continue Reading
Podtrac category ranking shows growth in top News podcasts
Podtrac’s “Podcast Audience Category Ranking” report for May is finalized for subscribers, and the company offers a public peak. This month it is the News category which is spotlighted: The fragmented release (five out of 30 shows in a single… Continue Reading
Radio listening shift to streaming
According to a recent Nielsen survey, most Americans (83%) are listening to radio as much as, or more than, they did before the Covid-19 pandemic. but a shift has been happening, to streaming and on-demand listening via mobile devices and smart speakers. A WideOrbit blog post adds context. Continue Reading
Podhero launches to provide non-advertising podcast revenue
A startup called Podhero is making waves today with its official launch, helmed by Pete Curley and Garret Heaton, founders of HipChat (sold to Atlassian, and from there sold to Slack). Podhero is a subscription service and podcast listening app… Continue Reading