RAIN Notes: Tuesday, June 25
— The Final Nail (Google)
— Addition (Soundstack)
— Subscription Resistance (Jacobs Media)
Triton U.S. Podcast Ranker, supercharged by iHeart Audience Network, expands to 150
Triton Digital’s monthly U.S. Podcast Ranker now measures newcomer iHeart Audience Network, expanding the ranker scale to 150 podcasts. Click for details. Continue Reading
Podcast advertising: double-digit more effective than TV/video (Acast/OMD)
Podcast network Acast, and communications agency OMD, have partnered to conduct what they characterize as “a comprehensive new study” to quantify the effectiveness of podcast advertising. Double-digit percentage gains are the outcome for podcast advertising compared to what the report calls “average media.” Continue Reading
SiriusXM Media adopts UID2, Trade Desk’s new “identity fabric”
SiriusXM Media is announcing its adoption of Unified ID 2.0 (UID2) as an identity solution for its programmatic audio advertising. Sirius calls this decision “groundbreaking.” UID2 was developed by The Trade Desk, a leading demand-side advertising platform. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s International Radio Trends: Faking it – competition winners caught out
by James Cridland
Capital Radio Network in Australia said it wasn’t trying to mislead listeners. Guest columnist James Cridland calls BS on that, and explains why. It’s about holding a listener contest without holding one. Nothing new, James says, and cites an example. Plus: Previewing the next iOS version, congratulations to winning broadcasters, and a preview of Swiss Radio Day. Continue Reading
Libsyn integrates with new YouTube publishing features, enhancing podcaster control
Leading podcast hosting company Libsyn is announcing an integration with YouTube’s recently announced podcast API (Application Programming Interface) features. The new product suite is designed to establish a well rounded podcast presence on YouTube, a vital audio distribution point. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia sets podcast strategy for its Women’s Sports Audio Network
WSAN (Women’s Sports Audio Network), a unit launched by iHeartMedia in April, is announcing an inaugural slate of original podcasts across a range of sports. It’s an ambitious and sprawling effort supported by inaugural partners on the production and sponsorship sides. Click for details. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s International Radio Trends: Faking it – competition winners caught out
by James Cridland
Capital Radio Network in Australia said it wasn’t trying to mislead listeners. Guest columnist James Cridland calls BS on that, and explains why. It’s about holding a listener contest without holding one. Nothing new, James says, and cites an example. Plus: Previewing the next iOS version, congratulations to winning broadcasters, and a preview of Swiss Radio Day. Continue Reading
Mark Mulligan: Mainstream is the new niche
by Mark Mulligan
How is stardom calibrated in today’s music market? In his latest guest column, media thought leader Mark Mulligan compares three stars of three eras, putting side-by-side their album sales, Spotify streams (where applicable), concert tickets, and reach by percentage of population. The conclusion regarding Taylor Swift? “She is clearly a hugely successful artist at the top of her game,” Mark asserts. “But the game is not the same as it once was.” All this comes into focus when examining population reach. From that perspective, “mainstream” and “niche” merge together. A fascinating and important thought/research piece for understanding music success in 2024. Continue Reading
Recorded music industry revenues flat in 2023 … but then inflation. (RIAA)
U.S. recorded music revenues in 2023 continued the flat-to-upward movement of recent years. We examine the RIAA reckoning of music revenue sales in 2023. Holding steady during uncertain times, it seems … until you account for inflation. Click through for the graphs. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: Thursday, June 13
— Feels Like Home (RESOUND)
— Cheap + Beer = Frightful Hilarity (Evergreen Podcasts)
— Exotic Global Streaming (NTS)
Steve Goldstein: Podcasting Captures Younger Audiences In An Aging Media World
“Recently, I’ve had several speaking engagements with media groups,” Steve Goldstein says in his latest guest column, “and there is a surefire way to get an instant gasp from the crowd – show them the median ages of the major media platforms.” The median age of TV viewing has risen from 18-49, to 65 and older. Some cable channels are younger, but Steve is aiming his point at podcasting, where the mean listenerage is 34. Podcasting is the new talk radio for the younger demo. (Commercial radio is median-58.) There is a Fountain of Youth story here for advertisers, is the point. “The plates are shifting” — and this is an important read. Continue Reading