Sounds Profitable

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:

The Free and Open Ad-Supported Internet
Brand Podcast Summit Keeps the Focus on the Audience by Jeff Vidler
In rocky digital advertising landscape, advertisers reconsider direct mail by Kimeko McCoy
Digiday+ Research: Publishers held onto their staff and titles last year, even as traffic fell by Julia Tabisz

…as for the rest of the news: SXM Media signs $100+ million three year exclusivity deal with Smartless, Acast’s Megan Davies talks about AI’s role in podcasting, and Triton Digital’s Sharon Taylor has published predictions for podcasting’s 2024 from nine industry leaders.

With apologies to G.I. Joe, half the battle of podcasting is not the changes in technology, but keeping up with changes to the audience. Tom Webster digs into the “neglected half” of the work of podcasting.

Sounds Profitable: Narrated Articles is a production of Sounds Profitable. For more information, visit soundsprofitable.com.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:

Apple’s New iOS 17 Software Is A Positive Step For Podcast Advertisers And Content Creators John Wordock and Pierre Bouvard
Triton Digital US Podcast Report 2023
Audiobooks Are Booming. Spotify Wants in on the Action by Alexandra Alter
The Results Are In: Here’s What Americans Streamed in 2023 by John Koblin
Amazon rolls out ads on Prime Video by Jasmine Sheena

…as for the rest of the news: Ari Paparo interviews Spotify’s Per Sandell to discuss the company’s targeting and adtech, Linkfire announces Engaged Listeners metric for Apple Podcasts, branded podcast production Pop by Pacific Content launches, and MediaPost interviews Ad Results Media's Gretchen Smith about podcast advertising.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:

Transcripts on Apple Podcasts
ESPN Podcasts to Air Weekday Afternoons on ESPN2 Starting January 29 by Alex Feuz
George Carlin’s Estate Sues Podcasters Over A.I. Episode

…as for the rest of the news: Amazon dethroned BetterHelp as top podcast spender on Magellan AI’s December tracker, and Wondery debuts a new toy line inspired by Wow in the World.

And Podfront comes to PodMov.

Monday, March 26th, Sounds Profitable has partnered with Podcast Movement to present the inaugural Podfront, an upfront-style event bringing brands and publishers together. Hosted by Tom Webster and Bryan Barletta, the event runs 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with food and beverage provided.Whether you represent a brand that’d like an invite, or a publisher who’d like to participate, check out the official Podfront page!

Here's what you need to know for this week in the business of podcasting:
Sounder Debuts Open APIs For Transcription
How Podcast Networks Are Testing Out AI
Analysis of 28.5 Million Podcast Reviews on US Apple Podcasts
Not All Video Podcast Ads Are Created Equal

Quick Hits:

The “Why” of Your Podcast by Tom Webster. This week Tom shares an excerpt from his upcoming book, focusing on figuring out the all-important detail of why someone listens to a podcast.
Paramount Won’t Return to TV’s Upfront Week in New York by Brian Steinberg. Despite CBS usually being a big-ticket player in flashy New York upfronts, Paramount Global is taking this year to focus on intimate in-person meetings with select advertisers.
SCOOP: Are awards worth it for Canadian podcasts? by Kattie Laur. A deep dive into confusion and controversy surrounding last year’s Signal awards.
Brands Are Getting Shy On DEI, But Reaching Diverse Audiences Is Still Good Business by Anthony Vargas. Minority-owned publishers have a big hurdle to overcome, as despite regularly providing higher ROI than more generic competitors, buyers aren’t finding their inventory in the first place.
Manifest Media Announces Strategic Partnership with Realm to Expand its Creative Influence in Podcasting. The collaboration aims to bring Manifest’s catalog of new and upcoming audio fiction to Realm’s platform.
Ossa Announces 2nd Event In 10-Part Series On Creators and Podcast Advertising Partners. The session will focus on where to find podcast hosting services and tips on evaluating the best one for a given podcaster’s needs.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:

Unlocking the Value of Audio Content: Why Open APIs Are a Game-Changer (featuring Bryan Barletta, Partner at Sounds Profitable)
The “Why” of Your Podcast by Tom Webster
More gambling ad spend goes to TV than all other formats combined by Sara Lebow
NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era by David Folkenflik

…as for the rest of the news: Audacy projects ambitious revenue growth in streaming and podcasting for the year, and Paramount announces Jon Stewart will return as executive producer and Monday host of The Daily Show.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:
Most streaming music tracks do not reach monetisation threshold by Ella Sagar
Brands Are Getting Shy On DEI, But Reaching Diverse Audiences Is Still Good Business by Anthony Vargas
Why Personalized Ads Go Wrong And How To Do Them Right by Hana Yoo

…as for the rest of the news: Magellan has published their rankings of top podcast advertisers for December 2023, Brian Morrissey reflects on what media publishing might look like if the current billionaire-supported model falls apart, and Sounder has a free live webinar next Tuesday with Bryan Barletta on open APIs.

Since the beginning of podcasting, people have yearned to know exactly why someone does or does not listen to their podcast. Tom Webster reflects on what answering a “why” can uncover.

Sounds Profitable: Narrated Articles is a production of Sounds Profitable. For more information, visit soundsprofitable.com.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:

How podcast networks are testing AI tools for faster translation, ad sales by Sara Guaglione
I analyzed 28.5 million Apple Podcasts star ratings by Dan Misener
Paramount Won’t Return to TV’s Upfront Week in New York by Brian Steinberg
Are awards worth it for Canadian podcasts? By Kattie Laur
LUMA: 2024 Will Be Better For M&A (No, Seriously This Time) by Allison Schiff
Sound will no longer be an afterthought

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:

Not All Podcast Ads are Created Equal. Here's Why by Kedric Walls
Sports has a Gen Z problem
Are Podcasts Cool (Again)?
Hot Pod Interviews NPC Podcast Chief Collin Campbell

…as for the rest of the news: amplifi’s Steven Goldstein writes The Truth About Podcasting’s Measurement Makeover, PodBean’s final free live event of “Podcast Launch Month” is this Thursday, and healthcare is projected to invest over $36 billion in U.S. advertising this year (which podcasting could get a cut of).