Sounds Profitable

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).

Here's what you need to know from this week in the business of podcasting.

Podcast Download: Disconnect Between Ad Creative and Audience Expectations
TikTok on Skippable Ads, Becoming Search Destination
Communication is Key in Podcasting
Podcasting Grows at SXSW

Quick Hits
While they may not be top story material, the articles below from this week are definitely worth your time:

The 25th Hour by Tom Webster. This week in the Sounds Profitable newsletter, Tom explains how Duolingo, rocks, and sand can help podcasting reach potential listeners who feel they don’t have enough time for podcasts.

Podcasting Pioneer Shares His 3 Biggest Tips for Success . This week on How Success Happens, Bryan Barletta joins to discuss how companies can set themselves up for success when dipping their toes into podcasting.

Australians downloaded more than 1 billion podcasts in 2023. According to the December Australian Podcast Ranker from Triton Digital and Commercial Radio & Audio, Australia's top 200 Australian podcasts were downloaded more than a billion times last year, representing a 26% year over year increase.

Can programmatic help podcasts find the money? By Damian Fowler. Programmatic advertising made up 1 in 10 revenue ad dollars for podcasting last year, while forms of other digital media had 9 out of 10 come from programmatic. This piece looks at ways programmatic could have a path forward in increasing its growth rate with podcasts.

Flightpath Premieres First-of-its-Kind Campaign Prediction One Year Into the Future. Flightpath’s new availability engine aims to elevate transparency and control, as well as allow advertisers and creators to plan up to a year in the future with confidence.

ALIVE Podcast Network and Barometer Partner to Drive Equitable Monetization for Black Creators and Media Owners. The new partnership between ALIVE Podcast Network and Barometer aims to challenge historical disenfranchisement faced by creators of diverse backgrounds.

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

The 25th Hour by Tom Webster
Podcasts are key tool for TV discovery, research shows by Adam Shepherd
Amy Poehler to Keynote at Podcast Movement Evolutions
TikTok gains favor among Gen Z over Google for searches by Jeremy Goldman
Daily Beast Podcast Secretly Records Paul F. Tompkins, Reframes Discussion

…as for the rest of the news: WARC Media predicts global ad spend will break $1 trillion this year, Marketing Brew gives a “way too early” look at cookie-less internet browsing, and ExchangeWire asks several experts for their predictions on podcasting and digital audio this year.

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

Podcast Ad Creative Disconnect Revealed In Cumulus Media And Signal Hill Insights’ Podcast Download by Pierre Bouvard
Australians downloaded more than 1 billion podcasts in 2023
Can programmatic help podcasts find the money? by Damian Fowler

…as for the rest of the news: Headliner reflects on 2023’s statistics and feature launches, Signal Hill Insights discusses how YouTube and video will grow podcasting this year, and Bryan Barletta appears on Entrepreneur’s podcast How Success Happens to talk about setting companies up for success in podcasting.

Tom Webster explains what rocks, sand, and Duolingo can teach podcasting in how we frame listening statistics and audience behavior.

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