Sounds Profitable

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

The incredible shrinking podcast industry by Max Tani
TikTok reports non-skippable video ads may harm engagement by Nicola Agius
How children's privacy laws complicate connected TV tracking practices by Tim Peterson
S&P says advertisers have resumed spending
iHeartMedia Announces Return of ‘The iHeartPodcast Awards’ with Live Event in Partnership with SXSW on March 11, 2024

…as for the rest of the news: PodPod reports Audioboom has hit 35% year-over-year revenue growth, Flightpath premiers campaign predictions that can project one year into the future, Magellan AI adds attention metrics with Adelaide, and Pushkin appoints Gretta Cohn as CEO.

Here's what you need to know for this week in the business of podcasting: Podcast Acquisitions & Investments - 2023 Industry RecapSXM Media’s Digital Audio Research RecapYouTube Launches RSS Feed IngestionBranded Music and AuthenticityQuick Hits: 5 Strategies For Podcast Expansion In A Zero-Sum Audio World by Steven Goldstein. Recent Edison Research data shows daily time spent listening to audio content has remained stable for a decade. Goldstein discusses strategies for podcasting to grow in a world where a listener’s time is largely already accounted for.iOS 17 by Pete Birsinger. The Podscribe CEO has written an explainer on how iOS17 changed auto-downloading behavior and how it will likely impact campaign performance for podcasts. For more reading on the subject, we recommend Livewire Labs’ regularly-updated data on download performance since iOS 17’s release.Content Mood Targeting from SXM Media. Publishers working with SXM can target music-listening audiences based on the mood assigned to millions of songs in a growing library of cateogorized music, as well as submit their own music to be assigned mood tags.The Untapped Potential of Audio in Retail Media Networks by Joshua Yamuder. Triton Digital’s Director of Partnerships and Programmatic Marketplace promotes digital audio as a must-have inclusion for retail media networks looking to diversify their marketing mix.Since the last issue of The Download there have been two podcasting bankruptcies of note: Audacy and Voxalyze

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:Podcast Acquisitions & Investments - 2023 Industry Recap by Bryan Barletta

Ambassador Ads are going away.

The Untapped Potential of Audio in Retail Media Networks by Joshua Yamuder

If music marketing is a gateway to culture, brands must navigate carefully, execs say

…as for the rest of the news: The recently-canceled podcast Death, Sex & Money from WNYC has been revived by Slate, and if you’re interested in more coverage of marketers seeking authenticity in their campaigns: check out Digiday’s piece on brands shifting their approach to influencers.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:
YouTube officially allows creators to publish podcasts via RSS feeds by Reem Makari

After a tough year, podcast execs say 2024 will bring in new advertisers amid stiff competition for listeners by Sara Guaglione

Libsyn CPMs down 6% for 2023 by Adam Shepherd

Can Programmatic Audio Rise In The Charts In 2024? by Hana Yoo

…as for the rest of the news: Lower Street has announced their speaker lineup for a free brand podcast summit on January 24th, Adam Bowie looks at Edison’s top 25 podcasts in the UK from Q3 2023, and AdExchanger looks at programmatic CTV’s expected evolution for the year.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:
Sounder Analysis: NPR's News Podcasts Significantly Safer for Brands than General Population of News Podcasting

Content Mood Targeting

5 Strategies For Podcast Expansion In A Zero-Sum Audio World by Steven Goldstein

How Will Contextual Advertising Fare When The FTC Revises Its COPPA Rule? by Allison Schiff

…as for the rest of the news: iHeartmedia and Magnite join forces to launch a new marketplace, AdLarge signs exclusive sales partnership with Fable & Folly, Audacy files for bankruptcy, USG Audio scales back Universal’s podcast development, and Voxalyze announces a shutdown of their services due to lack of investment.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Streaming audio twice as “authentic” than TV for advertisers. Podcasts? Nine times. by Brad HilliOS 17, a writeup by Pete BirsingerWhy Gen Z’s biggest podcasters are working from bed by Lilly SmithThe 5 trends that will shape sports marketing in 2024 by Alyssa MeyersMusic streaming service SoundCloud tunes up for sale by Mark Kleinman…as for the rest of the news: Signal Hill Insights shares three potential game-changers from their 2023 research, Cumulus Media signs a deal with BiggerPockets, and iHeartMedia is launching a politically-focused podcast network.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Disney nearly sold out Christmas sports ad space in early December.Simplecast Announces YouTube IntegrationSmartLess Proved Celeb Podcasts Can Mean BusinessYouTube Postpones Co-Viewing Measurement PlanQuick Hits: What marketers need to learn from breakthrough brand IP like Barbie, Nike, Super Mario Bros. for 2024 by Kristina Monllos. Digiday interviews several people in the advertising industry to get their take on the near-future of branded content in a post-Barbie world.Here's What's Missing From Netflix's Data Dump, According to Ad Experts by Bill Bradley. While the new What We Watched report from Netflix has some useful data covering the past six months, ad buyers would prefer smaller, more frequent batches of data with more targetable information than one giant batch every six months.The Crucial Timing of Ads. RedCircle sketches out the ebb and flow of ad spending throughout a typical year to give podcasters an idea of what strategies they should pursue in the early months, the summer, and the busy holiday season at the end of the year. What Worked in 2023: Brands in Podcasting by Annalise Nielsen. Pacific Content interviews several industry professionals to talk about valuable lessons learned in branded podcasting this year.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:Simplecast adds YouTube integration for automatic uploads by Adam ShepherdWhat marketers need to learn from breakthrough brand IP like Barbie, Nike, Super Mario Bros. for 2024 by Kristina MonllosHere's What's Missing From Netflix's Data Dump, According to Ad Experts by Bill Bradley…as for the rest of the news:  Podimo has secured €44 million in combined funding, and eMarketer finds most TV and video ad buyers require at least three(!) forms of data currency.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Welcome to the ad-free internetSpotify's Push Into Audiobooks Sparks Concern Among Authors by Ashley CarmanThe Crucial Timing of AdsMedia Buying Briefing: Here are five media agency trends to watch in 2024 by Antoinette Siu and Michael Bürgi …as for the rest of the news: Rain News shares the audio-related highlights from Nieman Labs’ 2024 predictions, and Marketing Brew covers how Agencies of Record could become a thing of the past.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: IAB Releases First-of-Its-Kind Research Report on the Creator Economy Advertising OpportunityWhat Worked in 2023: Brands in Podcasting by Annalise NielsenYouTube postpones co-viewing measurement plan by Tim PetersonAd Trends In 2024: Digital Deceleration, AI Rising, More Ad-Supported Streaming…as for the rest of the news: Tink Media has launched Podcast Group Therapy to offer podcast marketing strategies in tight-knit online sessions capped at 10 participants, new Association of Online Publishers report shows subscription revenues are beginning growth to a flat digital publishing market in the UK, and Magellan AI publishes their top movers and shakers in podcast advertising for November.