Focus on Blubrry Podcasting: Podcast Statistics

~ jen

Blubrry Stats screenshot showing a set of headphones with the number 196726 below, with the text "total show listens" below that, and the text "443 episodes" at the very bottomThis is the first in an ongoing series that focuses on features provided by Blubrry Podcasting.

Whether you’re just starting out in podcasting or a longtime producer, it can be common to feel like you’re just speaking into the void. Is anyone out there? Are they really listening? The answers to these questions may seem difficult to find, but they’re not as complicated as you might think.

Is There Anybody Listening?
In the early days of podcasting, show producers had very few ways to determine if their shows were being consumed. Occasional audience communication like e-mail or social media connections were always gratifying. But direct feedback usually only represents a small percentage of any show’s total audience. To get a better understanding of audience size, it was necessary to sift through server logs, trying to parse raw data into something meaningful.

A Beacon of Hope
Blubrry was founded by podcasters with roots in the very beginning of podcasting. Growing with the medium, Blubrry understood the challenges faced by podcasters, including the need for audience measurement. That led Blubrry to launch its own podcast statistics platform in 2007. Blubrry Stats were immediately open to all podcasters, regardless of what platform they used to publish their shows.

Constantly Growing
The podcasting industry has changed a lot over time and Blubrry’s been right there, growing with it. Blubrry Stats started as a standalone offering and was later paired with Blubrry Podcast Media Hosting to provide the deepest insights possible from any podcasting platform. Blubrry Stats was also the first podcasting stats system to receive full Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) certification.

Options for All Podcasters
Blubrry offers three different tiers of podcast statistics:

  • Blubrry Free Statistics: A quick and easy solution for getting a snapshot of how many downloads your podcast is receiving and how/where people are consuming your show. Free Stats can be used with any podcast publishing platform that supports third-party stats providers.
  • Blubrry Standard Statistics: This version of Blubrry Stats is available for $5/month and is a big step up from Free Stats. Standard Stats allows you to compare episodes and see download trends across your entire stats history. Standard Stats unlocks Blubrry Media Kit, a great tool for promoting your show. This level of Blubrry Stats is also available as part of Blubrry’s $12/month Standard Media Hosting package, providing an affordable full-service podcast publishing solution.
  • Blubrry Advanced Statistics: Available with all Blubrry Advanced Media Hosting plans (starting at $20/month), Blubrry Advanced Stats provides the most comprehensive look at your show’s audience. Along with all of the features included in Standard Stats, Advanced Stats estimates total listeners/subscribers, provides listener retention/partial plays, and impactful play data.

Go Even Further
Knowing your show’s audience goes beyond just the numbers. Each tier of Blubrry Stats allows you to create Listener Surveys that can be used to gain more specific insights into your audience, like age/gender/economic demographics. Listener Surveys are anonymized on the listener side but the aggregate data they provide can help you to get the biggest possible picture of your show’s audience.

Leaving the Void
Sign up for Blubrry Stats today and start getting the full picture of your show’s audience. You’ll never again feel like you’re podcasting into the void!

Empowering Creators – Blubrry Podcasting Offers 50% Off For Higher Education Students

~ jen

Students save money with Blubrry’s new verified discount.

Blubrry Podcasting, a trailblazer in the podcasting industry, is significantly lowering the barrier to entry in podcasting by announcing a generous 50% discount on its podcasting services for higher education students. Recognizing the importance of empowering the next generation of learners, Blubrry Podcasting is taking the initiative to support new creators who otherwise wouldn’t be able to host a professional podcast due to cost.

Podcasting has become a powerful medium for storytelling, sharing knowledge and building communities. It’s accessibility and versatility have made it an ideal tool for students to meaningfully connect with their communities. Recognizing the importance of nurturing the next generation of learners, Blubrry Podcasting is committed to removing students’ barriers to entry when starting or continuing their podcasting efforts.

For students, podcasting offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore topics of interest, develop valuable digital communication skills, and create a portfolio of work that can impress future employees or educational endeavors. Blubrry’s discount directly addresses challenges, making podcasting accessible to a broader range of college students

Why does podcasting matter for younger generations? It offers a multitude of benefits, including:

  • Real-World Skills: Podcast production develops skills in scripting, recording, editing and marketing, preparing students for future careers.
  • Continued Growth in the Podcast Industry: Podcasting will only maintain sustainability of younger generations continue to share their voices and can get their ideas off the ground quickly.
  • Student Engagement: Podcasting empowers students to become content creators, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills.
  • Flexible Learning: On-demand access to content accommodates different lifestyles, busy schedules, and learning styles.
  • Community Building: Podcasts connect students with their peers and in some cases, are used in more academic environments with their teachers and classmates.

Blubrry Podcasting’s commitment to providing this discount to higher education students underscores its dedication to nurturing the podcasters of tomorrow. In an era where technology is reshaping education, podcasting stands out as a tool that empowers educators and students. This is only the first opportunity to lessen the barrier to entry for students and educators.

This initiative is a significant step toward fostering a generation of podcasters who will continue to explore and evolve this exciting medium and the industry. To access this offer, students simply verify their student status and use the discount code available during the podcast hosting checkout. Those interested in learning more about the podcasting student discount can visit Blubrry’s website and blog post.

About us: Blubrry Podcasting is a leading provider of podcasting services, including hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetization. With a focus on innovation and community, Blubrry supports podcaster at every stage of their journey, offering tools and resources to help creators reach their fullest potential. To learn more about how to Publish, Analyze, and Grow, please visit our website.

Sony Music’s Global Podcast Division Acquires Neon Hum

~ jen

Sony Music’s Global Podcast Division announced the acquisition of podcast production company Neon Hum, streamlining the company’s U.S. creative division and broadening its work for hire services under Neon Hum Founder/CEO Jonathan Hirsch.

In his new role as Vice President, Global Podcasts and Head of U.S. Creative, Hirsch will spearhead the U.S. creative business and report directly to Steve Ackerman, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Podcasts at Sony Music.

With the acquisition, Sony Music will leverage Neon Hum’s production expertise to continue to develop award-winning premium podcasts for its subscription channel The Binge and across its always-on entertainment slate. In addition, Sony Music will further expand its work-for-hire business to provide more service beyond audio production for its client and branded podcasts.

“We have worked closely with Jonathan and the team at Neon Hum for several years now and value his creative and strategic vision to produce premium shows across our successful true crime and always on slates,” said Ackerman. “This move allows us to maximize Neon Hum’s creative and production input as we further grow our roster of original and client shows.”

“Neon Hum and Sony Music have always been aligned in our audio-first mentality and approach,” said Hirsch. “I’m excited for the next steps as the Neon Hum team becomes a full part of Sony Music Podcasts and we continue to produce premium audio content.”

In 2019, Sony Music announced a strategic investment in Neon Hum. Together the two companies have launched a range of acclaimed shows including Dinners on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson and multiple seasons of its true-crime franchise Smoke Screen including current hit My Fugitive Dad. Neon Hum has also produced hit podcasts for top tier clients, including Crunchyroll, Discovery, HBO Max, NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, and more.

About Sony Music Global Podcasts

We are Sonly Music Entertainment’s Global Podcast Division — where podcasters are artists. We put creators first and develop premium shows that loyal audiences keep coming back to. Based in New York, Los Angeles, and London, we are a team of podcast obsessives covering creative, sales, marketing and business development teams focused on one thing — our listeners and the shows we make for them.

Headliner Celebrates 6th Birthday Creating Over 72.9 Million Minutes of Podcasts

~ jen

Six years ago today, the pink, purple, and blue smiley face you know and love came to be. Today, we want to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together.

Highlights

Over 1.3 million podcasters in 193 countries have created with Headliner.

In total, podcasters have exported over 72.9 million minutes of content — that’s just over 138 years’ worth of podcasts ! Here are some other highlights:

Podcasters created 17.1 million audiograms in total

Headliner has transcribed over 25 million minutes

We launched three new products

Podcasters set up 166k automations in Make by Headliner

With Automattic Audiograms, podcasters made 5.6 million clips

Podcast Promo has helped podcasters worldwide garner 148.7 million impressions

Now, that’s a lot of podcasts!

Today, Headliner is most famous for our audiogram tool — Make By Headliner. But, Headliner does so much more than “just” audiograms. Today, Headliner boasts a comprehensive tool kit to help podcasters grow their audience,

With Headliner, podcasters can edit, transcribe, promote, advertise, and connect their podcast across the web.

How we started

Did you know that Headliner actually came to be all because of user feedback?

“Headliner was built with feedback from the podcasting community, and our recent products have all been focused on helping podcasts grow, whether through organic or paid means,” – Oliver Wellington, COO & Co-Founder.

In 2015, our team released a social audio app called Sparemin. Sparemin allowed people to connect, record 5-minute interviews, and then share them. While the app did not take off, there was one little feature we found many people liked — audiograms.

“We’ve been working on this since 2018, and our main mission is to connect podcasts with their next great listener… We’re basically just building all the tools that you need to get your podcast on the web and discoverable by people.” – Oliver Wellington, COO and Co-Founder.

Since then, we’ve been growing and adapting our company in many different ways. One thing that has always remained constant-Headliner helps podcasters go from audio to audience.

“Headliner just continues to grow, which is amazing. Thinking about how we started, it is awesome to see how far these simple yet powerful assets have taken us. We’ve iterated and added more tools and ways for podcasters to grow their audience, like Disco. Today, we help millions of people discover podcasts every month! It is a very exciting space to be in and incredibly rewarding helping people get to amazing content they likely wouldn’t have otherwise!” – Neil Mody, CEO & Co-Founder

A Bright Future

Headliner has changed a lot over the pst six years. As a company, we’ve evolved from “just audiograms” to offering a comprehensive toolkit for podmotion (podcast + promotion). Beyond audiograms, podcasters can transcribe, create AI-generated assets, caption videos, connect their podcasts to blogs or websites, dabble in paid podcast promotion, and so much more! (Although we definitely still love our audiograms!)

While we’ve grown, one thing has remained constant — Headliner is for podcasters. Our mission is to help grow podcasting in an easy, friendly way.

AudioAdPro Announces Jo Bucci As Chair

~ jen

Audioadpro, the specialist digital audio advertising platform, is delighted to announce the appointment of Jo Bucci as Chair.

With a distinguished career of strategic and commercial leadership in the audio and publishing sectors particularly, Jo Bucci brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the company.

Currently CEO at The Jewish Chronicle, Jo has also held senior executive roles at News UK, Wireless Group, Peoples Post Code Lottery, Leicester City Football Club, GCap Media, and Century Radio Group.

“We are delighted to have Jo as our Chair at audiopro” said Roger Cutsforth, Co-Founder of audioadpro. “Her remarkable track record of success and deep understanding of the media and audio landscape made Jo our ideal choice and we are blown away she was inspired by our vision. We know that with her guidance, audioadpro will go from strength to strength.”

The announcement of Jo Bucci’s appointment comes at an exciting time for a audioadpro as the company continues to expand its operations in the digital audio advertising market. With her strategic vision and unparalleled expertise, Jo will play a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth and shaping its future direction.

“I am honored to join audioadpro as Chair,” said “digital audio advertising represents dynamic and rapidly evolving space, and I am excited to work with Roger, Michael, and the team at audioadpro to capitalize on emerging opportunities and drive sustained success.”

As Chair, Jo will collaborate closely with audioadpro’s executive team and advisors to provide strategic oversight and guidance, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of digital audio advertising innovation.

About audioadpro:

audioadpro is a leading platform for bespoke digital audio advertising, connecting advertisers to their own specific target audience[s] in specific locations across all digital audio channels and publishers.

WME Hires Millie Webber As Digital Agent In The UK

~ jen

WME has hired Millie Webber as a digital agent, with a focus on creators and podcasting.

Webber has built a career specializing in representing digital talent and commercializing the podcasting industry. She has managed and closed deals for talent including Gemma Styles, Tom Felton, and James Buckley In Sickness and In Health, as well as launching the F1 podcast Pitstop.

Webber will join WME from independent content production company Spirit Studios where she served as Head of Digital, She previously worked at talent agency Gleam Futures for six weeks where she was Talent Director and Podcast Lead. A member of the Global Academy Industry Board, Webber has consulted for talent agencies, providing strategic growth advice and training for entry- and senior-level agents.

Her start date will be April 8 and will be based in the agency’s London office.

WME’s digital department has had a presence in London for over a decade and most recently added former TikTok creator Lola Oyewole as an agent last year. Recent new client signings from the London team — which represents Goalhanger Podcasts and Persephonica — include Alice Levine and Charlie Webber in podcasting, as well as content creators Saffron Barker and Eddie Abbew and author Candice Brathwaite.

WME’s digital department, led by co-heads Jad Dayeh and Ben Davis, includes clients in the podcasting space such as Jay Shetty, Dax Shepard, Bobbi Althoff, and Morbid.

Tech Solutions Veteran Charlie Smith Joins Frequency

~ jen

Frequency, the leader in workflow automation and ad management for audio, announces Charlie Smith has joined its team as Technical Account Manager. Charlie reports to Frequency CEO Pete Jimison and will provide technical support to clients, leading the charge on platform onboarding and training, customer support, and new feature releases.

With over a decade of experience, Charlie has a track record of helping clients implement media workflow and ad monetization tools. Having held roles at Gannet, Triad Retail Media, Placements.io, and Operative, Charlie is ideally positioned to guide clients on leveraging Frequency solutions to achieve optimal performance.

“Frequency has been built around the mission of making day-to-day tasks easier and more efficient for audio teams,” says Charlie Smith, Technical Account Manager at Frequency. “I view my role as a direct extension of that mission. As I collaborate with clients, my goal is to identify opportunities to enhance their experience and ensure users are taking full advantage of all the amazing toolsets and features at their fingertips.”

“As a product-driven company, it is important for our team to remain customer-centric in everything we do,” says Pete Jimison, CEO of Frequency. “With extensive product experience and a commitment to exceptional customer service, Charlie will be integral in bringing product and client teams together to fuel better outcomes for our customers.”

With the recent launch of Production Automation, Frequency has completed its suite of podcast workflow tools. The end-to-end solution include Brand Approvals to match brands with shows, Production Automation to streamline ad production, and Ad Management to provide creative tools, targeting and reporting for ad delivery. As new and exciting clients increase adoption of Frequency, Charlie will play an integral role in onboarding teams to ensure success.

Want to see a live demo of Frequency in action? Visit frequencyads.com

About Frequency

Frequency has created the next generation of ad management for the audio industry, providing workflow automation and targeted delivery in one innovative platform. With Frequency, audio networks can increase revenue opportunities, reduce manual operations, and improve ad experiences. The world’s top audio publishers and advertisers use Frequency’s enterprise solutions to centralize campaigns and personalize podcast, radio, and streaming ads. Serving 5B+ ad impressions a month, Frequency is the chosen software for audio operations efficiency and growth. For more information, visit frequencyads.com

STUDY: 8 In 10 Podcast Listeners Want Personalization In Their Ads

~ jen

AMA, the global leader in dynamic creative and personalization for digital audio advertising, today shared revealing insights from its recent survey, which polled over 1,000 U.S. consumer about their podcast listening habits and advertising preferences. Conducted in January 2024, the survey uncovers the pivotal role of social media in podcast discovery. Additionally, it sheds light on listeners’ preference for ad formats and timing, underscoring the growing demand for personalized ad experiences within podcasts.

“The data is unequivocal: Listeners want advertising that speaks directly to them, not just around them,” asserted Steve Dunlop, Founder and CEO of AMA. “Our research confirms that when ads are well-integrated and hit that sweet spot of timing and content, they’re not just heard, they’re listened to.”

Social Media Emerges As A Key Player In Podcast Discovery

Key findings from the research indicate a strong link between social media usage and podcast discovery, with YouTube leading at 61%, followed by 46% of respondents discovering new podcasts through Facebook and 43% through Instagram. Other platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok also played a role, with usage rates of 20%, 9%, and 39% respectively.

Varied Listener Comfort With Ad Personalization In Podcasts

When it comes to personalization, 80% of listeners show a preference for personalized ads in their podcast experience, signaling a substantial market appetite for customization. Nearly 20% of respondents seek highly personalized ads, tailored directly to their individual interests and listening habits. This highlights the importance of hyper-personalization, which can be achieved at scale with dynamic creative.

“Ad relevance is more than just a convenience; it directly leads to purchases,” Dunlop explained. “The study’s findings reinforce that dynamic creative both enhances brand impact, and aligns with listener preferences. Given that tailored ads resonate with listeners and benefits brands, the choice for dynamic audio advertising is clear.”

Listener Preferences Lean Towards Pre-Recorded and Host-Read Podcast Ads

The survey highlights listener preference in ad formats with 38% favoring pre-recorded ads (short commercial messages recorded by someone other than the podcast host and typically last 15-30 seconds) casting a shadow over the belief that host-read ads are more effective. Furthermore, just under a third (31%) of listeners enjoy host-read sponsorship ads, while another 31% prefer branded content (promotional messages seamlessly integrated within the podcast content, like a branded segment or episode.) Regarding ad placement within a podcast, 42% of respondents prefer pre-roll ads at the start of the podcast, one-third favor mid-roll ads, and one-quarter are inclined towards post-roll ads at the end.

Ad relevance proves to be a key driver in listener response, with a combined 42% of respondents finding podcast ads either very relevant (15%) or somewhat relevant (27%) and acknowledging that such relevance has led to actual purchases. This highlights how relevant ads boost listener purchases, demonstrating targeted advertising’s effectiveness in driving consumer action.

Diverse Listening Habits Indicate The Need For Dynamic Creative In Podcast Ads

While 15% of listeners are devoted, never missing an episode, a third of the respondents identity themselves as regular listeners. This highlights a potential risk of ad fatigue, particularly for regular listeners who might encounter the same ad repeatedly. This situation is all too familiar — repetitive ads can become irritating, distracting from the listener experience.

AMA’s dynamic creative technology offers a solution by adjusting the ad content to suit each listener’s context. With features like message rotation, even the same campaign can deliver unique ads to a listener — keeping the content fresh, engaging and reducing ad fatigue. This innovation is crucial for maintaining listener engagement, emphasizing the need for flexible advertising strategies.

“Personalized advertising is the future of engaging listeners,” emphasized Dunlop. “Our study shows that listeners aren’t just open to personalized ads — they prefer them. This shift is monumental, steering us away from one-size-fits-all generic creative ads toward those what resonate with individual tastes and interests. Particularly revealing is the potential for programmatic advertising to transform podcasting, inviting major advertisers to engage at scale. By embracing this evolution, we’re not just reaching audiences but genuinely engaging them — marking a new chapter in digital audio advertising.”

To learn more about AMA and how the company’s technology delivers customized, data-driven, dynamic ads on the world’s largest audio platforms, visit amillionads.com.

Podspace Continues To Grow – Now The Second Largest Podcast Platform And Ad Network in Sweden

~ jen

According to the latest data from Poddindex (Kantar Mediafacts) Podspace was Sweden’s fastest growing podcast platform in 2023, with unique listener reach increasing by 21%. This growth is significantly higher than the 13% average observed among the four platforms included in the measurement (Podspace, Acast, Bauer Media, Swedish Radio).

Today, Podspace announced that several of the largest publishers in Sweden have signed partnerships with Podspace Ads, the company’s advertising network for 15-30 second audio ads.

In 2023, Podspace platform saw a growth of 21%, thereby surpassing the 1 million weekly unique listener mark. This solidified Podspace position as one of the leading podcast platforms in the Nordics.

“Rapid growth in a mature and competitive market is a testament that Podspace has a unique offer. The key, I think, has been our recent decision to focus the platform and our services primarily towards large enterprise publishers, combined with a flexible and results-driven approach. Podspace right to exist is defined by the value we bring to both publishers and advertisers, and thats deeply ingrained in our DNA and way of business,” says Carl Fridsjö, CEO of Podspace.

Podspace reports that several of Sweden’s largest publishers and creators have recently joined its ad network for audio ads, Podspace Ads. This move makes their inventory either fully or partially accessible to advertisers via Podspace’s marketplace. In less than a year since its launch in 2023, Podspace Ads has become the second largest podcast ad network in Sweden, thanks to a recent surge ad inventory.”

“The media agencies have begun to recognize the scale of our ad network and the results we can produce. As a result, we naturally become a key component of our customers’ audio campaigns, which is excellent. There’s been recent discussion about a “podcast bubble.” However, the reality is that the podcast market is expanding quickly, and Podspace is growing even faster than the market,” says Lukas Boo, Director of Sales.

Partners to Podspace Ads 2024 include (among others):



Bonnier News, including its subsidiaries (newspapers Expressen, Dagens, Nyheter, Dagens Industri etc)

Amedia / Moderne Media Perfect Day Media

Make Sense Media Kvartal

NTM

Study From Gumball, ART19 and Signal Hill Insights Highlight Effectiveness of ‘Talent Read’ Ads

~ jen

New analysis from Gumball, ART19, and Signal Hill reveals host-read ads can share their effectiveness when they are targeted to other podcasts in an adjacent category or genre, outperforming a standard ‘Announcer Read’ on upper-funnel metrics (download study here)

These ads are defined as ‘Talent Reads’ – ads voiced by talent from an existing podcast who are not featured in the specific podcast where the ad is being inserted. The study indicates that ‘Talent Reads,’ with a 4-point absolute lift in purchase intent compared to the 1-point lift for “Announcer Reads’ are the most effective way to extend host influence and improve programmatic revenue in podcasting. Gumball will begin offering ‘Talent Reads’ in its ad platform in Q2 of 2024.

While programmatic revenue has grown considerably since 2021, it still only represents 11% of total revenue according to the IAB’s most recent revenue study, compared to nearly 90% in digital media more broadly. Gumball, the Headgum-founded ad marketplace specializing in host-read advertising, believes podcast publishers and marketers must develop new products to bridge this gap while aligning themselves closely with what makes podcasting so uniquely effective; creator-endorsed messaging.

“The impact of host-read ads remains central to our business,” said Mary Michael, CEO at Gumball. “It was natural for our team to investigate how to extend that influence at scale to benefit both creators and advertisers. Working with ART19 and Signal Hill Insights on this research allows Gumball to confidently standardize the ‘Talent Read’ ad product and leverage our talent’s influence to adjacent shows within our platform and beyond.”

This brand lift study, conducted by Signal Hill Insights, specifically tested a ‘Talent Read’ for Stamps.com voiced by Tom Bilyeu from the podcast Impact Theory, which was inserted into an adjacent show within the Business & Careers category, excluding those affiliated with Bilyeu. In addition to yielding higher levels of familiarity, affinity, and purchase intent, the ‘Talent Read’ also generated significant lifts in agreement for three brand statement extracted from the ad, whereas the ‘Announcer Read’ only generated significant lifts for two brand statements.

As podcast technology continues to advance and publishers optimize their inventory across direct sales, targeted ad marketplaces, and VAST-enabled Supply-Side Platforms, the ‘Talent Read’ can quickly become a premium offering positioned between host-read ads and ‘Announcer Reads.”

“To reach podcast audiences at scale, advertisers need to access the right technology which provides flexibility to run multiple creative types across their campaigns. Publishers need tools to maximize impression on delivery while leveraging the unique voices of their networks,” said Andy Slater, ART19’s Head of Partnerships and Strategy. “Through this study, ART19 is pleased that we can help both brands and podcasters achieve their goals through activating talent read ads, in addition to the already impactful announcer reads, in our Targeted Audience Solutions marketplace.”

This study not only underscores the importance of creator-endorsed messaging but also presents a significant opportunity for publishers and marketers to extend successful host-read campaigns across adjacent podcasts, thereby maximizing the reach and engagement.

“The results point the way to a three-tier strategy — combining host-reads, talent reads, and announcer reeds —that can help advertisers and agencies maximize the value of their podcast ad creatives,” said Paul Riismandel, Chief Insights Officer of Signal Hill Insights.

Signal Hill’s brand lift study surveyed 800 monthly podcast listeners aged 25-54. Lift results were based upon comparing brand metrics for listeners exposed to the podcast ads to a control group who did not hear the ads.