Vox Media Ranked Top 10 Podcast Publisher

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Vox Media debuted on leading industry ranker, Podtrac, as a top podcast publisher. The Vox Media Podcast Network ranked #10 on Podtrac’s April 2023 “Top Podcast Publishers” ranking, with a unique monthly audience of nearly 6 million listeners in the US. 

With over a dozen shows consistently ranked in the top 10 in their respective categories on Apple Podcasts, Vox Media’s slate of chart-topping shows and influential hosts includes Pivot (hosted by journalist Kara Swisher and NYU Stern Marketing professor Scott Galloway), On with Kara Swisher (hosted by Swisher), Where Should We Begin? (Hosted by bestselling author and psychotherapist Esther Perez), Stay Tuned with Preet (hosted by former Manhattan U.S. attorney Preet Bharara), Criminal (hosted by journalist Phoebe Judge), Today, Explained (hosted by public radio alums Sean Rameswaram and Noel King), The MMA Hour (hosted by sports journalist Ariel Helwani) Into It (hosted by public radio alum Sam Sanders), Decoder (hosted by The Verge’s editor-in-chief Nilay Patel), and more.

“Vox Media has been investing in auditor over a decade, and is now the home of the most influential podcast franchises,” says Ray Chao, Vox Media’s SVP and general manger for audio and digital video. “We’re proud to make our debut as a top ten podcast publisher and will continue to invest in growing our audio business for the next decade and beyond.”

“Our slate of podcasts at Vox Media covers every consumer passion point, from shows that deliver essential news and sharp analysis, to shows that feed your soul,” says Nishat Kurwa, Vox Media’s SVP and executive producer for audio. “Our audience has come to rely on the Vox Media Podcast Network for standout shows and expert hosts, and I’m incredibly proud of the scope we’ve developed to become a daily companion for our listeners.”

This announcement comes on the heels of a period of growth for Vox Media’s award-winning podcast network, which in the last two years has more than doubled its audience and revenue. Shows within its network are frequently cited by critics as the industry’s best podcasts, and two of its shows, Today, Explained and Criminal, are already ranked by Podtrac and Edison Research respectively as one of the largest U.S. podcasts. 

Among other accolades, Pivot was named “Best Technology Podcast” at the 2023 iHeartPodcast Awards, Unexplainable won “Best Science and Education Podcast” at the 2023 Webby Awards, and Vox Media earned seven gold awards and two silver awards at the inaugural 2022 Signal Awards, honoring shows including Today, Explained, Stay Tuned with Preet, The Vergecast, and more.

About the Vox Media Podcast Network:

Home to award-winning shows like Today, Explained, On with Kara Swisher, Criminal, Pivot, and Stay Tuned with Preet, the Vox Media Podcast Network features industry-leading voices and storytellers from Vox Media’s editorial networks and beyond. From daily news and tech to culture and sports, and talk and interview shows to rich narrative storytelling, the Vox Media Podcast Network is one of the largest, fastest-growing and most topically diverse collections of premium podcasts.

 

Sound Story Appoints Jane Elliott As Communications Director

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Sound Story, a strategic public relations and communications agency for ambitious brands disrupting the global entertainment industry, has announced the appointment of Jane Elliott as its first Communications Director.

Elliott will join Sound Story on June 13 from NOVA Entertainment, where she has been leading communications as its National Publicity Director for 15 years. Prior to NOVA, the widely-respected PR professional spent over a decade at TV networks Nine and Seven.

At NOVA, she oversaw the business’ corporate and consumer communications and publicity strategy for the launch of new brands including Smooth FM and its recent national extension, alongside the diversification of the company’s digital audio aspirations.

Elliott also managed the publicity and media strategy for Nova’s intimate live music brand Nova’s Red Room both in Australia and across multiple global tours, launched many flagship radio shows across Nova and Smooth networks, and executed campaigns and stakeholder management for the broadcasters’s podcast and radio streaming services.

Elliott will drive new business and work across the agency’s growing portfolio of media and entertainment industry clients, overseeing strategy, corporate, crisis and internal communications, consumer and trade publicity, and executive and talent profile building.

Sound Story, which launched in March, was founded by Jake Challenor, the former Publisher of vertical-leading trade brands The Music Network and Radio Today, the Founding Executive Editor of Variety Australia, and the current Print Editor of Rolling Stone AU/NZ magazine.

The agency launched with a number of foundational clients, including Australia’s largest youth publisher, The Brag Media; tourism and life entertainment startup; Cedar Mill Group; the world’s largest K-Pop label, SM Entertainment; talent management powerhouse, Marchmedia; and Australian-owned global music independent, UNIFIED Music Group.

Sound Story is dedicated to helping its clients launch, grow, and manage their reputations on the world stage. Melbourne-based Elliott joins General Manager, Brian Lawlor, Senior Communications Specialists, Zanda Wilson, and Challenor, with Sydney and Melbourne offices.

Chancellor said: “Jane’s track record speaks for itself, her reputation is second to none. Jane brings to Sound Story over two decades of experience and insight leading corporate communications and publicity campaigns across the media, music and events sectors. I know Jane will add immediate value to our growing portfolio of clients in these verticals as we continue to build a strategic PR and communications agency for ambitious brands disrupting the global entertainment industry, helping each of them to launch, grow and manage their reputations on the world stage. We look forward to welcoming Jane to the team in June!”

Elliott said: “I’m excited for the opportunity to join Jake and the talented team at Sound Story. To be part of an agile business that is committed to supporting leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, who are pursuing their passions and making a real impact in their chosen fields, was too tempting top resist. Having spend my entire career in strategic communications across the entertainment industry, working with some of the most creative and respected people, I can’t wait to support these dynamic brands and leaders in one of the most exciting industries.”

Bleav Joins The Cumulus Podcast Network

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Cumulus Media announced the Bleav network has going the Cumulus Podcast Network. Bleav podcasts cover the NFL, NBA, NCAAB, SEC, and NHL as well as soccer, betting, and pop culture for more than 50 million followers. 

Bleav will be the first network that will feature a show with a current or former player from every American professional and major college sports team, providing fans the insight and access only a player can provide. The Cumulus Podcast Network will distribute, market, and monetize more than 300 Bleav shows.

Bleav network podcasts can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Google Podcasts, among other platforms. Bleav video shows can be found on Bleav’s two FAST television channels – Bleav Sports and Bleav Football – across YouTube and a myriad of other distributors.

“Bleav has created a broad and deep well of programming for sports fans, with content from virtually every professional and major college team in America,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP Marketing at Cumulus Media and President of Westwood One. “Listeners and advertisers alike turn to Westwood One for the very best sports programming, so it is a natural fit for us to partner with Bleav and offer our advertisers access to this extensive podcast portfolio.”

“Bleav is thrilled to announce our partnership with Cumulus/Westwood One, an industry leading, audio-first media company,” said Bleav President Eric Weinberger. “We are eager to embark on this journey together as we continue to empower our creators and remain on the cutting edge of athlete-driven content.”

About Cumulus Media

Cumulus Media is an audio-first media company delivering premium content to over a quarter billion people every month – wherever and whenever they want it. Cumulus Media engages with listeners with high-quality local programming through 405 owned-and-operated radio stations across 85 markets; delivers nationally-syndicated sports, news, talk, and entertainment programming from iconic brands including the NFL, the NCAA, the Masters, CNN, the AP, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and many other world-class partners across more than 9,400 affiliated stations through Westwood One.  For more information visit www.cumulusmedia.com.

About Bleav

Bleav is a sports and entertainment omni channel production company and the #1 content network for professionals. Bleav specializes in producing premium, digital sports and pop culture content for all passionate fanbases. With more than 500 shows, the Bleav network features over 800 hosts, including 175 processional athletes that produce more than 1,000 hours of original audio and video content per month. Our content can be heard, watched, and read across your favorite podcast, audio, video, FAST channel, streaming, digital and social media platforms. Bleav Football is the first-of-its-kind, free, 24/7 channel dedicated to football. Bleav was founded by former professional athlete Born Heussenstamm.

Barometer And Audiohook Partner To Enable Brand Suitability and Contextual Targeting

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Barometer, an AI company specializing in brand suitability and contextual targeting technology for digital audio, has announced a unique partnership with Audiohook, the industry’s leading audio-centric DSP that provides marketers with unprecedented transparency and control of their advertising investments. This partnership will allow advertisers the ability to enforce brand suitability guidelines across thousands of podcasts while enhancing their contextual targeting through Audiobook’s programmatic platform.

The integration with Audiohook’s platform allows advertisers to instantly see if the inventory being monitored by Barometer’s AI-powered brand integrity cloud meets their integrity guidelines. The signals can then be used to enforce those guidelines across the podcast inventory, greatly simplifying the current status quo of post-campaign analysis.

Additionally, as part of this partnership, through the use of Barometer’s AI, Audiohook is now automatically blocking all content based on the GARM Safety Floor, platform-wide for all advertisers free of charge.

“As leaders in the industry, we’ve witnessed the evolution and innovation of the audio landscape,” said Jordan Bentley, CEO of Audiohook. “Brand safety has historically been done on a keyword level, missing all the context that podcasting brings with it. Just as we recognize the need for audio specific buying capabilities, the existing brand safety solutions that have been ported over from display and video, don’t cut it with audio. As an audio first technology company, we are excited to partner with Barometer.”

“Our brand integrity and contextual targeting capabilities bring a new level of clarity and control to advertisers,” said Tamara Zubatiy, co-founder and CEO at Barometer. “Brands can now enforce their standards while setting up campaigns to relieve constant monitoring and ensure their ads are meeting the safety and suitability requirements.”

If you’d like to learn more about how you can tap into the power of this partnership, please reach out to tamara@thebarometer.com. 

Podmachine Launches Podcast Network Builder

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Podcast Network Asia, the leading podcast network in Southeast Asia and the company behind the innovative podcast production platform Podmachine, has announced the launch of its latest product, Podcast Network Builder.

Podcast Network Builder is designed to help brands and companies build their own podcast networks. As the latest addition to Podmachine’s suite of podcasting tools, Podcast Network Builder boasts a user-friendly interface and comprehensive features that will revolutionize the podcasting landscape.

Podcasting has become a vital tool for businesses and brands to connect with their audiences, especially in the digital age. Podcasts provide a unique platform for companies to engage with their customers and build digital brand awareness. However, creating a successful podcast network can be challenging, especially for those who lack the technical expertise or resources.

Podcast Network Builder simplifies the process of building a podcast network, providing users with an all-in-one solution for managing their podcasts. The platform offers Podcast Management, End-to-End Podcast Production, Podcast Marketing, Content Conceptualization, and Analytics and Monetization.

“We what we’ve been able to do with producing hundreds of chart-topping podcasts at scale using Podmachine, we are now enabling companies now to build and manage their own podcast network with ease under one platform.”

Podcast Network Builder’s intuitive interface and powerful features are set to make it a must-have tool for businesses looking to build their own podcast networks. Whether you’re a small business owner or a marketing executive, Podcast Network Builder offers everything you need to take your podcasting to the next level.

To learn more about Podcast Network Builder, visit the website or contact the team directly for more information at hello@podmachine.com

 

Karyn Pugliese (Pabàmàdiz) Named Editor-In-Chief Of Canadaland

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Canadaland is thrilled to announce the hiring of its new editor-in-chief, Karyn Pugliese. 

Pugliese will take command of Canadaland’s newsroom, set the editorial direction of the company, and oversee its growing slate of podcasts, including the CANADALAND podcast.

She will work with founder and publisher Jesse Brown to maintain Canadaland’s strong investigative mandate, amplify its unique voice, and extend its record of breaking national news stories. As Canadaland moves into its second decade, Pugliese will be responsible for defining and expanding its editorial vision. She will start in July.

“Canadaland’s team of talented storytellers is fearless when it comes to tackling important public debates about media, social issues, and politics. They burst onto the media landscape 10 ago with a single podcast, and have since grown into an impressive network with a strong tradition of enterprise journalism, investigations, and advancing under-reported stories. I am delighted to join their team,” Pugliese says.

Karyn Pugliese joins Canadaland with a wealth of experience, including as an investigative journalist and newsroom manager. She has acted as the executive director of news and current affairs at Aboriginal People’s Television Network, the managing editor of investigations at CBC, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Canada’s National Observer. She has served as president of the Canadian Association of Journalists and was selected for the prestigious Martin Wise Goodman Canadian Neiman Fellowship at Harvard University. She is a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation in Ontario.

Pugliese has won numerous awards for her work, including the Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism, the Hyman Solomon Award for Excellence in Public Policy Journalism, and the Elias Boudinot Free Press Award from Native American Journalists Association. In April of 2023, she was awarded the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Charles Bury Award for her “efforts to inspire change in how Canadian journalism covers Indigenous stories.”

Pugliese has appeared on the Canadaland network of podcasts over the years, most recently exploring decades of indigenous resistance as the host and co-producer of canadaLANDBACK in partnership with Canada’s National Observer.

“I’ve admired Karyn for years,” Brown says, “and it’s a dream come true to welcome her into our newsroom as its new leader. Karyn lives and breathes journalism. She is fearless, compassionate, highly skilled, and tough as nails. She mentors and protects her reporters and their stories, and she persistently plagues powerful people with ugly secrets. I’m proud that we built a news organization worthy of her talents, and I’m excited to go with her, wherever she takes us.”

Libsyn Sponsors IAB Upfront & Unveils April 2023 CPM’s

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Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers announced its sponsorship 2023 IAB Podcast Upfront and April 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates, including the highest and most accessible CPM categories.

2023 IAB Podcast Upfront

Libsyn is a proud VIP Sponsor of the 2023 IAB Podcast Upfront, a marketplace event specifically designed for brands, agencies, and media buyers to preview the latest in innovative podcast programming. The event will take place in NYC at Quorum by Convene (1221 Avenue of the Americas) and virtually on IAB.com.

Chris Bowlby, Head of Brand Partnerships at Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast, and Meredith Krantz, Director of Brand Partnerships at Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast, will both be on hand to delve into the insights-rich, brand-safe, addressable, and scalable opportunities available to advertisers seeking to reach targeted and niche audiences.

“We’ve seen a real shift from advertisers taking a test-and-learn approach to fully integrating podcasting into their media strategy,” said Dave Hanley, Chief Revenue Officer at Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. “As advertisers look to optimize their investment strategies, we continue to provide additional tools and solutions to show the efficiency and efficacy of their campaigns in a much more precise and transparent way.”

Stay tuned for the IAB’s seventh annual Podcast Ad Revenue report on May 11, 2023 for podcast advertising results and growth projections.

April 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates

The following rates, which are denoted as cost per thousand or CPM, are published monthly by Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast, the industry’s premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters. The Company releases pricing and provide greater insight into podcasting advertising as a monetization vehicle. The data is derived from actual sales data across AdvertiseCast’s network of thousands of shows, including more than 225 exclusive podcasts.

For April 2023, the average CPM rate was $23.07 for a 60-second ad spot. That figure has increased almost $1.00 (or 4%) over the last month (March 202 avg. CPM rate: $22.09) and has decreased year-over-year (April 2022 avg. CPM rate: $23.84).

The three highest CPM categories in April based on delivered advertising were:

Technology: $28

Education: $26

Business: $25

Moreover, three categories where advertisers can effectively tap into highly engaged audience at more accessible CPM rates include Arts, Music, and Fiction, which averaged around the low twenties in April.

Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast combines an industry-leading ad buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that make it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns, while providing maximum return for creators. Historical monthly CPM rates can be found on AdvertiseCast’s website at www.advertisecast.com/podcast-advertising-rates.

Libsyn Honored As Bronze Stevie Award Winner For Product Innovation In 2023 American Business Award

~ Jen Thorpe

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn” or the “Company”), the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers, today announced that it was named the winner of a Bronze Stevie Award in the product innovation category in The 21st Annual American Business Awards.

The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories. Libsyn was recognized for Achievement in the Product Innovation category for its evolution from a podcasting pioneer with the best hosting solutions to a one-stop destination for all podcasting services and a leading podcast advertising marketplace – achieved through investments in product innovation and expanded partnerships.

Libsyn has established itself as the premier, all-encompassing platform for creators and advertisers alike by executing on its platform strategy and robust product roadmap. The company is delivering on its mission to unlock the creative potential of the full spectrum of creators – from independents to established creators – and enable more advertisers to access highly sought-after podcast advertising inventory to reach an engaged podcast audience via its AdvertiseCast marketplace.

“We’re honored to be recognized as a podcasting industry innovator,” said Libsyn’s CEO, Bradley Tirpak. “Podcasting has reached an inflection point with surging popularity and listenership growth that’s driving increasing advertiser demand. We’ve invested significantly in our platform innovations and that’s enabling use to deliver industry-leading tools and insights for creators, scale our advertising business, and drive international expansion.”

More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2023 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA

The Podcast Show 2023 In London Announces Preview Night Line-Up

~ Jen Thorpe

The Podcast Show, the biggest international festival for the business of podcasting, is back for a second year. This one-of-a-kind event is open to industry professionals, independent podcast creators, business leaders, emerging talent and fans alike, and will see the podcast community gather at The Business Design Centre in Islington, London. Day and night, thousands of visitors are expected from around the world, with visitors from over 35 countries already represented.

For the first time, a special Preview Night will take place on Tuesday 23rd May, 6pm until 9pm. Ticket-holders will be the first people to enter the Business Design Centre and walk the show floor – they’ll get a sneak preview of the activations and exhibitions ahead of the doors opening to the public the following day, as well as some complementary drinks, music, networking opportunities, and the chance to share the floor with some of the biggest names in the industry.

Nihal Arthanayke, UK radio and TV presenter, will host the evening. Fearne Cotton (Broadcaster and Founder, Happy Place) will present the inaugural International Podcast Trailblazer Award to Ashley Flowers, recognizing the global impact she has made on the podcast industry. Flowers hosts the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie, and is the founder and chief creative officer of audiochuck, one of the top media and podcasting companies in the world, generating over 2 billion downloads with listeners in over 170 countries. Flowers said – 

“I’m so grateful to The Podcast Show for this incredible honor. To be recognized for our work at audiochuck at an event that acknowledges the many talented storytellers in our industry means so much to me, and I can’t wait to celebrate with our Crime Junkies in London!”

Following the presentation, Holly Bolt, Global Managing Director, Entertainment at YMU Group will be ‘in conversation’ with Fearne Cotton about her phenomenally successful Happy Place podcast and the wider Happy Place brand which includes the festival, app and books imprint.

The Podcast Show is thrilled to announce the support of an International Industry Advisory Panel, consisting of a group of figureheads from across the global podcast community. They are advising the Show across all aspects of the festival to make sure it’s as meaningful and helpful as possible to the podcast community. The panel includes:

Bernard P Achampong (Founder of Unedited)

Christina Moore (The Podcast Academy founding member)

Donald Albright (President & Co-Founder at Tenderfoot TV)

Jenna Weiss Berman (Executive Vice President of Podcast at Audacy, which bought her company Pineapple Street Studios)

Jennifer Dollard (Acast’s Director of Content for Ireland)

Jez Nelson (EVP, Co-Head of Global Podcasts at Sony Music Entertainment)

Lee Brown (VP, Global Head of Advertising Business & Platform, Spotify)

Megan Bradshaw (Senior Podcast Manager at Amazon Music for UK, Australia and New Zealand)

Oren Rosenbaum (Partner & Head of Audio at UTA)

Ruth Fitzsimons (Former Managing Director at Podfront UK)

As well as Nihal Arthanayake hosting the features moments on the night, he will also moderate a keynote session with members of the Advisory Panel titled, ‘A Glimpse at the Global Market.’

The Business Design Centre is a stone’s throw away from Kings Cross train station and the Eurostar. Passes are on sale now at thepodcastshowlondon.com, 

including £65 Preview Night tickets, £69 (Day Passes) and £127 (2 Day Passes), with a limited number of £30 tickets for those aged 30 and under. Produced by AV Media & Events (AVME), a joint venture between SME London and GetOnMedia.

Pledging to support the Equality in Audio Pact, The Podcast Show encourages and nurtures continued opportunities, including supporting gender balance, minority groups including LGBTQIA+ and ethnic diversity among panelists, speakers and those in attendance. For more information about the act, visit equalityinaudiopact.co.uk