Month: February 2019

Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail Makes it to Stitcher Premium

~ jen

Marvel and top listening service and content network, Stitcher (Heaven’s Gate, Katie Couric), announced the second season premier date for its highly-anticipated and iHeartRadio Award-winning original podcast series Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail. The 10-episode second season will air weekly, exclusively on Stitcher Premium, beginning Monday, March 25, 2019, and will be released widely across all podcast platforms later in the year.

Following the incredible fan reception of Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night, Richard Armitage (“The Hobbit”) will reprise his role as Logan in Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail.

Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail is an epic quest that takes place in the Louisiana bayou. Following the events of Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night, Logan (Richard Armitage) returns to New Orleans in search of redemption, only to discover that his ex-lover, Maureen is nowhere to be found. And she’s not the only one.

Dozens of humans and mutants have gone missing, including the mother of a teenage boy, Marcus Baptiste. With Weapon X in close pursuit, Logan and Marcus must team up and follow a trail of clues that leads them deep into the gothic heart of the bayou, where they encounter biker gangs, Cajun thieves and a world of wonders that defies explanation. It is here that they find Greenhaven – a refuge run by a powerful mutant named Jason Wyngarde.

The show’s cast includes notable actors Bill Irwin (Legion) as Jason Wyngarde, Bill Heck (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) as Remy LeBeau, Blair Brown (Orange is the New Black) as Bonnie Roach, Rachael Holmes (Mad Dogs) as Maureen, and newcomer Rodney Henry as Marcus.

Award-winning comic book author Ben Percy (“The Dark Net,” “Red Moon”), director Brendan Baker (Wolverine: The Long Night) and associate director Chloe Prasinos (Wolverine: The Long Night) will return for the series, produced by Daniel Fink and Chloe Wilson of Marvel and Jenny Radlet Mast of Stitcher.

All 10 episodes of Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night are currently available on all major podcast platforms and devices.

Wondery Announces 2019 Programing Slate at Winter Podcast Upfront

~ jen

Wondery, the largest independent podcast publisher, announced its new programming slate for 2019 at the Winter Podcast Upfront. Fresh off the success of its most recent #1 hit Over My Dead Body – with Episode 1 currently at 900 downloads, 80% higher than Dr Death in the comparable window – Wondery made the following announcements.

Wondery has extended its partnership with the LA Times to jointly produce Man in the Window, a true crime thriller that uncovers new and surprising details about the Golden State Killer. Wondery and the LA Times will also jointly distribute the series Larger Than Life and Room 20. Their first collaboration was the viral 2017 podcast Dirty John, which became a hit TV show on Bravo.

Wondery also announced a new partnership with Bloomberg. Under this partnership, Wondery and Bloomberg will jointly produce The Shrink Next Door, the bizarre true story of a successful businessman whose life was taken over by his psychiatrist.

Another major announcement was the return of Wondery’s acclaimed Inside miniseries, with Inside Star Wars. Written and hosted by Mark Ramsey, Inside Star Wars is an immersive audio-documentary that explores the making of Star Wars. Previous installments of the Insideseries include Inside Psycho,Inside Jaws, and Inside the Exorcist– all of which were smash hits.

Wondery also revealed the launch of several new ongoing series, including One Plus One and The Moment. One Plus One looks at what happens when two original thinkers come together to leave an unforgettable mark on the world, while The Moment explores the romance and absurdity of our lives’ most important moments.

In addition, Wondery is launching its first-ever sports show, In The Arena, which takes listeners into the most heated rivalries in sports history. Wondery is also launching a new interview series with actor Justin Long called Getting Along With Justin Long.

Your Podcast May Have Been Added to Himalaya

~ jen

Himalaya is a platform for podcasters to create podcasts, connect, and share content with their fans. When podcast creators use Himalaya, they can gain support from their listeners and interact with the podcast community like never before.

The first thing I noticed when I looked at the Himalaya website was a bright red-orange button that said “Claim Your Show”. This is never a good sign. It indicates that Himalaya has gone ahead and added podcasts to itself without bothering to contact any of the podcasts hosts first. To me, this feels dishonest.

Want to find out if your podcast is already on Himalaya? You can search for it on the “Find Your Show” part of the Himalaya website.

Neither of the solo podcasts I do are there. My solo shows are not on iTunes. They just exist on my website. However, two other podcasts that I am involved in are on Himalaya. Both of those are on iTunes. From this, it appears that Himalaya is adding shows from iTunes.

If you do a search for your podcast on the Himalaya website, and it is not there, you can contact them to have it added. It is not clear how to contact them if you would like your show removed. There is no information about whether or not Himalaya links back to the podcast’s actual feed.

Himalaya is an app that can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play. According to the information on Himalaya’s FAQ, the only way a podcast’s listeners can send money through Himalaya is to download the Himalaya app.

Personally, I see this as a limitation. If none of your listeners want to download the Himalaya app, then you cannot possibly make any money via Himalaya. To me, it sounds like a podcaster would have to use up some of their show time doing advertising for the Himalaya app before they could potentially make any money from it.

Let’s suppose, for a minute, that each and every one of your listeners decides to download the Himalaya app and that all of them start giving you tips through it. In order to get paid, you would have to submit your PayPal information to Himalaya. Podcasters get paid on a monthly basis. It is unclear if Himalaya takes a cut or not.

Personally, I’m not going to use Himalaya. It troubles me when companies add people’s podcasts to their website or app without asking permission from the podcasters first. It is situations like this one that make me avoid putting my solo podcasts on iTunes. I expect Himalaya is going to face some backlash from podcasters who are not happy to have their shows secretly added to Himalaya.

Slow Burn Podcast to Become a Docuseries

~ jen

Premium network EPIX has greenlit Slow Burn, a six-episode docuseries based on the hit podcast of the same name. From Nixon and Watergate to Clinton’s impeachment, host Leon Neyfakh excavates the strange subplots and forgotten characters involved in the downfall of a president – flashing back to politically tumultuous times not so far removed from today.

Slow Burn is produced by Slate. The docuseries will be produced in partnership between Left/Right, a Red Arrow Studios company, and Slate.

Season one of EPIX’s series adaptation will mirror that of the podcast, looking back on the Watergate crisis and exploring its parallels with the present.

“With Slow Burn, Leon Neyfakh took a profound and compelling journey through some of the most unforgettable times in political history,” said Michael Wright, President, EPIX. “As huge fans of the podcast, we’re thrilled to work with our partners at Slate, Left/Right and, of course, Leon, to further explore what he so brilliantly brought to the fore.”

Slow Burn is executive produced by Leon Neyfakh, along with Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver for Left/Right and Dan Check, Julia Turner and Gabriel Roth for Slate.

Neyfakh started his reporting carreer at the New York Observer before joining The Boston Globe as the staff writer for the Ideas section covering the world of academia. At Slate, he reported on the criminal justice system and the Justice Department before co-creating Slow Burn with Andrew Parsons.

Most recently, Neyfakh launched an independent podcast studio, Prologue Projects, and this spring will launch a new podcast called Fiasco. The first season will focus on the 2000 election, and the second – following later in 2019 – on the Iran Contra affair.

PRX Seeks Director of Productions

~ jen

PRX is at the epicenter of the audio revolution, bridging broadcast, digital and mobile with a portfolio of exceptional programs including PRI’s The World, The Takeaway, The Moth Radio Hour, On Being, This American Life and the Radiotopia podcast network. PRX is seeking a Director of PRX Productions.

PRX is looking for a seasoned producer and manager with a sharp sense of story, experience building a creative team, and a sophisticated understanding of the podcast landscape. If you are someone who is comfortable with talent, technology, and the business of dynamics that are shaping the on-demand audio landscape then this is the opportunity for you.

Required Qualifications include:

  • At least 7+ years of writing and producing successful podcasts and/or radio programs
  • A passion for innovative stories and impactful content
  • An ability to juggle multiple concurrent projects
  • A proven track record of meeting financial goals, managing a budget and setting key business objectives
  • Experience launching productions from scratch and collaborating on making existing probrams better
  • An ability to foster strong partnerships
  • Demonstrated experience building, leading and maintaining a strong creative team
  • A natural problem-solver
  • A team player with an ability to communicate effectively across functional teams, clients, colleagues and others
  • Highly organized and able to meet weekly deadlines
  • Proven critical thinking and problem-solving skills

This position is based in Boston. PRX employees are offered health, dental and life insurance benefits, short- and long-term disability, a 401k retirement plan, and paid vacation and parental leave.

Visit the PRX want ad for full details.

Open Markets Wants the FTC to Block the Spotify Deal

~ jen

Open Markets is a team of journalists, researchers, lawyers, and advocates who work together to expose and reverse the stranglehold that corporate monopolies have on our country. They want the Federal Trade Commission to block the Spotify deal.

Open Markets posted a press release on their website:

Spotify yesterday announced plans to buy podcast producer and network Gimlet Media for $230 million as well as podcast recording startup Anchor, two of the most important platforms in the podcast industry. The Open Markets Institute calls for the Federal Trade Commission and European enforcers to block the deals. The market for podcasts is one of the few news media markets that is growing, diverse, and successful, and antitrust enforcers should head off efforts by platform monopolists to take control over the industry.

The podcast market today includes a wide range of truly independent voices able to  finance their operations with advertising revenue. Listeners, meanwhile, are able to download podcasts with little interference or personalized tracking by third-party software or advertising monopolists. And this old-school, open market system works. In 2017, US podcast ad revenues was $314 million dollars, and is forecast to hit $659 million by 2020.

This early stage market is, however, highly vulnerable to enclosure. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has said he plans to spend some $500 million total to buy podcasts and podcast platforms just this year. Such a position would enable Spotify to begin to capture a significant amount of the advertising revenue that now goes straight to podcasters.

A takeover of Anchor, in particular, could also prove to be especially harmful to the industry. Anchor has provided a platform for start-up podcasters to produce, host, and sell advertising for their podcasts. If Spotify plans to change Anchor’s model, it may stifle new players, or lock them into a Spotify controlled system.

The present diversity in the Podcast industry is directly tied to market structure. There is vertical separation between the layers of the market, with software, production, and advertising done independently of one another. There is limited or no data collection, so there is no user-centric behavioral targeting or privacy breaches. This means podcast producers can still profit in a fair market for advertising sponsorships and compete fairly for an audience.

It is vital that the Federal Trade Commission and European anti-monopoly enforcers not only move to protect the podcast market, they should also study it closely for lessons to apply to other news media markets. The podcast market is a glowing example of what an open market looks like in America and the abundance it brings to both creators and listeners, and the political and civic dialogue it enables among citizens.

Supporting Cast Helps Podcasters with Membership Revenue

~ jen

Supporting Cast wants to help podcasters with membership revenue. It will handle some of the more tedious and time consuming aspects that are involved in projects that are intended to make money for the podcaster. It enables the podcaster to work on other things – like creating content.

Invite your most passionate fans to pay for ad-free shows, bonus content, or early access. Supporting Cast lets your brand shine, while handling payments, private feed delivery, analytics, and customer support so you don’t have to.

Supporting Cast was created by the team that built Slate Plus, the largest podcast-centric membership program in the world. The team says they learned a lot from signing up nearly 50,000 members. Now, they’re sharing that with other podcasters.

What does Supporting Cast do?

  • They make it fast and easy for fans to subscribe to your podcast.
  • They keep your brand front and center. You can direct your listeners to a branded landing page with your logo and color scheme.
  • They can work with your developers to integrate with your website and registration system so users can convert without leaving. Podcasters own the listenership relationship either way.
  • They make it easy for podcasters to continue delivering ads to non-paying listeners.
  • They stick with your existing podcasting CMS – and don’t disrupt your current workflow.
  • They will integrate with your existing Stripe and Mailchimp accounts.
  • They handle customer support for you.

Podcasters who want to know more can sign up for a demo by filling out a form on the Supporting Cast website. There is no mention on the Supporting Cast website that says what their service costs.

Spotify will Terminate Your Account if You Use an Ad Blocker

~ jen

Spotify has created new user guidelines that will go into effect on March 1, 2019. It is always a good idea to read over user guidelines when you start using a new service, or when the service updates its rules. One thing to be aware of is that Spotify does not want you to use ad blockers.

The User Guidelines portion of the Spotify Terms and Conditions of Use prohibits the following: “circumventing or blocking advertisements in the Spotify Service, or creating or distributing tools designed to block advertisements in the Spotify service.”

Breaking this rule (or any others) may result in immediate termination or suspension of your Spotify Account. In addition, Spotify “may reclaim your username for any reason.”

As you may have heard, Spotify recently acquired Gimlet Media and Anchor. One can safely assume that the podcasts that are on Spotify will include ads.

Fast Company reported that the use of ad blockers has “annoyed” Spotify for a long time. In March of 2018, Spotify disclosed “instances of approximately two million users as of December 31, 2017” who had been “suppressing advertisements without payment”. In short, this means plenty of people who had a free Spotify account used ad blockers to avoid having to listen to advertisements.

Variety reported in March of 2018 that Spotify was disabling the accounts of users who used unauthorized third-party apps that bypassed the limits of the free Spotify account. It sounds to me like these users basically “hacked” the paid version.

It is possible that Spotify’s crackdown on ad blockers could influence some users to pay for Spotify’s ad-free service. People who love Spotify might decide it is time to pay for the ad-free subscription. Those who cannot afford to buy a Spotify subscription, and who want to use an ad blocker, might start listening to music on YouTube instead.

Enter the My RØDE Cast Competition

~ jen

The inaugural My RØDE Cast competition has begun! Podcasters are invited to create and submit a 1-2 minute podcast to go in the running to win a share in $150,000 of amazing prizes. You must enter before March 12, 2019.

RØDE put together information about how to enter:

One: Download the starter pack. It has the full details of the competition, as well as a bunch of things to inspire you and help you create an awesome entry.

Two: Create your podcast. It must be 1-2 minutes long. It can be any style – documentary, narrative, chat, etc. – and on any topic you choose. It needs to be recorded as a single stereo audio file, either MP3 or WAV format.

Three: Upload your podcast on the upload page. RØDE will check to see if it meets the terms and conditions and then publish it to their podcast channel. It will then be available for everyone to listen to.

Four: Tell your friends, and get them to vote for your podcast. There’s a People’s Choice prize up for grabs.

The judges include:

  • Mike Dawson – voice, engineer and co-producer of The Adam Corolla Show. He is also a Guinness World Record holder for Most Downloaded Podcast.
  • Jacob Salamon – Co-founder and CEO of WISECRACK, which reaches over 50 million people a month
  • Jordon Lott – Content coordinator at Acast and producer of The Thinkergirls podcast

There are three Prize Packs:

Major Winner’s Prize Pack:

  • RØDE RØDECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
  • RØDE PodMic x 4
  • RØDE PSAI Studio Boom Arm x 4
  • RØDE XLR Cable x 4
  • RØDE SC6-L Mobile Interview Kit
  • RØDE Podcast Cover Art Design
  • Urbanears Zinken Headphones x 4
  • Blastwave FX Podcaster Sound Effects and Music Library
  • Adobe CC 1 Year Subscription
  • School of Podcasting.com 1 Year Subscription
  • Angelbird SSD2GO PKT 1TB
  • Primacoustic London 8 Acoustic Room Kit
  • 16GB microSD card

Runner’s Up Prize Pack:

  • RØDE RØDECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
  • RØDE PodMic x 2
  • RØDE PSAI Studio Boom Arm x 2
  • RØDE XLR Cable x 2
  • RØDE SC6-L Mobile Interview Kit
  • Urbanears Zinken Headphones x 2
  • Blastwave FX Podcaster Sound Effects and Music Library
  • Adobe CC 1 Year Subscription
  • SchoolOfPodcasting.com 1 Year Subscription
  • Angelbird SSD2GO PKT 1TB
  • 16GB microSD card

People’s Choice Prize Pack:

  • RØDE RØDECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
  • RØDE PodMic x 2
  • RØDE PSAI Studio Boom Arm x 2
  • RØDE XLR Cable x 2
  • RØDE SC6-L Mobile Interview Kit
  • Urbanears Zinken Headphones x 2
  • Blastwave FX Podcaster Sound Effects and Music Library
  • Adobe CC 1 Year Subscription
  • SchoolOfPodcasting.com 1 Year Subscription
  • Angelbird SSD2GO PKT 1TB
  • 16GB microSD card

Spotify Acquired Gimlet Media and Anchor

~ jen

We heard that Spotify was in advanced talks to acquire Gimlet Media. In a surprise move, Spotify announced that it has not only acquired Gimlet Media, but also has acquired Anchor.

The transactions are expected to close in the first quarter of 2019 and subject to customary closing conditions. The terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

With these acquisitions, Spotify is positioned to become both the premier producer of podcasts and the leading platform for podcast creators. Gimlet will bring to Spotify its best-in-class podcast studio with dedicated IP development, production and advertising capabilities. Anchor will bring its platform of tools for podcast creators and its established and rapidly growing creator base.

Gimlet tweeted: “Big news: we are very excited to be joining @Spotify!” It included a Spotify tweet that said “Spotify to acquire Gimlet Media Inc. and Anchor. Read the press release here to learn more about how we’re accelerating growth in podcasting:” The tweet included a link to the Spotify press release.

Anchor posted on Medium an article titled “Anchor is joining Spotify”. It clarifies a few things. Anchor says that it will be bringing Anchor’s suite of tools for podcast creation, distribution, and monetization, to Spotify’s community of more than 200 million global users.

Anchor also said: “If you are already using Anchor to make your podcast, today’s news means great things for your ability to create and build your show. To be clear, the way you create, distribute, and monetize on Anchor does not change. We will continue to operate Anchor’s platform as you know it (but now as part of Spotify!), and in fact will only be getting better.”