Month: October 2020

Podcast Movement 2021 will be in Nashville

~ jen

Podcast Movement 2021 will take place in Nashville, Tennessee. The event will be held in-person in August of 2021. Passes can be purchased now.

Every summer since 2014, Podcast Movement had gathered thousands of passionate podcasters and industry professionals from around the world under one roof to grow professionally, and most importantly evolve and improve the podcast community.

In 2020, the landscape changed for everyone, and the event was held virtually. However, we’re excited to be planning on returning to a “new normal” in 2021, including getting back together in-person again… and WE WANT YOU TO BE THERE!

A Schedule Overview has been released:

  • Tuesday, August 3, Kickoff Day: We start with optional workshops and orientations, and finish the day with our big welcome event and kickoff party!
  • Wednesday, August 4: Day 1: Podcast Movement kicks off with our huge opening keynotes, dozens of breakout sessions and panel discussions to choose from, our world-famous expo hall, and then, of course an awesome party to end Day 1!
  • Thursday, August 5: Day 2: We start Day 2 with the day’s opening keynotes, dozens of breakout sessions and panel discussions to choose from, our world-famous expo hall, and then of course an awesome party to end Day 2!
  • Friday, August 3, Day 3: We start Day 3 with the event’s closing keynotes, followed by dozens of breakout sessions and panel discussions to choose from, your last chance to visit our world-famous expo hall, and then of course our PM after party that you won’t want to miss!

You can register for Podcast Movement 2021 now. This year they have three different pass types to choose from: Standard, Plus, and Pro. Select a ticket type, and you also have the option of some add-on workshops, merchandise, and more. There are also group discounts available. The discount corresponds to how many passes the group buys at one time, and the number of people in the group.

Fox News Audio to Debut Three New Podcasts

~ jen

FOX News Audio will debut three new original podcasts throughout the next month, including Kennedy Saves the World hosted by FOX Business Networks’s (FBN) Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery, FOX News Election Rewind: Bush vs. Gore and FOX News Investigates: House of Broken Dreams: The Jennifer Kesse Story.

Beginning October 23rd, the weekly program Kennedy Saves the World will feature Kennedy as she tackles politics, parenting and pop culture with her signature commentary and unique sense of humor. In the first episode of the podcast, the host who currently helms Kennedy (Monday through Thursday, 8PM/ET) on FBN, moderates a discussion between Trump Campaign Adviser Jason Meister and Jessica Tarlov, a Democratic strategist and FOX News contributor, as they make their case on why listeners should vote for their presidential candidate of choice. Subsequent episodes of the show, which will be available every Friday, will feature a wide range of guests, including 2020 Libertarian presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen.

On Friday, October 30th, FOX News Election Rewind will premiere its inaugural season, entitled Bush vs. Gore, centered on the 2000 presidential election between then-Texas Governor George W. Bush (R) and former Vice President Al Gore (D). This installment of the new election-focused series will combine reporting, analysis and perspectives from the journalists and commentators who covered the tumultuous race 20 years ago. Among those featured throughout the eight-episode season, which will be available every Friday, are: FBN/FNC anchor Neil Cavuto, FNC anchors Bret Baier and Bill Hemmer, senior political analyst Brit Hume, politics editor Chris Stirewalt and contributor Karl Rove, who served as Deputy Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush.

The FOX News Investigates podcast will debut its second season on Thursday, November 12th. Titled House of Broken Dreams: The Jennifer Kesse Story, the podcast follows the FOX News Investigates team as they travel to Orlando, Florida to probe the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse, a 24 year-old woman who went missing in 2006. Over the course of the investigation, which is documented for listeners over 11 episodes, the team follows new leads, conducts exclusive interviews and examines recently unsealed evidence in their pursuit to discover what happened to Kesse. Lead by FNC investigative reporter and producer Cristina Corbin, new episodes of the series will be available each Thursday.

Captivate Introduces AMIE

~ jen

Captivate.fm introduced audio processing, dynamic content and ad insertion to its suite of podcast hosting, analytics & distribution tools with the release of its Audio Mastering & Integration Engine, aka “AMIE”.

Captivate’s Audio Mastering & Integration Engine (AMIE) is built for both smaller independent podcasters whilst providing larger, advertising-centric podcasters & brands the enterprise-level tools that they need to run successful ad campaigns.

Featuring dynamic content insertion at its core, AMIE allows for much more than dynamic ads and has been designed with Captivate’s mission – to help podcasters to grow their listenership, audio influence and brand – in mind.

“Dynamic ad insertion sounds so complex,” says Mark Asquith, CEO of Captivate, “but there’s really no need for it to be reserved for podcast power-users, advertisers and brands.”

“When conceptualizing AMIE, we realized the whilst smaller, independent podcasters make up the vast majority of the podcasting space, they’re often the ones feeling left out of the ‘advanced’ technology that is available to larger shows, networks and brands.

“That’s why we designed AMIE to not only provide the ad insertion technology that can be expected from a world-class podcast hosting platform but to allow smaller shows to benefit from growth opportunities via trailer-swap capabilities, repeatable snippet insertion, automatic episode cross-promotion, split testing options and more. AMIE truly is dynamic content insertion technology for every podcaster.”

As well as providing dynamic content opportunities, AMIE also features a proprietary audio processing and mastering engine, allowing podcasters the chance to optimize their audio easily and quickly.

AMIE is in private beta and will be released publicly over the next few months.

iHeartMedia to Acquire Voxnest

~ jen

iHeartMedia announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Voxnest. With this acquisition, iHeartMedia, through Voxnest, will be able to provide podcast advertisers with additional targetable inventory at scale by allowing the effective and efficient monetization across an entire range of podcast inventory on this one-of-a-kind programatic platform.

This additional inventory will increase the monetization of iHeartMedia’s full range of podcasts and advance the podcast marketplace for both buyers and sellers. iHeartMedia will also be able to drive greater monetization for creators of podcast content – wherever they currently publish their shows – by connecting Voxnest’s advanced ad technology with multiple publishing platforms across the industry.

Voxnest’s additional advertising technology capabilities include:

  • Dynamic ad insertion
  • Audience and content targeting to the right listeners based on demographics, territories, devices and interests
  • Programmatic podcast buying across all audio platforms by providing: Native support of VAST, the industry standard template for audio and video advertising and OpenRTB, a protocol for enabling integrations that connect to all major audio and programmatic exchanges.
  • A full podcast analytics platform

“This is an important addition to the iHeart digital product ecosystem, which includes our SmartAudio suite of data-driven broadcast radio advertising solutions; our position as the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher with massive distribution and promotion across all our broadcast assets; and the iHeartRadio digital platform,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “The addition of iHeart’s offerings to Voxnest will ensure critical mass for the platform and accelerate its growth. As we continue to invest in podcasting and lead the industry, we anticipate this acquisition will have an important impact on iHeart’s ability to more fully monetize its podcast inventory, and will also benefit the other podcast publishers that are part of the Voxnest network and the advertisers who are using it.”

“We’re excited about the growth potential from this unique combination,” said Francesco Baschieri, CEO of Voxnest. “The podcast marketplace has been fragmented, with supply and demand spread across multiple platforms – creating scale challenges for marketers who want to buy podcasts. And despite the massive growth of the podcast industry, with more than 100 million Americans listening to a podcast every month now, podcast creators and networks have not had an effective way to fully monetize their content and brands. With this combination, for the first time there will be one podcast technology platform that can bring together all of the demand sources with the largest supplier of podcast inventory – creating the only podcast technology platform that consolidates all the podcast markets into one, making buying more efficient for buyers and sellers of podcast advertising, and creating a unique benefit for the 10,000+ podcast publishers that are part of the Voxnest network today.”

iHeartMedia owned a minority stake in Voxnest prior to this acquisition.

Buzzsprout Launched Transcription Distribution

~ jen

Buzzsprout launched a new feature set that allows podcasters to easily distribute their own episode transcripts to listeners.

This toolset is a huge step forward in improving the accessibility of podcasts for the hearing impaired, as well as enhancing the end listener’s experience by allowing them to read along while listening. Additionally, transcription is critical to search engine optimization (SEO) and can boost podcasters’ ability to get discovered and grow their audiences.

“We love podcasts and are in a good position to provide solutions to some of the growing pains this industry is facing,” said Kevin Finn, co-founder of Buzzsprout. “Discoverability and accessibility are at the top of our list. It’s been encouraging to see app developers share our own enthusiasm for this solution.”

Podcast Addict, a very popular listening app on Android, is the first to integrate Buzzsprout’s new transcript distribution toolset into its app, providing its listeners with synchronized captions and a way to view the entire transcript from within the app. Buzzsprout is working closely with others in the industry and expects to announce additional integrations in the coming weeks and months.

“I’m thrilled to bring transcripts to Podcast Addict listeners. A big thanks to Buzzsprout for adding this in their feeds and for providing the implementation specs. This will benefit both listeners and podcasters,” said Xavier Guillemane, Developer of Podcasts Addict. “When people see this, they are going to want it available everywhere.”

The launch of this transcript toolset is a culmination of years of work. Buzzsprout is currently distributing over 46,000 transcripts with hundreds more being published through the platform every day. For more information on the importance of podcast transcripts and how you can add them to your own podcast or listening application, visit the Buzzsprout Blog.

She Podcasts Launched the SuperSquad

~ jen

She Podcasts, the online community with almost 20,000 members launched a new virtual membership for their audience on October 1.

The online membership gives members an opportunity to learn online and facilitate intimate relationships with their community, without the distraction of social media.

Last fall, She Podcasts held their first women’s podcasting conference in Atlanta GA and were planning their second one in Scottsdale, AZ, before the pandemic occurred. They were able to postpone their Arizona conference to 2021, and decided rather than hold a virtual conference, a membership would be a better solution.

“What we really wanted to provide was a place where our members could consistently get what they got from being at our live event, with the added benefit of our undivided attention,” said CDO and Co-Founder Jessica Kupferman.

Co-Founder Elsie Escobar adds, “We’ve purposefully created our membership within our own platform, somewhere we could control the environment as well what our members are exposed to, and who will interact with and educate them. The paid membership that we’ve built will have everything people love about She Podcasts, including an expert’s undivided attention.”

The membership has launched with a sliding scale, so that members who need help now more than ever can have access to the resources they need to help launch and grow a podcast. The lowest tier starts at $17 monthly and $175 annually, and there are 3 plans to choose from for a limited time.

Membership comes with a vast library of online courses, webinars, templates, checklists and challenges, but is also built with a robust community for members to easily engage in conversation and get to know one another.

They’ve also included weekly QA sessions, coaching office hours, a full member directory, events calendar, interviews with experts, and special sections of the website where members can look for guests, promote their podcasts, offer their services, and more.

For more information, go to the SuperSquad website.

PodcastOne Grows Sports Programming

~ jen

PodcastOne, a subsidiary of LiveXLive, is strengthening ts sports-based programming network – SportsNet – with a slate of new and upcoming programming for 2020.

Super Bowl Champion Michael Irvin is lined up for a weekly podcast; World Record-holding podcaster and comedian Adam Carolla and comedian Jeff Cesario will launch the daily: All Balls, All Sports. Leading sports television Chris Myers recently debuted his CMI:The Chris Myers Interview on PodcastOne’s sports network in August 2020 and to date has featured interviews with Urban Meyer, Warren Moon, Jimmy Johnson, and Jim Edwards.

“Sports-related programming has done remarkably well on our network and this slate of premium sports shows from some of the greatest sports and comedic talent will serve both our audience and our advertisers,” said Peter Morris, PodcastOne’s CEO.

PodcastOne’s SportsNet existing shows includes leading podcasts from NBA great Shaquille O’Neal, sports journalist Rich Eisen and famed wrestler Steve Austin. Listenership in sports related programming on PodcastOne has increased 14% in Q3 since the end of Q2 in calendar year 2020.

PodcastOne’s new SportsNet programming includes:

The Michael Irvin Podcast – premiered October 1, 2020

Hall of Famer Michael Irvin – The Crown Prince of Planet Texas – has been entertaining on the NFL gridiron as well as the NFL television stage with his hilarious takes and honest conversations for years. Now he’ll bring the biggest names in sports and entertainment to the Podcast World! The MIP will have a no holds barred approach to news, pop culture, football analysis, and of course a lil controversy. Make sure you catch Michael’s “88 Seconds” RANT at the end of every podcast!

All Balls, All Sports – premiered September 8, 2020

From the NFL and college sports to boxing, racing and beyond, comedian Adam Carolla is joined daily by sports aficionado Jeff Cesario as they dive deep into the wide world of sports. Featuring hall-of-fame athletes, expert analysts and fan interaction, Adam brings his sense of humor to a more casual conversation about sports, akin to friends chatting over a beer.

CMI: The Chris Myers Interview – premiered August 26, 2020

For more than three decades, Chris Myers has covered the biggest events in sports and has interviewed its most important personalities. From the World Series to Super Bowls, Chris was there and continues to be there. Join him for revealing conversation with elite athletes, hall of famers and people you know in the world of sports!

The Allusionist has Left Radiotopia Network

~ jen

Helen Zaltzman, creator and host of The Allusionist, announced on her website that the podcast is leaving the Radiotopia network. For full details about why Helen Zaltzman made that decision, I recommend that you read her blog post about it.

PRX is the company that runs Radiotopia. Helen Zatlzman did not work for PRX. She only worked for Radiotopia. However, it came to her attention that PRX was accused of engaging in institutional racism against a former employee. The employee was not the only Black woman had been mistreated by some of the people who worked for PRX.

Again, Helen Zaltzman did not work for PRX. She worked for Radiotopia. Here is a small piece of her blog post where she comments about that:

I have, however been part of Radiotopia, a network with a mostly white line-up. I never had the power to change that line-up, but tried to use the powers I did have: over the years, I have raised this fact repeatedly, recommended existing shows or potential showmakers to approach, questioned the excuses given for why the line-up stayed very white – small capacity and limited resources and insufficient money were frequently cited. So I offered money. And now, in case it makes more space and resources available, I’m removing myself.

This is not the end of The Allusionist podcast. Helen Zaltzman is going to continue the show, which she has always made by herself with 100% ownership and editorial control. There are no staff who will lose their employment as a result of this change.

The financial side is where she could use some help. She has a link to her Patreon in her blog post about The Allusionist leaving Radiotopia. Helen Zaltzman stresses that donations to her Patreon are optional, and urges people not to donate if times are tight for them. The Allusionist will continue to be available with “as few obstacles for you listeners as possible”.

Quake is a Subscription-Based Podcast Company

~ jen

Axios was the first to report that Quake, a subscription podcast company founded by media veterans, launched with $2.5 million in seed funding.

Quake’s investors include Wndrco, a holding company founded by media veterans like Ann Daly and Jeffery Katzenbert, as well as a few other people. The company has 4 full-time employees and 8 full-time contractors.

The good news is that all of Quake’s shows are ad free. The less-than-good news (for podcast listeners) is that Quake is choosing to be a “walled garden” that locks away all of their podcasts behind a subscription paywall.

Some of the other podcasting companies that also have a subscription system:

Luminary

  • Annual: $2.99/month after the 7-day free trial (auto-billed annually for $34.99 for a year)
  • Monthly: $4.99/month after the 7 day free trial (auto-billed monthly).
  • Some of Luminary’s podcasts are can be listened to from their website.

Wondery+

  • Annual: $34.99/year after the 14-day free trial ends (billed annually)
  • Monthly: $4.99/month after the 7-day free trial ends (auto-billed monthly)
  • Some of Wondery’s podcasts can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher

Quake

  • Annual: $49.99/year sale price (billed yearly) – regular price $69.99/year
  • Monthly $4.99/month sale price (billed monthly) – regular price $6.99/year
  • Quake’s exclusive podcasts are only available on Quake

Podcasts on Quake Media include:

  • The Laura Ingraham Show – hosted by Laura Ingraham
  • Very Opinionated with Soledad O’Brian – hosted by Soledad O’Brian
  • The People’s Podcast with Mike Huckabee – hosted by Mike Huckabee
  • Get the News with Gretchen Carlson – hosted by Gretchen Carlson
  • Real Talk with Andrew Gillum – hosted by Andrew Gillum
  • What Do You Really Think? – cohosted by Mark Lamont Hill and Buck Sexton

According to Axios, Quake Media is launching a network that closely resembles digital radio. It is focusing on religion, news and sports that resemble radio programming, not things like true crime or evergreen storytelling. Quake Media hopes to have at least 50 shows by next year.

Joe Rogan’s Podcast Temporarily Derailed Due to COVID-19

~ jen

Joe Rogan, host of The Joe Rogan Experience, issued a statement on Instagram in which he announced that Jamie Vernon, producer of The Joe Rogan Experience, had tested positive for COVID-19. Joe Rogan has tested negative, and stated that he has not had any contact with Jamie Vernon in nine days.

Joe Rogan made it clear that the shows that aired last week had all been previously recorded. He says the rest of the staff tested negative for COVID-19, and that he is staying away from everyone and being tested every day until he knows he is in the clear. They are shutting down the podcast until they get an all clear from their doctor.

In addition, Joe Rogan said in his statement: “We might have to do some shows remotely and some shows with a substitute producer.” Joe Rogan will let fans know when the show will start back up again.

As a result, Joe Rogan had to cancel Kanye West’s appearance on the show (which was scheduled for October 23, 2020). Spotify has released The Joe Rogan Experience #1552, which features Mathew McConaughey. The image for that episode shows McConaughey looking into a computer monitor in a location that could be his home. There is a Skype logo in the corner of the image.

Variety reported that Joe Rogan purchased a home in Austin, Texas, a few months ago. Previous to that, he lived in Los Angeles.