Month: January 2021

Blubrry Podcasting Releases Tracking as Part of Advanced Statistics

~ jen

Blubrry Podcasting – already renowned for its reliable, IAB certified compliant statistics – has recently released play tracking as part of its Advanced Statistics. Available exclusively to Blubrry hosting podcasters, creators can subscribe to gain additional details on listener retention.

Podcasters who suspect their audience is skipping over certain parts of their episodes will benefit from this new feature, especially shows featuring advertisements. Those already using Advanced Stats will find a new category in the Stats section. Those not using Blubrry’s Advanced Stats feature can learn more here.

“By providing tools for podcasters to use, we’re able to collect anonymized, GDPR compliant detailed play tracking data from our web based podcast player,” said Todd Cochrane, CEO of Blubrry. “We can easily present this data to podcasters while maintaining absolute listener privacy. Giving creators details – such as if listeners are consistently skipping over a certain segment – can lead them to make significant improvements to their show.”

Play tracking data comes from listening via the Blubrry-provided podcast audio player. Additionally, Blubrry has developed an API tha allows third parties to integrate and provide anonymized play data via mobile apps, and other web-based playback applications.

About Us: Blubrry Podcasting provides professional tools and services for the podcast industry, including the largest podcast directory with more than 1 million podcasts. Founded in 2005, it gives creators the ability to distribute via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, TuneIn and more. Blubrry provides hosting, IAB certified compliant podcast statistics, private internal podcasting, monetization opportunities, plus managed web hosting using its WordPress plugin. Contact us.

Jam Street Media Reaches 1M Downloads Six Months After Launch

~ jen

Since the launch of its podcast network on June 15th, 2020, Jam Street Media has achieved its first milestone of 1 million downloads: The Big Swing with Strip and Coop, Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco, Appalachian Mysteria and Let’s Get Into Entertainment. Having touched on a number of genres from sports, to true-crime, to entertainment, Jam Street Media has been able to build and maintain a loyal fan base for each of its shows.

“The amazing part of this milestone is that we’ve done this pre-funding and with no paid promotion,” said Matty Staudt, President of Jam Street Media. “The number speaks to the hard work from our talent, production team and social media director.”

From journalists to athletes to entertainers, the roster of talent includes people from all walks of life. Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco is proudly hosted by actor Leo Rossi and Joe Pistone (a.k.a Donnie Brasco.) Pistone is not only a decorated former FBI agent but is also one of the oldest podcasters in the business at the age of 80.

In a short time, Jam Street Media has been able to take established shows and push them up the charts. Appalachian Mysteria, a true-crime podcast that focuses on mysterious murders in the Appalachian region of the country, currently sits at 33 on Apple Podcast for US Documentaries. The Big Swing Podcast, hosted by MLB All-Star pitcher Ross Stripling and Cooper Surles, sits at 22 on the Apple Podcast charts for Baseball All-Time.

“A big-time congratulations to Jam Street Media,” said Stripling. “I’m really excited to be a part of a growing network and look forward to seeing the awesome shows they’ll bring their listeners in the future.”

Surles echoed the sentiment of Stripiling saying, “Jam Street is a company full of collaboration, and is a great place for creators to share their voices.”

In 2021, Jam Street Media plans to release season two of Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco and season three of Appalachian Mysteria.

Casted Introduced Video Podcasting

~ jen

Casted, the first and only podcast platform made for B2B marketers, announced Casted Video Podcasting, a new product within the Casted platform designed to add, manage, amplify, and measure podcast videos in the same manner as an audio-only podcast.

In 2020, people used video and audio more than ever to connect with their audience. Many brands already record their podcasts as videos, but only some of them are uploading those videos to YouTube, or creating clips to use on social media, or identifying ways to use those videos across other marketing channels. And, unfortunately, the majority of these brands aren’t using the video elements of their podcasts at all. This is wasted value.

“Podcasts allow brands to connect with their audiences in a rich, authentic way. Listening-in on a conversation – hearing another human’s voice – establishes a relationship between the audience member and the host, which translates to trust and affinity for the brand they represent,” said Lindsay Tjepkema, CEO of Casted. “Now, with video podcasting, the Casted platform allows brands to create even more personal experiences for their audiences by giving them the option to connect visually, too.”

There are conversations best suited for audio. Others are made richer or more valuable with video. And both carry more impact when supported with supplemental text and opportunities to consume it all in smaller pieces. Marketers that deliver all of these options to their audiences drive greater results and deeper connections, as they allow audiences to consume content according to their personal preferences. These deeper connections increase an audience’s propensity to buy from a brand, as well as brand loyalty and affinity.

With Casted’s new video podcasting capabilities, customers have access to:

  • Updated landing pages with video players
  • Updated embed players for video
  • Videograms
  • Adding/managing video
  • Video analytics

“As we look to expand our podcasting efforts with the launch of our new season, our sights are set on adding video podcasting into our strategy,” said Rebecca Abram, CSEP, Senior Global Conferences Manager, at Auth0. “With Casted’s video podcasting capabilities, we’re able to leverage our content across more platforms to cater to everyone’s preferences. Our audience is going to feel more connected to Auth0 than ever.”

Podcast Database Startup Podchaser Raises $4M

~ jen

Podchaser, the “IMDb for podcasts”, announced $4M in funding led by Greycroft, with additional investors including Advancit Capital, LightShed Ventures, Powerhouse Capital, High Alpha, Hyde Park Venture Partners, and Popular Ventures. Participating angels include founder and former President of TrendKite A.J. Bruno, CEO of Ad Results Media Marshall Williams, and partner of Shamrock Capital Mike LaSalle.

The funding will continue to support Podchaser’s mission of enriching podcast data via the crowd, creating community for podcast listeners, and building tools for professionals in the space – podcasters, agencies, and brands alike.

“Our goal is to convert the firehose of podcast data into a drinking fountain of insights that power discovery and decision-making throughout the industry,” said Bradly Davis, CEO of Podchaser.

“Even in the face of a pandemic, the podcast market continues to grow at a breakneck pace. The demand from consumers and brands is insatiable,” said Alan Patricof, Co-Founder and Chairman of Greycroft. “Podchaser’s data and discovery tools are crucial to taking podcasting to new heights.”

Through crowdsourcing features such as credits, lists, and ratings/reviews, Podchaser has built the most comprehensive podcast database and a community of avid podcast listeners and podcasters that continues to grow — tripling in size over the past year and contributing over 8.5 million creator and guest credits.

With this new funding, Podchaser aims to create a new class of podcast tastemakers with the introduction of a gamification and discussion system that fosters connection between listeners and podcasters.

Southern California Public Radio Secures Grant from Corporation for Public Broadcasting

~ jen

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has awarded Southern California Public Radio (SCRP) a two-year grant of $500,000 to advance the growth of LAist Studios, SCPR’s podcast development and production division, and its mission of addressing the content needs of young and underserved audiences.

With Latino audiences making up nearly half of the Southern California region, the funding will support staffing and help LAist Studios empower up-and-coming content creators by giving them the tools to develop shows and engage diverse young audiences.

“Since day one, our mission has been to create innovation on-demand audio that is representative of our amazing city. We are grateful for CPB’s support and excited to build on our momentum” said Kristen Muller, Chief Content Officer of SCPR.

“Southern California Public Radio has a proven track record of producing engaging, on-demand programming,” said Kathy Merritt, CPB Senior Vice President, Radio, Journalism and CSG Services. “CPB is pleased to support their efforts to build on that record to reflect the rich cultural landscape of Los Angeles and engage with audiences seeking connection, information, and entertainment.

LAist Studios is committed to telling stories that go beyond the surface to reflect the rich cultural landscapes of Los Angeles and embrace the diverse voices of the region’s community. Launched in 2019, shows created by LAist studios include: The Big One; Servant of Pod; Hollywood, the Sequel; California City; California Love; and the recently released Norco ’80.

Apple recently included California Love on their Favorite Podcasts of 2020 list, and Spotify named it one of the Top Podcasts of 2020, including the episode “Ellie” on the Spotify 2020 Podcast Hall of Fame playlist. In the 2020 Podcast of the Year awards, Adweek honored the California Love episode “P-Line” as Episode of the Year; named host Walter Thompson-Hernández Podcast Innovator of the Year; and named producer Megan Tan Producer of the Year. Further, Bello Collective included California City and California Love on its annual “Bello 100” list of their favorite podcasts of the year.

Buzzsprout Announced Dynamic Content for all Buzzsprout Accounts

~ jen

Buzzsprout announced their Dynamic Content tool that gives Buzzsprout podcasters more control over their episodes. The tool is intended to extend the life of evergreen podcast episodes. Buzzsprout’s Dynamic Content tool (DC) lets podcasters add and remove short pre-roll (intros) and post-roll (outros) to – or from – their content. Users can add updated content retroactively applying changes to all existing content.

To clarify how that works, Buzzsprout provided an example:

Let’s say you have an online course to promote in your pre-roll but don’t want to manually edit and re-publish individual episodes.

Using Dynamic Content, you can apply the pre-roll message to your whole catalog straight from your dashboard, saving time and giving you more flexibility in how you manage your podcast episodes.

Buzzsprout’s Dynamic Content (DC) tool is different from Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) in two ways:

While DAI swaps ads or sponsorships in episodes by targeting them at specific people or groups, Buzzsprout created their tool without these features letting podcasters stay in charge of their content without sacrificing the privacy of listeners.

Buzzsprout worked as effectively as possible to efficiently create this high-bandwidth feature without raising prices. Ultimately, they were able to create a tool that’s both valuable and available to all Buzzsprout users regardless of plan.

You can use the Dynamic Content feature to: thank a sponsor, announce an upcoming event (live or virtual), send a holiday greeting, thank your supporters at the end of your episode (patrons), promote a giveaway, let people know about your Facebook Group, Instagram Page, etc., or cross-promote other podcasts.

Apple Launched Apple Podcasts Spotlight, Considers a Subscription Service

~ jen

Apple Podcasts has launched Apple Podcasts Spotlight. The first podcast to be featured is Celebrity Book Club Podcast which is hosted by Chelsea Devantez.

Mac Rumors posted this quote:

Apple Podcasts Spotlight helps listeners find some of the world’s best shows by shining a light on creators with singular voices,” said Ben Cave, Global Head of Business for Apple Podcasts. “Chelsea Devantez has created a fun, vibrant space with Celebrity Book Club for listeners to gain new perspectives on the celebrities we thought we knew. We are delighted to recognize Chelsea and Celebrity Book Club as our first Spotlight selection and look forward to introducing creators like Chelsea to listeners each month.

Mac Rumors reported that Apple will announce new Spotlight creators on a monthly basis. The feature will represent a wide range of podcast genres, formats, and locations, with a focus on independent voices.

The announcement of Apple Podcasts Spotlight comes after The Information reported that Apple is discussing a new subscription service that would charge people to listen to podcasts (according to people familiar with the matter).

The Information noted that Apple’s subscription service “could pose a threat to Spotify, SiriusXM, Amazon, and other big companies that have in the past couple of years swallowed up podcasting production firms in an effort to gain more control of the podcast ad market.” The Information states that Apple charging for individual podcast could potentially give podcast creators a way to make money.

Bloomberg also reported that Apple is working on adding a subscription service with its partners (again, according to people familiar with the matter). Apple reportedly talked about stepping up funding for new shows and marketing.

It is unclear to me whether Apple Podcasts Spotlight would have anything to do with Apple’s subscription service. My concern is that people who listen to podcasts on Apple Podcasts will lose access to the podcasts they love – unless they buy a subscription. Will Apple Podcasts become yet another “walled garden”?

Tencent Music Entertainment Group Announced Acquisition of Lazy Audio

~ jen

Tencent Music Entertainment Group the leading innovative online music entertainment platform in China, announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% equity interest of Shenzhen Lanren Online Technology Co., Ltd (“Lazy Audio”, “Lanren tingshu”), a well-established audio platform in China, for a total consideration of RMB2.7 billion, payable in cash, plus certain post-acquisition equity-settled awards to Lazy Audio’s team.

The existing shareholders of Lazy Audio include China Literature Limited, Lazy Audio’s management team and other financial investors. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2021 subject to closing conditions.

Founded in 2012, Lazy Audio is a comprehensive audio platform providing entertainment in the forms of audiobooks, Chinese comedy, podcasts and other radio shows to customers. It monetizes via different channels, including pay per title, subscription payment for content, and advertising. Lazy Audio has developed into a thriving community with strong user interactions and engagement, providing superior content and services to audio users across China. Lazy Audio has a highly-scalable user base, making it one of the leading audio platforms in China.

“We are delighted to welcome the talented Lazy Audio team to the TME family, and expect this strategic acquisition to significantly deepen our presence in the fast growing long-form audio industry in China,” said Mr. Cussion Pang, Chief Executive Officer of Tencent Music. “As a leading provider of audio entertainment, Lazy Audio can be seamlessly integrated into our existing long-form audio strategy, enabling us to further monetize the extensive library of high-quality literature IPs that we have access to through strategic partnerships with China Literature and others.”

“Lazy Audio’s catalog is set to expand our audio content library, and its recording capacity will significantly boost our production of audiobooks. We believe this partnership will help us cater to the increasingly nuanced needs of our customers, strengthen our brand recognition in this segment, generate considerable operational synergies, and accelerate our journey to become a leading audio entertainment platform in China.” Mr. Pang added.

Mr. Bin Song, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lazy Audio, said, “We share the same vision with TME that China’s audio industry is a less-penetrated area with great potential. Merging with TME will benefit us to strengthen our competitiveness, establish a stronger connection with Tencent portfolio and bring Lazy Audio to the next level.”

Lazy Audio will maintain its independent operations while being an essential component of TME’s overall long-form audio strategy. Upon completion of acquisition, TME will consolidate the investment in Lazy Audio, and enable Lazy Audio to have full access to TME’s expertise, leading technology, and strong promotional capabilities.

Wow in the World Wows with 100 Million Downloads

~ jen

Tinkercast, the stand-out leader in audio-first children’s media, is celebrating its 100 millionth download. Founded in 2017 by three media veterans, parents and storytellers (Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, Guy Raz, and Mindy Thomas), Tinkercast’s mission is to provide screen alternative content that engages the minds and imaginations of the whole family and inspires today’s kids to become the tinkers and thinkers that will shape tomorrow.

While Wow in the World has seen steady growth over the last four years, the changing media habits of kids and families brought on by COVID-19 has accelerated the growth tremendously, increasing downloads by 94% since March 2020. That increase is due in part to the overall rise in media use for children as well as the increase in content Tinkercast rapidly created during the pandemic. Just six days after the coronavirus caused worldwide school closures affecting almost a billion children in March, Tinkercast launched a second podcast, Two What’s And a Wow, as an interactive game show for the whole family.

“The state of social and civil unrest in the U.S. coupled with the overabundance of screen time for kids and families motivated our team of tinkerers to double-down on our mission to create “cartoons-for-the-ears” about amazing things happening in the world,” said Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, CEO at Tinkercast. “Reaching 100 million downloads this week is a testament to the fact that there is a demand for well-told stories that inspire hope, joy and agency – the exact things we want more than ever for our own kids and families to feel.”

Tinkercast’s podcast continually top the kids & family podcast charts and have won numerous awards including iheartRadio Award, Parent’s Choice Gold Award, Mom’s Choice Award, KAPI Innovation in Children’s Media Award, NYF’s International Radio Award and National Science Foundation’s SBIR Award. Wow in the World has been recognized by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, The Washingtonian, NPR’s All Things Considered, The Today Show, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Hopin Acquired StreamYard

~ jen

Hopin announced that it has acquired video platform StreamYard. Hopin describes itself as “the first all-in-one event platform optimized for connecting”. StreamYard is “a live streaming studio in your browser” where you can interview guests, share your screen, and simulcast to platforms like Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Hopin has a blog post on their website about the acquisition:

This acquisition combines the beautiful video production quality of StreamYard with the full end-to-end live events experience of Hopin. The result? Hopin organizers are able to create events that dazzle their attendees—across every aspect of the experience.

Together, we aim to provide a seamless, high-quality customer experience that makes people, not places, the heart of events.

Going forward, both StreamYard and Hopin users will continue to be able to use the services they know and love as they always have — no abrupt or sudden changes will happen. Only once we begin learning the best way to make the customer experience better will we begin to create a roadmap to bring both product experiences closer together. We look forward to listening and learning together with our communities.

Finally, this is a win for our industry as well. As one company, Hopin+StreamYard will deliver an unrivaled value proposition in the global events market and will help us achieve the ambitious growth goals we aim to achieve in 2021 and beyond.

To me, it sounds like this acquisition could be a good thing for new podcasters who don’t want to purchase equipment or software that can be very useful for recording and editing an episode. Those who want to do roundtable events, with many guests, can use Hopin + StreamYard to do it. It could be an interesting – and much simpler – alternative to Twitch.

TechCrunch reported that the deal is with $250 million, paid in a mix of cash and stock. StreamYard will retain its brand and in-market product so that it can integrate StreamYard’s streaming tech into Hopin’s marquee product. StreamYard will become the default Hopin streaming option.