Month: June 2021

Podcast Movement 2021 Announced Conference Tracks

~ jen

Podcast Movement 2021 will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, from August 3 -6, 2021. Details about their Conference Tracks have been released. At Podcast Movement, all educational sessions such as breakouts and panel discussion fall under one of six “main tracks” or one of three “bonus tracks.”

In addition to each being assigned a track, many also will be labeled on the schedule as being targeted towards New Podcasters, Hobbyist Podcasters, Professional Podcasters, and Industry Professionals. With nearly 200 sessions across 10 different stages, this organization will help you make the most out of your time with us!

MAIN TRACKS

Creation Track – Presented by Buzzsprout

Whether you’re creating a show from scratch, or looking for ways to improve, this track will teach you everything you need to know about the ins and outs of podcasting. There will be sessions for both beginners and professionals that will help you and your show, including the art of storytelling and how to conduct great interviews.

Industry Track – Presented by Coleman Insights

The Podcast Movement prides itself as the conference that gathers experts from the industry present sessions in an environment unlike anywhere else. Past sessions of this track include an IAB panel on podcast advertising standards, multiple sessions on measurements, and large podcast sponsorships.

Marketing Track – Presented by AWeber

Creating great content is part of the battle, but the next big hurdle is making sure people hear what you’re putting out there! This track offers some of the tips and tricks that the world’s most successful podcasters use. Learn the latest techniques, from social media and email marketing to using new technology, to get your voice heard.

Monetization Track – Presented by AdsWizz

We know that many podcasters are looking for ways to profit from their art form in the industry. While it may not be easy, this track brings in experts to teach you the different ways you can do it. Learn about getting sponsors, crowdfunding your podcasts, and more with these sessions.

Society, Culture, and Advocacy Track

This track encourages speakers and attendees alike to address some of the most difficult and most important topics head-on. From discussions around diversity, racism, and harassment to bringing voice to underrepresented communities, we look forward to having to them happening at this year’s conference.

Technical Track – Presented by Focusrite

Podcast Movement will be home to some of the best technical experts in podcasting. Whether you’re looking for ways to podcast from mobile devices, trying to figure out what plugs into where, or need a few handy tips on editing your content like a pro – you’ll find sessions on various topics throughout the week.

46th Annual Gracie Awards Announced 2021 Winners

~ jen

The 2021 Gracie Awards have announced the 2021 winners. The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. They also acknowledge the individuals who have made inspirational contributions to the industry.

Named after the late Gracie Allen, the Gracie Awards acknowledge outstanding team leadership and individual achievement. The Gracies focus on women who are making positive change and who further the discussion of what a fulfilling career in media looks like.

Categories for the 2021 Gracie Awards include: Television National Honorees, Digital Media National Honorees, Television Local Honorees, Radio Non-Commercial Local Honorees, Radio Local Honorees, Television Student Honorees, Radio Student Honorees, Digital Media Student Honorees, and Honorable Mentions.

Here are the podcasts that won a 2021 Gracie Award:

DIGITAL MEDIA NATIONAL HONOREES:

Carol Sutton Lewis – Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis – Ground Control Parenting – Podcast, Educational

Hillary Clinton – You And Me Both with Hillary Clinton – iHeartRadio – Podcast Host, Entertainment

Kavitha A. Davidson – The Lead – Wondery & The Athletic – Podcast, Sports

Malika Bilal – The Take – Al Jazeera Digital, Audio – Podcast Host, News

MOBITUARIES: Anna May Wong – Death of a Trailblazer (CBS Sunday Morning) – CBS News – Podcast, Entertainment

Somebody – Topic Studios, The Intercept, and the Invisible Institute – Podcast, Investigative

Stephanie Wittles Wachs, Jackie Danziger, Jessica Cordova Kramer – Last Day (Season 2) – Lemonada Media – Podcast Producer

The Michelle Obama Podcast – Spotify & Higher Ground – Podcast, Lifestyle

Tika Sumpter and Thai Randolph – The Suga – Stitcher – Podcast Co-host/Ensemble

DIGITAL MEDIA STUDENT HONOREES:

Madison Lawson – The Obvious Question – KBIA – Podcast Host

HONORABLE MENTIONS – DIGITAL MEDIA NATIONAL:

Heavy Medals: Inside the Karolyi Gymnastics Empire – ESPN – Podcast, Sports

Martine St-Victor & Isabelle Racicot – Seat at the Table – CBC Podcasts – Podcast Co-Host/Ensemble

Sheryl Crow: Words + Music – Sheryl Crow: Words + Music – Audible, Inc. – Podcast, Entertainment

LiveXLive’s PodcastOne Teams with Microsoft Edge

~ jen

PodcastOne, a leading platform and a subsidiary of LiveXLive Media announced that it will produce and distribute the Innovation on the Edge with Microsoft Edge podcast with Jordan Harbinger (The Jordan Harbinger Show) and television host and lifestyle expert Chelsea Briggs trading hosting duties through the limited run series which is set to launch on June 7, 2021 on PodcastOne, as well as Apple, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are heard.

Innovation on the Edge with Microsoft Edge is a weekly podcast that explores the cutting edge of Internet innovation and pop culture trends. Each of the ten planned episodes will dig into how people are currently using the web to innovate, notable ways in which it’s evolving, what its future might look like, and how we can create that future together.

With subject matter that ranges from Bitcoin, Human Rights, and NFT’s, to Internet marketing and social media growth, Microsoft and hosts Harbinger and Briggs will welcome curious creators, disruptors, and innovation on the Edge.

As one of the leading networks, PodcastOne continues to develop and produce compelling content to generate excitement and intrigue in the audio space. Along with its parent company, LiveXLIve, PodcastOne is leading the industry and encouraging its expansion through platforms and relationships like this one with Microsoft Edge that allows brands to further expand the scope of its marketing campaign by reaching audiences in the fastest growing medium available, podcasting.

Libsyn Announces Closing of AdvertiserCast and $25 Million Equity Financing

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”) announced it has closed the previously announced acquisition AdvertiseCast, LLC (“AdvertiseCast”).

The consideration at closing consisted of $30 million, of which $18 million was paid in cash; $10 million in the form of newly issued Libsyn shares; and $2 million in the form of an earn-out, which is subject to the terms and conditions of the purchase agreement. AdvertiseCast Co-Founders Trevr Smithlin and Dave Hanley will remain with AdvertiserCast and serve as Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Revenue Officer, respectively.

Libsyn President Laurie Sims stated, “We believe AdvertiserCast, a market leader in podcast advertising, is a perfect fit with Libsyn’s strategy to provide independent podcasters robust tools. In addition to our host-read and programmatic advertising, we have identified even more synergies between our respective customer bases that will create additional upside for strong monetization solutions.”

Ms. Sims continued, “Libsyn and AdvertiserCast had the opportunity to present at the IAB Upfronts held in May of 2021, highlighting shows hosted by Libsyn along with clients of AdvertiseCast. The IAB reported almost 7,000 registrants for the three-day event, Podcast Upfront’s biggest virtual audience to date. It is clear from the reception we received that advertisers are enthusiastic about our combined customer bases. These synergies will create additional upside to attract advertisers to our platform. This feedback is consistent with industry growth estimates we are seeing. For example, IAB projects podcasting will see $1 billion in ad revenue in 2021 and $2 billion in 2023.

AdvertiserCast Co-Founders Trevr Smithlin and Dave Hanley commented, “AdvertiserCast has started 2021 off with a strong first quarter and our partnership with Libsyn will help accelerate our growth throughout the marketplace. In working with Laurie and her team since we announced the transaction, we have found a group of dedicated people who are extremely motivated to solidify Libsyn’s position as a market leader in the podcasting space including the rapidly-growing advertising market.”

In conjunction with the closing of the AdversiseCast acquisition, Libsyn also closed on a private placement led by Camac Partners, LLC, which was a pre-existing shareholder, new shareholder Hudson Executive Capital, LO, and several other new and existing investors. The gross proceeds from the private placement were $25 million.

Celsius Partners with iHeartMedia in New Podcast Deal

~ jen

Celsius, the global industry-leading cryptocurrency yield-earning platform and podcast publisher iHeartMedia, announced a multiyear agreement to co-produce a new iHeartRadio Original podcast hosted by Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky and distributed through the iHeartPodcast Network.

Scheduled to launch later this year, the uniquely educational, entertaining informative podcast will feature Alex discussing a wide-ranging set of topics both inside and outside crypto, including fintech trends, personal finance, trade and regulation. The podcast will be available on the iHeartRadio App and everywhere podcasts are heard.

“Since our founding, the Celsius mission has included bringing the next 100 million people into crypto. As a company we understand that a huge part of that task is education and audience engagement. We’re proud to be partnering with a media giant like iHeart through their industry-leading podcast platform and believe it will be a force multiplier in reaching our goals,” said Vijay Konduru, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Analytics of Celsius.

“We are excited to partner with a company like Celsius to build awareness and bring cryptocurrency education to new audiences and innovative ways,” said Joe Robinson, President of Ventures for iHeartMedia. “As cryptocurrencies continue to grow in popularity, we look forward to helping further educate listeners through this engaging podcast, so they can have a clearer understanding and responsibly engage and participate in this technology and space.”

The iHeartPodcast Network – the No. 1 podcast publisher globally as measured by Podtrac – has 27 million US monthly uniques and more than 250 million monthly global downloads and streams and spans every category from business, sports, spirituality and technology to entertainment, lifestyle, family, comedy, and true crime – and everything in between.

The two companies are also pursuing a broader partnership across iHeartMedia’s multiple audio platforms to bring further awareness of blockchain and cryptocurrencies to mainstream audiences at scale.

Spokn Brings Podcasting to Work with Funding from NEA, Y Combinator

~ jen

Spokn, the podcasting platform for work, announced that it has closed an oversubscribed $4M Seed round with funding from NEA, Y Combinator, along with Reach Capital, Funders Club, Liquid2, Share Capital, SOMA Capital, Scribble VC and Hack VC.The financing will support further market expansion and enable Spokn to enhance the platform for content creators.

Spokn was founded by Fawzy Abu Seif, Mariel Davis, and Mohammed Galal and launched as an internal communications platform in November 2020. Since that time, Spokn has grown rapidly, attracting customers such as ServiceNow, Podium, Udemy, Mixpanel, Cedar, ShipBob, and Superhuman. Beyond internal communications, Spokn’s customers create podcasts for more effective employee engagement: onboarding; diversity; equity and inclusion; and learning and development.

With many companies permanently shifting to remote or hybrid work models, internal communications and employee engagement have emerged as urgent priorities. But companies have struggled to keep remote employees informed and connected due to ‘Zoom fatigue,’ scheduling issues and the impersonal nature of email and messaging. The popularity of social audio apps like Clubhouse and the increase in podcast listenership during COVID point to a significant opportunity for audio in the workplace.

“Employees do their best work when they trust their leadership, are connected to their colleagues, understand their company’s direction, and feel motivated to contribute” said Fawzy Abu Seif, CEO and Co-founder of Spokn. “But existing tools weren’t designed to be the cultural connective tissue that remote or hybrid teams need. Podcasting is the perfect fit for reaching employees in the format they love – whether for messages from executives, staff spotlights, or stories on company history and values. Spokn is the only part of a company’s workstack that keeps employees connected while giving them a break from their screen.”

“As companies adapt to hybrid and distributed work, employees are craving new ways to build community, culture and comradery at work and companies are seeking intuitive solutions for asynchronous work,” – said Ann Bordetsky, Partner at NEA. “Communication is the next frontier of workplace SaaS and Spokn is defining a new category with async, audio-first employee engagement.”

Companies at the forefront of ‘future of work’ innovation recognize the potential of Spokn’s podcasting platform and have signed on. “At ServiceNow, we believe that when employees have flexibility to do their jobs where, when, and how they need to, they’re more productive and more engaged,” said Megan Kollar Dwyer, Director, Diversity & Inclusion at ServiceNow. “That’s why we’re excited to introduce Spokn’s podcasting platform for work to our employees. With Spokn, we will tap the power of audio storytelling to develop our managers, elevate voices from across our company, and build inclusive skills and mindsets.”

“We scaled very quickly and I was looking for a way to connect with employees without dragging them onto more Zooms,” said Eric Rea, Co-founder and CEO of Podium. “Spokn has been the perfect fit and our weekly podcast on Spokn was an instant hit. Hearing the voices and stories from the leadership team helps employees feel a really personal connection. It’s incredible to see the way that our employees have reacted to Podium’s podcasts on Spokn.”

LiSTNR Achieves 10.9 Million Monthly Streams

~ jen

SCA’s LiSTNR network has achieved a new record high of 10.9 million active streams during May, an increase of 20% year on year, demonstrating the expanding audience appetite for digital audio listening and advertiser demand.

Podcast listening across LiSTNR’s premium original titles reached a record of 2.7 million listeners, an increase of 18% year on year.

LiSTNR delivered 10.9 million total listening hours across its live streaming radio, podcasts, music, news, sport, and information offering – up to 9% year on year, while unique streaming listeners grew by 19% to 1.56 million people.

Smart speaker listening continues to surge, with 2.8 million total listening hours in May, an increase of 36% year on year.

LiSTNR offers targeted audiences at scale, who listen for longer, creating more addressable advertising opportunities than ever before. During May, brands harnessing the power of digital audio via the LiSTNR platform doubled year on year.

“Our unique ability to understand our users provides us with quality data to plan and execute digital audio campaigns, validated by the incredible 64% growth in advertisers who have taken advantage of digital audio campaigns in the last year. We are enjoying the opportunity to help our advertisers drive brand recall and purchase with our platform in new and creative ways,” SCA Chief Sales Officer, Brian Gallagher, said.

“LiSTNR has created a premium, personalized digital audio ecosystem for both audiences and advertisers which reaches over 4 million Australians and is growing fast. Streaming hours and time spent listening across our radio brands, podcasts, news and music continues to surge, demonstrating that consumers have now embraced digital audio as part of their daily lives.”

Launched in February, LiSTNR is a curated and personalized free app offering radio, podcasts, music, and news, creating new audio destination for all Australians. LiSTNR houses more than 100 premium original local, national, and global podcasts, live radio streams, radio podcasts and digital music stations from the Hit and Triple M networks, 15 linear music live streaming channels, four weekly music podcasts and an on-demand audio News and Info service.

Platform and Listen Announce Strategic Partnership

~ jen

Creative Content group Platform and leading UK audio producer Listen have announced a strategic partnership. The two companies will collaborate on building brands around high-profile projects already in the works featuring some of the biggest names in the country, the partnership will open up unique opportunities for creative talent to build long-term projects in which they share a stake.

Launched in May, the Platform group is the home of venture including: Wildfire, a social agency specializing in video, content distribution and communications; media technology business Format; and multimedia storytelling company Folding Pocket, whose co-founders include renowned actor James Nesbitt and former England rugby stars Mike Tindall and James Haskell.

Folding Pocket’s programming includes: Rob Brydon’s Spotify-exclusive podcast: Brydon & John Bishop and Tony Pitts Amazon Music exclusive Three Little Words; boxing champion Carl Frampton’s Inside Fighting; and The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, the world’s biggest rugby show.

Listen, the UK’s leading independent audio producer, crafts high-quality shows with millions of listeners. Working across all genres, its podcasts and radio projects include commissioned shows, branded podcasts and TV sister shows. The company works with high-profile talent including Claudi Winkleman, French & Sanders, Edith Bowman, reality star Gemma Collins, chef Levi Roots and boxing promoter Frank Warren.

As well as shows for Audible, the BBC and national commercial radio networks, Listen has created award-winning branded content for brands including BMW, Vodafone, Starbucks, Sky Bet, Churchill, Fiverr and The Open University.

Matthew Sherry, CEO, Platform, says: “Listen is the UK’s pre-eminent creative force in the world of audio, so we are thrilled to be joining forces with them. Their 25 years of experience are a huge asset to Platform, supercharging the scalability of our core business model. As a creative partner, they will complement Platform in the development of market-leading ideas and IP. As a production partner, they will instantly give us the capacity to deliver a higher volume of prestigious shows.

“Platform users its cross-section of companies to transform podcasts into premium brands. Listen shares our drive and ambition in ensuring that podcasts not only rise above the saturated marketplace, but have the capacity to deliver significant commercial media value, so we are delighted to be working with them in this way.”

Josh Adley, Director of Commercial & Client Relations, Listen, adds: “Platform’s keen awareness of building brands and developing talent are in perfect harmony with our own values. Their unique combination of creative skills and distribution expertise makes them the perfect partner for us.

“Talent brands and platforms are increasingly looking for more than just an audio studio. They want to establish programming brands through strong distribution, discoverability, and visibility. Our collaboration with Platform allows us to do just that, creating a one-stop-shop for those who are wanting to create, or own, ambitious programming.”

Acast Secures Exclusive Deal with The Irish Times Podcasts

~ jen

Acast has signed The Irish Times, Ireland’s leading independent and trusted source of news and journalism, to its network of publisher partners. The exclusive partnership with Acast supercharges The Irish Times’ audio strategy by enabling the publisher to distribute its expanding podcast portfolio to every listening platform, as well as generating revenue through the Acast Marketplace with dynamically inserted ads and programmatic buying.

The Irish Times taps into a weekly audience of one million people across its digital content and print newspaper. Committed to engaging and broadcasting its audience, as well as strengthening its compelling and distinctive journalism, The Irish Times is investing in such formats as podcasts to serve the changing needs of its readers.

By partnering with Acast, the publication can focus on making the podcasts, while Acast handles the rest – hosting, distributing and monetizing its shows to reach new audiences and unlock new revenue streams. The publisher will also get access to Acast’s powerful analytics tools, to help understand all aspects of its listenership.

On May 24, 2021, The Irish Times launched its newest podcast, In The News. Hosted by journalists Sorcha Pollak and Conor Pope, the show takes a closer look at the stories that matter in Ireland and around the world.

In The News will be published in the morning, initially launching with two episodes per week on Mondays and Wednesdays, but with the aim of increasing this frequency in the months ahead. The goal is to bring a broad range of its journalism to listeners in an accessible, entertaining and authoritative way.

Liam Kavanagh, Group Managing Director at The Irish Times, said: “Our objective is to build the largest possible audience, bringing our trusted journalism to more people in new ways, and working with the world’s leading podcast platform gives us the best possible opportunity to do that.”

“The Irish Times has long been one of the most innovative news organizations in Ireland, jumping into podcasts before many others,” said Jennifer Dollard, Senior Content Development Manager at Acast Ireland. “Counting its podcasts as part of our growing publisher network is a landmark moment for Acast, both in Ireland and globally – we can’t wait to work with its exceptionally talented team.”

The Irish Times is part of the Acast Creator Network, and its shows – including In The News – are available on every podcast listening app, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Spotify. Brands and agencies looking to advertise in The Irish Times’ podcasts can do so exclusively through the Acast Marketplace.

Submit Your Tiny Podcast to My RØDE Cast Contest

~ jen

RØDE has a contest called My RØDE Cast. Got an idea for a podcast? Submit a mini-episode to My RØDE Cast for a chance to win 1 of more than 100 podcasting prize packs. They are looking for “tiny podcasts with big ideas”. Entries close 10am (AEST) Wednesday 23rd of June, 2021.

How to Enter:

  • Create a mini podcast.
  • Upload and submit it to My RØDE Cast
  • RØDE will add it to their podcast page
  • Tell your friends to vote for you!

RØDE provided some information about what they are looking for in a mini podcast:

We’re looking for tiny podcasts with big ideas! Two minutes isn’t long, so make something that will hit us between the ears from the start. Your entry can be on any topic and in any style, as long as it is original and meets our submission guidelines. It can be a condensed version of an existing podcast, a teaser for a longer episode, or a snappy show.

Register for the competition or log in to access your starter pack. This includes all the details of the competition, and tips and ideas to get you inspired and more.

Prizes Include:

Major Prize Pack:
1 x RØDECaster Pro
4 x Procaster
4 x PSM1
4 x PSA1
4 x NT-USB Mini
1 x Wireless Go II
1 x COLORS
1 x Interview GO
1 x MagClip Go
1 x RØDECaster Pro Accessory Pack (SC9, DC-USB1, HJA-4, XLR-ID)

Runner Up: (6 winners)
1 x RØDECaster Pro
4 x PodMic
4 x PSA1
1 x RØDECaster Pro Accessory Pack (SC9, DC-USB1, HJA-4, XLR-ID)

People’s Choice (Most Votes Wins!)
1 x RØDECaster Pro
4 x PodMic
4 x PSA1
1 x RØDECaster Pro Accessory Pack (SC9, DC-USB1, HJA-4, XLR-ID)

Highly Recommended: (100 to be won)
4 x NT-USB Mini
1 x COLORS