Month: May 2022

Norwegian Startup Nomono Launches Nomono Sound Capsule

~ jen

Nomono, pioneers of audio recording and collaboration tools that help podcasters and journalists tell immersive stories, debuted its integrated hardware and software solutions for simplifying field recording, file management, collaboration, and production while paving the way for a spatial audio future.

Nomono will demonstrate its platform during The Podcast Show 2022, May 25-26 at The Business Design Centre in London at Booth F11.

Nomono platform includes the Nomono Sound Capsule, a Wi-Fi enabled recorder that combines four ultra-compact wireless lavalier mics with a 360-degree spatial audio microphone array and weighs less than 4 pounds. The Nomono Sound Capsule connects seamlessly to the Nomono Web App, an online audio collaboration tool where content creators backup their recordings, collaborate with their production team, and apply AI-powered dialogue enhancement processing to ensure their audio sounds the best it can before starting the editorial process.

With unparalleled portability and ease-of-use, Nomono’s combined solutions are revolutionizing how professional-quality audio is created.

“We’re sound people with a passion for building great products for like-minded pros, including podcasters, broadcast journalists, and media houses,” said Jonas Rinde, Nomono CEO. “Nomono simplifies podcasting with intuitive tools for capturing interviews from the field, collaborating on the editorial process, and improving audio quality. Our goal is to provide storytellers with an audio workflow that is smart, simple, and capable of delivering excellent sound.”

Unlike current podcasting workflows that depend on separate field recorders, microphones, mixers, and accessories – plus software collaboration tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, Google Docs, Asana, Notion, and more – Nomono offers a portable, all-in-one field recording solution built specifically for podcasters and journalists that automatically uploads recordings to an intuitive cloud-based audio collaboration and preparation tool.

“With the Nomono platform, creators can focus on their subjects and content without worrying about technology and equipment,” Rinde said. “This allows them to be more creative in their audio storytelling.”

The Nomono Sound Capsule

The Nomono Sound Capsule is a compact, one-button field recording solution that captures up to four guests and immersive scene tape without wires or a complicated setup. The portable all-in-one solution is built specifically for podcasters and journalists who work in the field and want to record conversations with multiple people without the technology getting in the way.

It includes Nomono’s groundbreaking wireless microphones, which capture and buffer high-resolution, uncompressed audio files, and transmit them back to the recorder asynchronously, providing wireless flexibility without the typical concerns of dropouts or interference. The recorder itself includes an ambisonic microphone array to capture a high-resolution 3D recording of the environment and ambience along with the voices of each participant. The combination makes it easy to record object-based spatial audio that is compatible with formats from binaural all the way to Dolby Atmos, and bring listeners right inside the conversation.

“All of Nomono’s technology is built with spatial audio in mind, so creators can produce content like they always have and make the transition to spatial audio production with ease,” Rinde explained.

The Nomono Sound Capsue weighs less than 4 pounds and fits in a backpack. It comes with a rugged carrying case with a built-in rapid charger. There are no levels to set and no SD cards to format. Creators just push one button and start the conversation.

Nomono Cloud Collaboration

Audio captured by the Nomono Sound Capsule is uploaded wirelessly to the Nomono Web App, a secure cloud resource and audio collaboration tool featuring AI-powered signal processing. Through the Web App, Nomono makes it easy for content creators to gather and organize material in a central repository; collect comments, feedback, and approvals in relation to an audio timeline; and save time and money in post-production through one-button dialogue enhancement and noise reduction technology.

The same Nomono Intelligent Signal Processing technology that enables spatial audio recordings can also help separate the foreground dialogue from the background environment to provide exceptional intelligibility and noise reduction without distracting artifacts or having to remove the background sound entirely.

With field recordings from the Sound Capsule automatically backed up to the cloud, content teams can immediately start logging and collaborating on recorded material to speed up the editorial process and get the content “on air” as fast as possible. Creators can even upload from other sources into the same Nomono Web App, keeping all their material organized in a single location that’s accessible to anyone on the team, including outside collaborators.

American Girl Launches New Family-Friendly Podcast Network

~ jen

American Girl, longtime children’s publisher and cornerstone in the Mattel portfolio of purposeful brands, launched the American Girl Podcast Network, which is rooted in the brand’s popular stories, characters, and real-world advice to connect and entertain girls, their parents, and the entire fan community over their shared love of all things “AG”. The new podcast network, with ad-free shows spanning diverse formats and themes, will amplify the brand’s digital and creative storytelling – sparking imaginations and a love of reading.

The American Girl Podcast Network will launch with three original shows – one scripted and adapted from the brand’s slate of fan-favorite published content for young readers that debuted on May 24th, followed by two nonfiction podcasts with a mix of guest interviews, real-life advice, and behind-the-scenes exclusives that launch this summer.

“From the start, American Girl has been rooted in story. Our books – whether adventures, mysteries, or real-life advice – are the heart of what we do,” said Jamie Cygielman, General Manager of American Girl. “With storytelling an intrinsic part of our DNA, the American Girl Podcast Network is a natural evolution for the brand, allowing us to tap into our vast collection of diverse content, as well as our numerous authors and subject-matter experts, to enrich and entertain our fans. We’re thrilled to connect with all those in our celebrated American Girl community in this authentic and culturally relevant way.”

The American Girl Podcast Network launches with the following three shows:

American Girl 10-Minute Mysteries (launched May 24): A scripted podcast series of bite-sized content developed from American Girl’s slate of beloved historical character mystery books, taking young readers on action-packed adventures full of fun, friendships, and suspense. Season 1 is based on a fan-favorite “A Light in the Cellar: A Molly Mystery”, voiced by actress and podcast host Maggie Lawson.

American Girl Fan Club (launching July 23): Hosted by two real-life American Girl superfans, Sydney Paulson and Kristen Washington, this show goes where no one has gone before. Fans get exclusive access to all the behind-the-scenes facts and trivia about the creation and evolution of American Girl’s iconic characters and content throughout the years, featuring special guest interviews and insider sneak peeks of exciting things to come!

The Smart Girls Podcast (launching Aug. 17): This show brings to life American Girl’s most popular advice series: “A Smart Girl’s Guide”. For 20 years, the “Smart Girls Guides” have been a trusted resource for parents and their kids, selling more than 6 million titles to date. Building on that success, this podcast is full of conversations aimed to help tweens navigate what’s really happening with their emotions, mental health, friendships, and more. The hosts – 16-year-old actress Shay Rudolph and cultural expert and creative producer for the podcast network Jess Weiner – will interview celebrated guests and young change makers to ask ALL the questions listeners want to know.

Partners in the American Girl Podcast Network include:

Jess Weiner and Talk to Jess, a cultural consultancy and creative production company, which specializes in branded podcasts, most recently launching the Dominant Stories with Shondaland. Jess and American Girl have a long-standing association with the projects and programs that help all girls feel seen and represented.

Distribution partner Cloud10 Media, a full-service network that provides listeners an outlet for best-in-class podcast discovery, while offering development, promotion, marketing, and sales support.

“We know that podcast listenership among kids and teens continues to grow exponentially, and we are so excited to help American Girl bring their stories and inspired conversations to the next generation,” said Sim Sarna, Founder + CEO, Cloud10 Media.

The American Girl Podcast Network will be available on all streaming platforms where listeners get their podcasts; to learn more, visit americangirl.com/podcast. Audio and visual clops from the podcast shows will also be shared on American Girl’s social channels, and American Girl 10-Minute Mysteries will be available on the brand’s trusted YouTube channel, for those who like to watch while they listen.

SiriusXM Acquires Team Coco and Conan O’Brian Needs A Friend Podcast

~ jen

SiriusXM announced the acquisition of Team Coco, including the critically-acclaimed hit podcast Conan O’Brian Needs a Friend, and the Conan O’Brian-led podcast network and digital media business. The transaction also brings to SiriusXM Team Coco’s staff, who will continue to produce the network’s slate of popular podcasts, as well as collaborate on content for Sirius XM.

As part of the deal, Conan has entered into a five-year talent agreement with SiriusXM, under which he will remain host of his namesake podcast, which will continue to be available widely, and will also collaborate with SiriusXM to create and executive produce a new full-time, original Team Coco comedy channel for SiriusXM subscribers. The agreement also includes distribution of select video from Conan’s podcast as well as from the archives of his long-running late night show on TBS, live events, and merchandise from the Team Coco brands.

Since its inception over a decade ago, Team Coco has garnered more than 1 billion annual video views across YouTube and Facebook, averages 180 million annual podcast downloads, and now reaches 17 million fans across social media. Team Coco’s flagship podcast, Conan O’Brian Needs a Friend, which was developed with Stitcher’s Earwolf, ranks as one of the top five most searched-for podcasts, and recently won two Webby Awards. By becoming a part of SiriusXM, the leading home of comedy in audio entertainment, Team Coco gains the promotional power of the SiriusXM, Pandora, and Stitcher listening platforms – amplifying the network’s voices and extending the Team Coco brand to new audiences.

“When I started in television my ultimate goal was to work my way up to radio,” said Conan O’Brian. “This new deal with SiriusXM builds on the great relationship that began several years ago with a team that is the standout in their field.’

“We are thrilled that Conan remains committed to producing his incredibly successful podcast and will now expand his role into executive producing an excusing Team Coco radio channel for SiriusXM,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chef Content Officer of SiriusXM. “Conan has built an amazing brand and organization at Team Coco with a proven track record of finding and launching compelling and addictive podcasts. We look forward to continuing to grow the Team Coco brand.”

As part of the acquisition, SXM Media, the combined advertising sales organization of SiriusXM, expands its exclusive global ad representation beyond Team Coco’s acclaimed podcasts – such as Nicole Byer’s Why Won’t You Date Me? and JB Smoove’s May I Elaborate?, along with its Stitcher co-productions Scam Goddess with Laci Mosley, Literally! with Rob Lowe, The Three Questions with Andy Richter, and Parks and Recollection – to also include digital video, social media, and live events associated with Team Coco’s properties.

Team Coco podcasts will continue to be available on Stitcher, the SXM App, Pandora, and major podcast listening platforms.

Team Coco joins an already robust and industry-leading comedy lineup at SiriusXM, the exclusive audio home for top comedies and brands, which includes channels such as Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio, Netflix is a Joke Radio, and Comedy Central Radio, as well as Stitcher’s Earwolf network and their collection of award-winning and critically-acclaimed shows How Did This Get Made?, Office Ladies, Storytime with Seth Rogen, and more.

SiriusXM’s acquisition of Team Coco follows that of 99% Invisible, the announcement of a global advertising agreement with podcast company Audiochuck, and it’s top-rated podcast, Crime Junkie; an agreement with Tom Segura and Christine P’s YMH Studios to distribute and develop content; an agreement for the exclusive rights to manage all audio and video ad sales for the comedy horror show The Last Podcast on the Left; and a multi-platform agreement with Crooked Media that brings the independent progressive media company’s top ranked podcasts to Sirius XM through the 2024 election cycle and beyond.

Podcast Giant Marc Maron Joins Acast

~ jen

Acast, the world’s leading independent podcast platform has entered into a three-year partnership with podcast creator Marc Maron and his podcast WTF with Marc Maron. The partnership will now be hosted, monetized and distributed via Acast, and will also be making use of the platform’s paid memberships offering, Acast+. Maron’s podcast has approximately 55 million listens per year, primarily in North America.

Maron has, since the podcast started in 2009, become a phenomenon in the podcasting world and over the years has interviewed personalities including President Barack Obama, Kate Winslet, Keith Richards, Nicole Kidman, Stacey Abrams and Robin Williams – the latter episode being inducted into America’s National Recording Registry earlier this year. Shortly after Maron launched his podcast, it established itself as one of the world’s largest and most popular shows.

This partnership means that Acast will be the exclusive host and sales partner for the podcast, its full back catalog and other related materials. WTF with Marc Maron will continue to be released twice a week and will be available to all listeners, wherever they choose to listen to their podcasts. The agreement will come into effect from July 1, 2022.

WTF with Marc Maron will also be utilizing Acast+, giving the podcast additional monetization options including Maron’s back catalog and brand new bonus content for Maron’s paying members – without restricting them to listen to their paid-for content on a specific podcast player. In addition, Acast will offer advertisers the opportunity to promote their brand to Maron’s million of listeners through both dynamic and in-episode sponsorships, plus much more.

“Entering into a partnership with the podcast giant Marc Maron is a big win for Acast and for the open podcasting landscape, as this deal guarantees that the podcast can continue to be listened to by everyone, everywhere and on their preferred listening platform. In addition to WTF with Marc Maron being one of the largest podcasts in the world, Maron is also one of the very best hosts in the business. This collaboration presents a real step forward for us in the North American market, adding millions of listens and strengthening our brand even further in the region. At the same time we will also be working with the show to increase the number of Marc Maron fans across the globe,” said Ross Adams, CEO of Acast.

“We’ve amassed an amazing catalog over the years and Acast offers us an opportunity to make it available in a way that hasn’t always been before, especially in international markets. We’ve released two episodes every week for almost 13 years and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Acast won’t stand in the way of us doing the show the way we want to do it, the way we like doing it, they way we’ve always done it. They’re excited and focused and I think the partnership will be very productive,” said Marc Maron, host of WTF with Mark Maron.

“We take great pride in maintaining the high quality and universal accessibility of WTF, and we know we are in very safe hands with Acast. We will be utilizing both their expertise and innovative technologies, such as Acast+, to ensure our podcast stays ahead of the game. We look forward to sharing more and more great content with our listeners,” said WTF with Marc Maron co-creator and producer Brendan McDonald.

The deal was negotiated by Avalon who represents WTF with Marc Maron and Marc Maron.

iHeartMedia Welcomes Sarah Von Mosel

~ jen

iHeartMedia, Inc., the leading audio company in America, announced that it has named Sarah van Mosel as Executive Vice President of the iHeart Audience Network (iAN).

The iHeart Audience Network – the next evolution of audience-based buying – is a new service from iHeart that simplifies audio advertising. With inventory sourced from the expansive iHeartRadio database and other premium publishers across streaming and podcasting, the iHeart Audience Network is the leading service brands can rely on to reach addressable audiences in premium audio inventory at scale.

Each network campaign will allow brands to unlock access to multiple services, including advanced targeting that looks across channels, devices and behaviors to pinpoint the right audience; and an upcoming one-of-a-kind brand safety tech tool, developed by iHeartMedia in partnership with Sounder, called Audio Intelligence, using AI and machine learning to check content against the IAB’s standards for brand safety. The iHeart Audience Network spans streaming and podcasting – with the added reach of broadcast radio too.

As Executive Vice President for the iHeart Audience Network, van Mosel will additionally assist with iAN sales operations, publisher development and podcast slate partnerships for iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac. With her experience as a force in the podcasting business, van Mosel will work closely with Carter Brokaw, President of Digital Revenue Strategy to bolster iHeart’s continued growth in the space. She will report to Conal Byrne, Chief Executive Officer of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group.

“The iHeart Audience Network is the first and only audio marketplace that seamlessly unifies all forms of audio with one common set of audiences, and we’re thrilled Sarah is bringing her expertise, vision and talent to take these unique capabilities to their full potential for advertisers and publishers,” said Byrne. “She’s been at the forefront of innovation in podcasting from the very beginning and her unique perspective on the rapidly growing medium will ensure this venture becomes the premier service for all brands. The team is looking forward to seeing where she takes iAN next.”

A long-time champion of the industry and creator community, van Mosel most recently served as the Chief Revenue Officer at Stitcher, where she led podcast revenue strategy across SiriusXM, Pandora and Stitcher. Van Mosel was part of the leadership team that oversaw Stitcher’s acquisition by SiriusXM in October 2020. Following the acquisition, she was responsible for integrating Stitcher’s sales organization, setting direction for revenue growth, and scaling opportunities for podcast monetization.

Van Mosel has also held multiple executive roles within the podcast space. As Chief Podcast Sales and Strategy Office at Market Engenuity, van Mosel built the monetization engine for podcasts from PDX, Radiotopia, The Moth, and TED Talks Daily. In addition to overseeing revenue generation, van Mosel drove content acquisition and business development across 13 public media stations in the top 10 U.S. markets. Prior to Market Enginunity, van Mosel has also held senior positions at Acast and WNYC. Additionally, she’s a founding member of the IAB Podcast Working Group.

“My path to iHeart has been a long one, but each step of the way, has equipped me with the exact set of skills I need to lock arms with this outstanding team,” says van Mosel. “Anyone who knows me knows I love to build. I love to push the industry forward. The team at iHeart is poised to completely transform the audio industry and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Mirchi Partners With Triton Digital To Power Its Audio Streaming And Podcast Strategy

~ jen

Triton Digital, the global technology and services leader to the digital audio industry, announced a partnership with Mirchi, India’s no. 1 music and entertainment company, owned by Entertainment Network India Limited.

Through the partnership, Mirchi will leverage Triton Digital’s suite of advertising measurement and podcasting technologies for content delivery, audience measurement, and monetization across all its audio streaming and podcast inventory, creating new opportunities for advertisers to reach listeners across its digital platforms, including the recently launched Mirchi app.

“As leading global media company, we needed a flexible, state-of-the-art solution that could enable our app and digital audio platform to scale up and keep up with demand,” said Unit Tyagi, Chief Digital Officer at Mirchi. “Triton Digital’s innovative technology helps us to better manage our audio content, measurement and advertising across direct and programmatic in a seamless, unified manner to provide our global customer base with the best listening experience possible.”

Mirchi powers audio content from India to help listeners across the globe access their favorite FM stations and podcasts, regardless of their location. Through Triton Digital’s Supply-Side Platform (SSP) and Advertising Platform, Tap, publishers can manage demand and optimize yield for every audio opportunity, as well as streamline their advertising traffic to maximize revenue. Triton Digital’s trusted audio and podcast measurement tools provide publishers with audience insights and advertisers with consistent and accurate third-party metrics so they can make informed decisions around advertising spend.

“At Triton Digital, our goal is to provide publishers with the technology to power innovative listening experiences for audiences across the globe,” said Aditya Summanwar, Director, Market Development, Triton Digital. “We look forward to supporting Mirchi with our cutting edge and comprehensive suite of audio technologies to help them expand their audience and grow revenue.”

The partnership further demonstrates Triton Digital’s commitment to provide technologies that enhance the streaming audio market in India, which is expected to cross $870 million USD by 2025.

Acast Appoints Jenny Rahm As Managing Director For The Nordics

~ jen

Acast, the world’s leading independent podcast company, announces the appointment of Jenny Rham as Managing Director for the Nordics. Rahm will oversee commercial sales and podcast acquisition and retention, as Acast continues to grow its market share within the Nordics and retains its leading position in Sweden.

With a strong background in media sales and a deep understanding of engaging content, Rahm will be fundamental in further increasing revenues for Acast within the Nordics. Prior to joining Acast, Rahm held the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Life of Svea, where she was responsible for all commercial revenues with focus on its business development and profitability. She also holds many years of experience as Sales Manager within Bonnier.

According to projections by IRM, podcast ad revenue in Sweden is expected to increase by 40% and reach an amount of 400 million SEK in 2022, making podcasts the highest growth media of all categories.

Oskar Serrander, Chief Operating Officer at Acast, said: “Jenny has a long, impressive track record in the media industry both from a commercial side and in close work with the creative. Not only does she have the know-how skills, perhaps most importantly she has the leadership values and philosophy that will be instrumental for nurturing the Acast culture we are so proud of.

“The podcasting opportunity in the Nordics is a fantastic one and, as the Nordic leader, we want to ensure we have the best leadership to continue to keep Acast innovating – as well as being the best home for both our established podcasts and new shows. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Fredrik Hermansson for playing a key role in our Acast growth story of the past eight years, and we wish him all the best in his new role.

In her new role, Rahm will also be responsible for the welfare of close to 50 Acast employees based in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.

Jenny Rahm, Managing Director, Nordics at Acast, said: “I’m impressed by Acast’s growth journey, their future plans, and also their excellent culture – both in terms of employees and creators. The podcast medium as an advertising platform shows a continued exponential increase in most markets, with enormous potential. Managing Director for the Nordic region will be a challenge, but at the same time a fun role that I look forward, with the greatest confidence, of taking on.

Rahm will work out of the Stockholm office.

CuriousCast Podcast Network Joins Spotify Podcast Platform Megaphone

~ jen

Corus Entertainment’s award-winning podcast network Curiouscast announced that it will be joining Megaphone, Spotify’s enterprise podcasting platform, to host its full lineup of podcasts. In addition to hosting all Curiouscast podcasts on the Megaphone platform, Spotify will have access to select Curiouscast inventory to monetize via the Spotify Audience Network.

The Spotify Audience Network is an audio-first advertising marketplace that makes it possible for advertisers of all sizes to connect with listeners across a broad range of content on and off Spotify. Megaphone podcast publishers who have opted in to the Spotify Audience Network have seen meaningful improvement in their ability to monetize.

“Working with Spotify and Megaphone is the next step in our evolution as a network. We are excited to be working together to grow our audiences and provide for new opportunities for our advertisers both in Canada and around the world,” said Chris “Dunner” Duncombe, Director of Streaming and Podcasting, Curious/Corus Entertainment.

“Audiences worldwide are tuned into digital audio at record rates and the numbers are rising,” said Emma Vaugh, Head of Advertising Business Development & Partnerships at Spotify. “Digital audio consumption surpassed radio for the first time in Canada last year according to a recent eMarketer study. Given this growth, we’re thrilled that leading publishers like Curiouscast are leveraging best-in-class tools across both Megaphone and the Spotify Audience Network to better monetize and measure their content.”

The award-winning Curiouscast network launched in 2018 and is home to internationally recognized brands with diverse audio storytelling, including: Edward R. Murrow International Podcast Award and RTDNA winners Crime Beat (now adapted for TV on Global News and Hulu) and 13 Hours Inside the Nova Scotia Massacre; the #1 Canadian-produced music podcast, The Ongoing History of New Music; and 2020 Canadian Podcast Award winners Dark Poutine, History of the 90’s, as well as Nighttime, The Peak Daily, Escaping Denver, Marsfall, and RTNA winner Global News What Happened To.

StreamGuys Expand Executive Team With Vice President of Sales and Marketing

~ jen

StreamGuys continues to add to new talent throughout the company, with recent hires in sales, technical support and software engineering to align with its business growth. The company proudly welcomes Megan Killion as Vice President of Sales and Marketing – a newly created executive-level position that signals an evolution in sales philosophy. Reporting to StreamGuys President Kriki Delany, Megan will develop strategic initiatives that build a stronger sales culture across the organization, with an emphasis on driving new business and increasing close rates.

Megan brings 15 years of B2B technology sales and marketing experience to StreamGuys, with strong pedigree in global business development, lead generation, corporate partnerships and market expansion. She has worked closely with StreamGuys through previous executive positions at her own MKC Agency, there she worked with StreamGuys on branding and outbound marketing initiatives.

These experiences, along with previous similar positions Ericsson UDN and long-term consultancies with Mutable, Reblaze, and StackPath, provide Megan with a broad knowledge of the technology infrastructure that StreamGuys excels in across the CDN, cloud, edge computing and streaming universe. More importantly, she knows how to translate product and technology language into sales success for new and existing clients, and move successful companies like StreamGuys into lucrative new markets.

“StreamGuys has an innovative portfolio of technology with rich feature sets, and a technical and customer support team that is unmatched,” said Killion. “One of my goals is to help StreamGuys productize and market the existing features and services they offer, and develop a clear roadmap to mid-to-large enterprise businesses that aren’t yet familiar with the company.”

Megan adds that she is “hyper-focused on pipelines,” which helps to increase close rates by establishing a productive sales motion. That is only possible upon building a sales-oriented business culture. “My experience working in the technology space suggests that few companies really understand why they need both a strong sales culture and engineering vision. StreamGuys has both excellent sales and engineering teams in place, and they work very hard to service their customers and deliver on the technology promises they make. I am excited to bring these operations even closer together.”

Megan caught the attention of Kriki Delaney and other executives at StreamGuys while partnering with CacheFly on an ultra-low latency streaming technology, which she productized and took to market for CacheFly. They were also impressed with her strong sales acumen: Megan quadrupled revenue for CacheFly in the 18 months with the company.

“We recognized firsthand what Megan brought to CacheFly’s sales culture while the StreamGuys team implemented this technology,” said Delany. “We believe her expertise will introduce StreamGuys to a much wider base of customers, both inside the broadcast media space and within new markets including sports, worship and corporate enterprise. There is a largely untapped market for audio and video services in podcasting, live streaming and cloud distribution across these markets the we are poised to capitalize on with Megan’s vision in place.”

Pinterest Announced Lead Partners For International Women’s Podcast Festival

~ jen

Content is Queen presents The International Women’s Podcast Festival, a one-day event that unites the global community of female innovators and leaders in podcasting, audio and radio. It is the first and only of its kind in the UK offering a dynamic and refreshing space profiling the women shaping the rapidly expanding world of podcasts. Hosted live at Kings Place in London and streamed to an international audience alongside the global voices stage, the festival brings together the most inspiring women working in podcasting today.

Since 2018, the number of female podcast listeners has increased by 76%, according to a Nielsen report. The Global Voices is a virtual stage bringing together podcasting talent from across the globe and Pinterest’s sponsorship is an exciting step towards boosting the recognition of these women on an international scale.

“Pinterest is delighted to be partnering with The Women’s Podcast festival to spotlight the most exciting established and emerging voices in podcasting. As the inspirational corner of the internet we’re committed to enabling content creators to share their ideas loud and proud to an engaged community. The Women’s Podcast festival 2022, with its stellar line up of in person and virtual events will be bursting with inspirational ideas brought to life through conversations where women feel seen, heard & understood. We can’t wait!” – Belinda Boakye, Consumer Marketing at Pinterest London.

As more and more women use podcasting as a tool for community, activism, and sexual liberation across the world the Pinterest Global Voices stage at The Women’s Podcast festival will provide a platform for podcasting enthusiasts from across Africa, North & South America, and Asia.

Podcasts have become a safe space for women around the world to share stories and engage in challenging conversations; according to an Acast survey 92% of podcast listeners from all demographics said they’re open to hearing sensitive conversations on podcasts – with over half of those being women. This reflects the importance of podcasting as a means of safe space community building and impactful conversation sharing which is of groundbreaking significance in the history of media and audio.

The Women’s Podcast Festival will be live-streamed internationally and takes place at King’s Place in London on Saturday 18, June, where Content is Queen have programmed an innovative day of events with an incredible line-up of podcasters and producers from around the world offering a fully intersectional experience. The festival will feature speakers such as Fiona Sturges of the FT, Moya Lothian-McLean – Contributing editor at Novara Media/Host of Human Resources and Sangeeta Pillai, host of The Masala Podcast.

“I am very excited to have Pinterest involved in the festival. Pinterst is a huge opportunity for podcasters to reach new audiences and share the incredible stories from their shows. Pinterest’s creator growth support is second to none and I know our podcasters will be able to harness the power of discovery.” – Imriel Morgan, CEO and Founder of Content is Queen.