Month: September 2022

Heard.FM Announces Inaugural Independent Creator Program

~ jen

Heard.FM, a new curated podcast platform announces the launch of their inaugural independent Creator Program. With over 5 million podcasts available today, listeners and podcast creators alike are overwhelmed with choice – which means that sometimes the best shows get lost in the crowd.

Heard.FM is built to bring podcasters and listeners together by offering a curated experience: only podcasts that meet the quality standards set by the Curation Team, catered towards what users are looking for, will be accepted onto the platform. By instituting a quality standard, Heard.FM promises users that all shows included on the platform offer the best experience audio has to offer, ranging from production quality to unique stories and the talent behind them.

As the industry grows, indie podcasters have found themselves competing against major studios for the same audience without the same resources. And, as a result, audio is becoming a less level playing field. The Independent Creators Program aims to help independent podcasts stand out among the ever growing crowd. Shows that are accepted into the program during pre-launch will receive additional benefits aimed at growing their listener base and utilizing features of Heard.FM’s platform.

Some of these benefits include: featured placements in recommendation playlists curated by Heard.FM’s human creation team (rather than an algorithm you have to learn to beat), the ability to highlight the cast and crew of your show with headshots and bios, inclusion in category specific sections of the app to reach listeners looking exactly for your content, and thirty second audio commercials for your podcast. These commercials will play directly to users who fit each podcasts’ listener demographic, helping to bring new audience members to independent shows that may have never been reached elsewhere.

Heard.FM’s features, allow podcasters to build a direct relationship with their audience where they’re listening: users are able to stay in touch with not only the feed, but the creators, cast, and crew members by utilizing the cast & crew feature. Through the community section, creators can engage in direct dialogue with their listeners – and appeal to new listeners that are looking for fresh content to add to their library.

  • Participation in the independent creator program is free of charge. However, there are a limited number of spots available in the inaugural program. Heard.FM is looking for shows that offer the following:
  • Great sound quality. We’re looking for clean, listenable audio with no distractions in the background.
  • Strong storytelling. Whether your podcast is fiction or nonfiction, listeners want to be taken on a journey. We’re looking for shows that give our listeners new experiences, knowledge, or emotional journeys.
  • Something unique. What does your podcast offer that the other 5 million don’t? What makes you deserve to be Heard?

Applications for the program must be submitted by September 30th, 2022 to be considered. Creators may apply here: https://heard.fm/creator/

Heard.FM is also open to the final round of early access Beta testers. Any interested users may submit to be a part of the program here: https://heard.fm/

Australian Podcast Awards Returns Bigger And Better In 2022

~ jen

The country’s most prestigious and well recognized podcast awards, The Australia Podcast Awards (APA’s) powered by iHeart, will return in 2022 – celebrating the best of the best Australian podcast and podcasting talent to emerge and gain fandom over the past year.

Over 90 judges listened to nearly 1,000 submissions in 2021, awarding gold to 29 top podcasts across categories from True Crime to Comedy and Sex & Relationships. The 2022 Australian Podcast Awards promises to be bigger and better than ever with a total of 33 award categories from Best New Podcast to Podcast of the Year and every genre-based category in between. There are also new awards including Podcast Climate Award and Best Parenting Podcast.

This year the Awards will also make it easier for independent BIPOC, Queer and Trans audio creators to enter, thanks to a partnership with the Podcasting Seriously Fund that provides reimbursement for entries from members of these communities.

The News of the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards comes as Australia officially overtakes the U.S. as the world’s biggest listening nation, and the industry continues to produce a record-number of break-through podcasts.

Matt Deegan, Director at the Australian Podcast Awards said:

“Australia isn’t just the world’s biggest podcast listening nation, it’s also at the forefront of incredible podcast production. We’re so thrilled to bring the industry’s most recognized and prestigious podcasting awards back for its sixth year. The 2022 Australian Podcast Awards promises to uncover, spotlight and champion the best of the best when it comes to Australian podcasting. We welcome podcasts big and small to enter and look forward to another year of break-through podcasting content.”

The Australian Podcast Awards also announces its first wave of partners, including Gold Partner iHeart, LISTNR, Nova, Campaign, Podfollow and PodNews.

The Australian Podcast Awards launched in 2016 as a way to showcase the amazing podcast talent and content Australia has to offer. Now in its sixth year, the Award continues to recognize the industry’s most innovative and emerging podcast content across its varied categories. It also hosts an annual conference, Podcast Day 24 on October 4th in Sydney, which shares content, research, and podcast industry trends.

2022 winners included Laura Byrne and Brittney Hockey’s Life Uncut, Julia Gillard’s A Podcast Of One’s Own and Brooke Boney and Linda Marigilano’s Brooke and Linda’s Dream Club. Other winners include true crime podcast, The Nurse, dramedy fiction podcast, Private Affairs, and pop-culture podcast, The Culture.

Submissions for the Australian Podcast Awards are now open, find out more at australianpodcastawards.com. Nominees will be selected by a judging panel of industry experts before the category winners are announced in November.

Acast Prepares For Profitable Growth – Intends To Reduce Workforce

~ jen

Acast AB (publ), the leading podcast platform and pioneer in the open ecosystem for podcasts, improves the path to future profitable growth by reviewing its organization with the intent to reduce its cost base. After an intensive period of product development and investments, focus will shift towards the creation of profitable growth in line with the company’s updated financial goals – which were presented in the report for the second quarter. The cost reductions imply a decrease of the current workforce by approximately 15 percent.

“Our strategy is based on bringing together advertisers with podcast creators via our platform and delivering the absolute best podcast offering. We have been working hard for several years to develop our product to enable a seamless process for onboarding of new podcasts, as well as developing market leading advertising targeting within episodes, which is now bearing fruit. We will continue to prioritize long-term investments in both market operations and product development, but with an organization that is adapted to a new phase for the company,” says Ross Adams, CEO of Acast.

In connection with the report for the second quarter, Acast presented new financial targets, which means that the company brought forward the goal of reaching positive EBITDA in 2024 instead of sometime during 2024-2026.

“In our last report, we made it clear that we have reached a turning point where we, from the current market situation, will gradually improve the EBITDA margin to profitability in 2024. This is mainly driven by the fact that we are leaving a period of heavier investments behind us, and at the same time see that we can increase our internal efficiency significantly without compromising on the quality of our delivery,” says Emily Villatte, CFO and deputy CEO of Acast.

In light of the above, Acast will initiate deliberations during September.

On October 4, Acast welcomes analysts, owners and investors to a webcast capital market update where the company’s strategic agenda for the next few years is to be presented. More information and an invitation will be published shortly.

Trebble Brings Professional-Grade Spoken-Word Audio Creation To The Masses

~ jen

Trebble FM inc., based in Toronto, Canada, is launching in beta, an online audio editor that makes it easy for anyone to create professionally-sounding spoken-word audio. It was carefully designed to have an extremely short learning curve and expedite the audio editing process. The editor removes a lot of the complexity found in traditional platforms. It also automates post-production which, for many beginners, can be daunting and time-consuming. This tool also allows you to record directly from your browser in high-quality to simplify your creative workflow. It operates entirely in a browser, making it accessible and convenient to use.

Unlike most audio editing software on the market which utilizes waveforms, Trebble’s innovative editor uses audio transcription. This makes editing as intuitive as proofreading a word document. Any change made to the transcribed text is mirrored the underlying audio, For instance, if you need to remove any filler words such as “umm” or “uhh” from the audio, you can easily edit them out of the transcribed text. This approach to editing is not only faster but it makes the process less intimidating for beginners.

Audio post-production is an important step in crafting great quality audio. It takes hours to grasp and novice audio creators often struggle with it. Trebble’s new editor removes this hurdle by automating the entire post-production process. There is no compressor, de-esser, equalizer, or any other audio effects to calibrate. It does all the heavy lifting for you. Further, storytellers who want to create more immersive audio have access to a vast catalog of license-free music and sounds.

At the end of the editing process, content creators can easily share their masterpiece on their website, their newsletter or they can export it to use anywhere else. Any audio is automatically normalized, and ready to be uploaded to a podcast hosting service. The tool is a single-track voice editor currently but Trebble is undergoing plans to offer multi-track in the future.

“As a meditation teacher with a passion for creating digital content, Trebble has become a non-negotiable! Gone are the days of sloppy recordings made by using a handful of apps over hours of tinkering because Trebble makes it easy for anyone to create quality content,” says Dawn Mauricio, a Buddhist meditation teacher who uses the new editor to create her audio-guided meditations.

With the launch of this pathbreaking tool, Trebble is eager to support solo podcasters, news reporters, audio drama creators, newsletter publishers, meditation teachers, business coaches, educators, marketers, and anyone who wants to create quality spoken audio but has limited experience or little time.

Check out our interactive demo or, sign up for a free account, visit the Trebble website.

Libsyn Debuts Automatic Ads Solution

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”) announced that the Company has surpassed generating $50 million in advertising earnings for podcasters and has completed a new Automatic Advertising Solution to assist publishers with generating programmatic and advertising revenues.

“As the industry pioneer, Libsyn has provided the industry’s first podcast hosting platform and has continued to invest in industry-leading hosting and monetization tools to help podcasters thrive,” said Brad Tirpak, CEO of Libsyn. “We have successfully connected thousands of podcasters to over a thousand advertisers. I am proud of the team for reaching the $50 million milestone.”

“Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast is the industry’s premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters and has successfully scaled host read advertisements for a full spectrum of brands,” continued Dave Hanley, the company’s Chief Revenue Officer.

“AdvertiseCast makes it easy for podcasters advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns, while providing maximum return for creators. Generating over $50 million for podcasters is just the first step – and the Company has added our Auto Ads solution and will continue to invest in ad-tech innovation to help podcasters generate additional revenues.”

Sees Strong Demand for Automatic Ads Solutions via Closed Beta

In May, Libsyn and AdvertiseCast introduced new programmatic capabilities with its Auto Ads solution via a closed beta for podcasts hosted on Libsyn. The platform is already achieving scale despite the limited release, with more than 30 million monthly impressions being filled by advertising demand partners currently. The automated podcast ad solution allows for contextual relevance, buying efficiency, and dynamic insertion of ads in real time, allowing advertisers to reach high-value audiences with relevant messages. Ad spots can be placed in mid-roll, pre-roll, and post-roll locations, and podcasters are provided with tools to strategically located ad markers in order to optimize listener experience. The Auto Ads solution leverages a network of several advertising demand partners in order to help Libsyn-hosted podcasts maximize their earning potential.

Podcasters are provided with an opportunity to create a revenue stream from their podcast with little to no additional effort. More importantly, this solution allows them to earn revenue from their full back catalog of historical episodes. This programmatic solution is a supplement for shows who run host-reads today or a standalone option for shows who don’t want to do host-reads or don’t reach the size threshold for host-reads. The program optimizes fill-rates and CPMs in order to maximize earning potential for podcasters.

The Podcast Broker – Dedicated To Buying And Selling Podcasts

~ jen

The Podcast Broker, a site dedicated to buying and selling podcasts, launched at Podcast Movement on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. The site will allow podcasters to sell their shows and prospective buyers to purchase podcasts. The podcast industry has seen the acquisitions of large content creation companies, but independent podcasters haven’t had an easy way to sell their shows, and ThePodcastBroker.com aims to change this.

The Podcast Broker is the brainchild of Heather Osgood, founder of True Native Media, a podcast representation firm. Osgood commented, “After years of working with podcasts, it became clear that while podcasts love the content they create, there does come a time when they would like to move on. I’ve seen too many quality shows just pod fade and stop creating content, abandoning their shows. It’s such a shame because the shows are very sellable. There has been a real need for a platform like ThePodcastBroker.com to assist these podcasters.”

Ben Richardson and Alberto Betella, founders of RSS.com, have co-founded ThePodcastBroker.com, serving as technical founders. “ThePodcastBroker.com is simple,” says Betella, “it’s a platform to allow podcasters the opportunity to connect with buyers. It’s the first of its kind, and we’re confident we can be of great help to podcasters and buyers alike.”

ThePodcastBroker.com will provide a free evaluation of podcasts. To provide a baseline price estimate, visitors to the site can complete the evaluation form on the site to receive feedback. Podcasts will be listed on the site when they are approved. Podcasts can be listed on the site either anonymously or with full show details. At the time of the sale, podcasters can negotiate the purchase of other digital of physical assets such as websites, email lists, or show merchandise associated with the podcast.

Websites and many other digital products have been bought and sold for years, and now, ThePodcastBroker.com will allow podcasts to be easily bought and sold.

4th Annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival – Philadelphia PA

~ jen

The Afros & Audio Podcast Festival is in its fourth year, and we’re thrilled to host our annual two-day conference in-person at the Warwick Rittenhouse Square Hotel in Downtown Philadelphia, PA on and on the Whova Conferencing Platform, October 22-23, 2022. This year’s conference will be our second hybrid event since 2019, and we can’t wait to bring together our global community of independent Black podcast creators and audio professionals once again!

At the Afros & Audio Podcast Festival, attendees will have the opportunity to celebrate the progress of the Black podcasting community, as well as identify funding resources for podcast development and sustainability. Attendees will also discover methods for advancing their professional and entrepreneurial goals as well as understand trends and predictions for the podcast industry.

In 2022, our mission is still clear:

Build an inclusive and accessible community that encourages and fosters collaboration. Create a networking experience unlike any other podcast event where attendees, speakers, volunteers, moderators, and our leadership team feels valued, supported and celebrated. Bring together independent Black podcast creatives and professionals to learn and teach skills that will enable us to demand an equal playing field in the global podcast market.

This year, we’re planning a unique mix educational and social events with the goal of connecting aspiring, new, and veteran independent podcast creatives, and audio professionals with relevant opportunities to start and maintain their podcasts and/or podcast-related service or product.

Thank you to this year’s sponsorship partners Libsyn, Disctopia, Heil, PodPros, and More Sauce.

To learn more, visit our website.

She Podcasts LIVE 2022 Moved To Spring

~ jen

She Podcasts has moved She Podcasts LIVE 2022 to the spring. The information comes from Jess on the She Podcasts website.

Last fall in Arizona, I swore I’d change She Podcasts LIVE to be in spring of 2023. It felt right. Elsie and I felt good vibes about Spring.

Then, we got so much enthusiasm and amazing feedback from last year’s Arizona event, our team and I wondered if perhaps waiting was a mistake, that people wanted it sooner. At that same time, we found a gorgeous hotel with available fall dates. I fell in love with the MGM. We changed to fall.

That… was a mistake. For whatever reason, these dates weren’t working for most of you. I’m sure there are a ton of reasons, personal, financial, professional.

We recognize and are so deeply grateful for the speakers, sponsors, and ticket holders, who were dedicated to support, teach and attend even in the current social climate, and we are humbled by their generosity.

But if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

She Podcasts Live has new dates: to June 19-22, 2023, at the same location of MGM National Harbor in Washington D.C.

Tickets, for now, are on hold. We want to redesign how we sell attendance and sponsorship. We want to add some exciting new features.

Most of all, we want, – no, we NEED – you to come.

Our mission has always been to support underrepresented voices. Recent data shows that 70% of podcasters are white men. That means 7/10 people who listen are being educated and/or entertained by white men.

As I’ve said, I truly don’t mind white men and in fact I created 2 for the world to enjoy with my own DNA. Even so, that stat means that OUR STORIES are not being heard as they should – and ESPECIALLY women of color and LGBTQIA.

This community is strong. These members are powerful. You are brilliant, supportive, encouraging, enthusiastic, passionate, proud.

Based on the rate at which we add members and the activity of the group and conversations, it’s clear you need each other.

That’s why I coordinated the event. You, the members, asked for it. I, the arrogant, thought “Well, I’ve had 2 weddings and 2 bar mitzvahs. How hard could it be?”

The answer: pretty fucking hard

800 of you came the first year. It was a triumph. Then, we had a pandemic. And we are all still recovering.

This is the year that everyone who successfully avoided covid for 2 years got covid. Myself included. (IN FACT, half my staff has it RIGHT NOW). The event, understandably, was in jeopardy. Moving it to spring makes sense to me.
Without risking our lives, I believe we need to reconvene. I believe that spring of 2023 will be a time when we can comfortably live knowing that covid isn’t going away and perhaps know better how to protect ourselves and one another from catching it. I believe we need to learn to successfully phase out our fear and phase in the Time of Knowing What The Hell To DDo.

I truly hope so. The event we are going to plan for June will be extraordinary, but it will mean nothing without YOU, the expert, the business genius, the storyteller, the coach, the mathematician, the parent podcaster, the editor/producer/sound designer, the ex-broadcaster, the PR whiz, the comedian, the healer. We need EACH ONE OF YOU.

And personally, I can’t wait ti see you all.

LWC Studios Welcomes Rekha Murthy As Advisory Board Member

~ jen

LWC Studios, an award-winning digital production studio, is pleased to welcome Rekha Murthy as an Advisory Board member. Her unique expertise in content strategy, editorial development, digital distribution, audience growth and extensive experience in developing critically acclaimed shows make Murthy a standout in the podcast industry and an invaluable asset to LWC Studios, as we continue to build meaningful content for rising-majority audiences.

She joins seasoned leaders working at the highest level of podcasting and media: Chris Colbert, Founder and CEO of DCP Entertainment, Pablo Fuentes, Founder and Principal of makepath and Lesley Lopez COO/Partner of RecKon Productions. Their expert insights help guide the company’s initiatives and the development of the studio’s slate of original narrative-driven work across podcasts, documentaries, and films.

“I heard about Rekha before I actually met her. She is brilliant, she is great to work with, she gets stuff done, she is deeply insightful about podcasting and storytelling. All true, but getting to know her and developing a friendship with her over time has been an absolute privilege, I know she will have a lasting impact on our Advisory Board,” says Julekya Langiqua, Founder and CEO of LWC Studios.

“I have been a fan and supporter of Julekya and LWC Studios since the early days. I believe deeply in LWC’s mission to make meaningful, high-quality work that highlights diverse experiences, and its essential role in the industry as a vibrant independent company. I’m delighted to play a part in advertising this special organization,” Murthy says.

Rekha Murthy is a podcast strategist who believes that podcasting is at its best when it includes a wide range of voices and lived experiences. She works with clients of all sizes – from Spotify, Crooked Media, KEXP, and BirdNote to independent creators, influencers, and journalists. Rekha is a founding team member and lead curriculum designer of Spotify’s Sound Up program for new creators, and served as Founding Governor of The Podcast Academy, home of The Ambies. She spent years at PRX + Radiotopia, NPR’s All Things Considered + NPR Online, and web and mobile startups.

Visit LWCStudios.com for more information on its work and Advisory Board.

Auddy Acquires Audiomy To Expand Into German Language DACH Region

~ jen

Auddy, one of Europe’s fastest-growing podcast solutions organizations, has acquired a podcast advertising sales company focused on the German language/DACH region.

Audiomy was founded by Scalista, a mobile marketing company with Christine van den Brink-Dunai, Daniel Arroyave and Juan Arroyave as the leadership team to shape the evolving podcast industry across the German-language DACH region. The team brought together expertise in online marketing, communications and software development with international experience both on the agency side and in large corporations.

Auidomy co-founder, Christine van den Brink-Dunai has stated: “With Audiomy becoming part of Auddy, we are delighted to offer our clients and podcasters innovative opportunities and an exciting experience within the rapidly growing podcast advertising industry.”

This acquisition comes 12 months after Auddy purchased the UK’s Radio Wolfgang (a leading UK production team) and further cements Auddy’s fully integrated suite of podcast solutions for its clients related to production resources, ad sales and a suite of private and public podcasting solutions.

David Couch, Chief Ad Revenue Officer at Auddy commented, “While their business is in great shape, it’s the team at Audiomy that made me so certain to want to proceed. Our combined ambitions mean the next few years are going to be very exciting. What the team at Audiomy has achieved so far is astounding. From the first day I met them I couldn’t wait for us to be in business together.

“For our advertisers and our podcasters, this acquisition now offers immediate and exciting new growth opportunities across the largest podcast markets in Europe. These are very exciting days in the next chapter of Auddy.”

Daniel, co-founder and CEO of Scalista, agrees: “We are thrilled to be able to share Auddy’s vision, and we look forward to all that can be built through our partnership. I am also excited to become an Auddy shareholder through this acquisition.”

Audiomy Managing Director, Robert Mitmansgruber states, “We are more than excited to have the opportunity to partner with Auddy, a leading company in the podcasting industry. The partnership will help us to strengthen our position on the DACH market. We are very happy and motivated for what will come next.”

The expansion of Auddy into the DACH region will enable the two companies to benefit from their individual technologies to offer more to their existing and future client base.

Audiomy co-founder, Juan said: “It’s beyond exciting to see how Auddy’s technology will be able to merge product and service, shaping the entire industry.”

For more information about Auddy, visit Auddy.co.