Month: April 2023

YouTube MD, Alison Lomax, To Speak at The Podcast Show

~ jen

Listen announced YouTube Managing Director UK & Ireland, Alison Lomax, will attend The Podcast Show in London on 24th May. Following YouTube’s March announcement at Hot Pod Summit, that podcasts are coming to YouTube Music, Lomax has confirmed she will feature on one of the five panels hosted by Listen and Arcade: as YouTube’s only presence that day.

“I’m a big fan of what Jordan is doing on Unboxed, and I’m excited to share what YouTube has in store for users, creators and the wider podcast economy” – Alison Lomax.

Alison will join Listen MD Josh Adley, hose of the Unboxed podcast and co-founder of Arcade Media, Jordan Schwarzenberger and YouTuber and podcast host, Patricia Bright.

“We’re constantly investing in the features and experiences that will make YouTube a great home for viewers and creators now and in the future. I look forward to discussing our plans to make it even easier for creators and artists to showcase their podcasts on YouTube.” – Alison Lomax.

“We’re delighted to have Alison join our stage. YouTube’s role and presence in podcasting is not only huge now, but increasing massively this year. To host her only panel across the show, and hear directly from their MD at one of the most important podcast events of the year was a priority for us.’ – Josh Adley.

The Listen & Arcade stage on 24th will focus on what the podcast industry can learn from the creator economy. Alison Lomax will join a roster of speakers from across the industry including: Marta Biino (Creator Economy Reporter at Business Insider), Jonny Mounsor (Creator Partnerships Manager at Spotify), Tom Pauc (Sky’s Senior Podcast Manager and host of Plot Twist podcast), Rae Votta (Global Podcast Content Lead at Netflix) and Pia Brady (Head of Creator Ventures at LinkedIn Editorial).

To secure your ticket at The Podcast Show, and hear more about YouTube’s next announcement in person, add PODNEWS to your checkout for discounted tickets.

 

Nomono Sound Capsule To Revolutionize Podcast And Broadcast Creation

~ jen

Nomono, pioneers of audio recording and collaboration tools that help podcasters, content creators and journalists tell immersive audio stories, announced its groundbreaking Nomono Sound Capsule, a cloud-connected, self-contained recording kit for capturing audio in the field, is now shipping.

“Since Nomono’s inception, we’ve been determined to create new opportunities for podcasters and journalists, all while empowering them to use their time most efficiently,” said Inge Hovd Gangås, Nomono Chairman and CEO. “Beginning today, with the availability of the Nomono Sound Capsule, creators can spend more time focusing on the content itself, rather than cumbersome recording & production tasks. We’re transforming how audio is captured and produced, and in turn, improving how listeners experience content. It’s a win-win for creators and consumers.”

The Nomono platform includes the Nomono Sound Capsule, a Wi-Fi enabled portable 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 Cloud, an online audio collaboration tool where content creators backup their recording, 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.

The Nomono platform was recently named the 2023 SXSW Innovation Award winner in the “Audio” category, recognizing the company’s success in paving the way for a spacial audio future for podcasters.

The Nomono Sound Capsule

Unlike current podcasting workflows that depend on separate field recorders, microphones, mixers, and accessories, 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.

It includes Nomono’s groundbreaking wireless microphones, which capture and buffer high resolution, uncompressed audio files and transmit them back to the record asynchronously, providing wireless flexibility without the typical concerns of dropouts or interference.

The recorder 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 the binaural all the way to Dolby Atmos and brings listeners right inside the conversation. 

Pew Research Examine Podcasts As A Source Of News And Information

~ jen

Following a steady increase in podcast listening over the past decade, podcasts have become a big part of the normal routine – and news diet of many Americans. 

The first part of a new Pew Research Center study based on a survey of 5,132 U.S. adults conducted from Dec. 5 to 11, 2022, finds that about half of U.S. adults say they have listened to a podcast in the past year, including one-in-five who report listening to podcasts at least a few times a week. Comedy (47%) and entertainment, pop culture, and the arts (46%) are among the most common podcast topics for listeners. And two thirds of podcast listeners say they have heard news discussed on the podcasts they listen to – amounting to a third of all U.S. adults.

Though most listeners say that news is at least a part of their experience with podcasts, fewer Americans turn to podcasts in search of news. Among U.S. podcast listeners – those who have listened to a podcast in the past 12 months – 29% say that staying up to date about current events is a major reason they listen to podcasts. Meanwhile, half of Americans or more who have listened to a podcast in the past year say entertainment (60%), learning (55%), and simply having something to listen to while doing something else (52%) are major reasons why they listen to podcasts.

Many podcast listeners say that they have engaged with podcasts in ways other than merely listening. Large shares of Americans have watched a movie, read a book, or listened to music because of a podcast (60%) or followed a podcast or its hosts on social media (52%). About a third of listeners (36%) even say they’ve tried out a lifestyle change – such as a workout routine or journaling – because of a podcast they listened to. And 28% have purchased a product that was advertised.

“Podcasts have become a big part of American’s routine, especially younger adults, offering unique news and information that many listeners say they wouldn’t have heard about elsewhere and often do not connect to a news organization. What’s interesting are the reasons behind Americans’ strong appetite for podcasts – less so for news, but more so for general entertainment or education,” said Director of News and Information Research Katerina Matsa.

Among other key findings from the report:

Other common podcast topics for listeners include true crime (35%), self-help and relationships (32%) and finance (31%). Three-in-ten podcast listeners tune in to hear about religion and spirituality. And roughly a quarter or less regularly listen to podcasts about health and fitness (27%), sports (22%) or race and ethnicity (15%).

Nearly nine-in-ten of those who hear news on podcasts (87%) expect it to be accurate. Similarly, most people who get news from podcasts say they trust that news more than the news they get from other sources (31%) or trust it about the same (55%). Fewer (15%) trust news from podcasts less than news from other sources.

The survey shows, however, that most podcast listeners are not tuning into podcasts connected to news organizations: just one-in-five listeners say they listen to a podcast that’s connected to a news organization. The majority (59%) say that as far as they know, they don’t listen to any podcasts connected to a news organization, suggesting that much of the news people are exposed to on podcasts could be coming from nontraditional sources.

Republican podcast listeners are more likely than Democrats to trust the news they hear on podcasts more than news they get from other sources, and somewhat more likely to hear political opinions on the podcasts they listen to. However, there are no huge differences between Republicans and Democrats in the shares who listen to podcasts and hear news on them. Just under half of Republicans (46%) and just over half of Democrats (54%) say they have listened to a podcast in the past year, and roughly two-thirds of listeners in each party say they’ve heard news discussed on the podcasts they listen to.

By a wide margin, younger Americans are more likely than older age groups to be listening to podcasts. Two-thirds of Americans ages 18 to 29 have listened to a podcast in the past 12 months, compared with just under a third (28%) of those 65 and older. Additionally, younger listeners are more likely than older listeners to turn to podcasts frequently and to say they listen to them for entertainment or to have something to listen to while doing something else. And podcast listeners under 50 are more likely than their older counterparts to engage with and take recommendations from podcasts.

The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 5,132 respondents is plus or minus 1.7 percentage points.

talkSPORTS Launches Football Podcast Network

~ jen

talkSPORT, the world’s biggest sports radio network, is brining together a network of award-winning, fan-led football podcasts to create a dedicated footballing audience at scale. Complementing talkSPORT’s established commercial podcast offering, it will provide advertisers with an opportunity to reach the most loyal and engaged sports audience at national scale.

The talkSPORT Fan Network champions real football fans by supporting creators that power the ecosystem. Research reveals that 64% of podcast listeners say they welcome and appreciate advertising on podcasts, and are grateful to the brands that support their favorite shows. By partnering with the network, brands will be able to reach the most passionate core footballing audience, building long term brand loyalty by affiliation to their biggest passion point, their club.

Podcasts and clubs already part of the Fan Network include Premier League heavyweights such as Arsenal’s Gooner Talk and Tottenham Hotspur’s Spurs Chat to League Two Stockport’s The Scarf Bergara Wore and Scottish Premier League St. Mirren’s Misery Hunters.

James Rowe, Head of talkSPORT Fan Network commented: “As the station that is powered by its fans, we wanted to provide an environment that supports the innovation of creators and provide a platform for audience growth. In turn, this will enable advertisers to support and amplify established fan content and reach a wider, more targeted audience.”

Always Wolves (2022/23 Winner of Best Premier League Podcast / Fan Channel at The Football Content Awards): “All of us at the Always Wolves podcast are incredibly excited to be part of the talkSPORT Fan Network. It is great to see a brand with such credibility in sport championing the value of fan-led opinion and we are excited to see the network grow over the coming years.”

Ramsey Network Broadcast Veteran Brian Mayfield Retires

~ jen

Brian Mayfield, who spent nearly 15 years serving in a variety of roles at Ramsey Solutions, including five years as an executive president of Ramsey Network, has retired.

More than 30 years ago, “The Ramsey Show” began with personal finance expert Dave Ramsey sharing financial advice on a Nashville radio station. Now, a variety of Ramsey Personalities co-host with Ramsey and help listeners with their questions about money, relationships, and mental wellness every weekday.

“Over the last 15 years, Brian Mayfield has truly become one of the top talk radio executives in the nation and a good friend while he has been with Ramsey Solutions,” said Ramsey. “His early retirement is a loss for all of us at Ramsey and the industry.”

“It has been an honor to work alongside Dave and the rest of the team,” said Mayfield. “I am very proud the success we have seen to date, but I am even more excited to watch and experience the success of Ramsey Network into the future as a fan. We are sometimes faced with situations that dictate change, I’m embracing mine and looking forward to quality time with my wife and family – I’m truly blessed.”

Broadcast veteran Blake Thompson, Ramsey’s first producer when the show began, was named executive vice president of Ramsey Network last year. He will continue to serve in that role.

About Ramsey Network

Ramsey Network, a division of Ramsey Solutions, is home to “The Ramsey Show,” the second-largest syndicated talk radio show in American. The network produces 10 podcasts, seven YouTube shows, and it produced the Webby Award-winning documentary “Borrowed Future.” Ramsey Network’s accessible, engaging and transformative content helps people take control of their money, navigate relationships, guide their careers, become better leaders, and grow their businesses.

ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network Australia and Audioboom Announce Renewed Multi-Year Partnership

~ jen

ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network Australia announced the extension of its commercial partnership with leading podcast network, Audioboom. The renewal of this successful podcast proposition for brands and advertisers alike.

As a market-leading podcast platform, Audioboom’s mission is to power podcasting for creators and brands globally. Audioboom’s impressive podcast slate includes: Casefile True Crime; No Such Thing As A Fish; True Crime with Kendall Rae; F1: Beyond The Grid; Murder, Mystery & Makeup; The Tim Dillon Show; and more. Audioboom is is the 4th largest podcast publisher in Australia with more than 7.2 million downloads last month.”

Audiobooms CEO, Stuart Last, said: “With Australia’s deeply engaged podcast audience and ARN’s proven capabilities, furthering this strategic relationship will provide our creators with the best commercial opportunities in the region – a key component to Audioboom’s global podcast strategy.”

ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, Corey Layton said: “For over three years, Audioboom has been central to our offering. Led by Australia’s biggest true crime podcast, Casefile, we’re thrilled to have extended our partnership, bring their high-quality content to listeners and brands alike.

Christine Louis Joins NHPR As New Vice President Of Development

~ jen

Christine Louis has joined NHPR as its new Vice President of Development. Christine will oversee

NHPR’s Membership, Corporate Sponsorship, and Major Giving divisions and serve as a key member of the leadership team. 

“I’m excited to join the development team at NHPR and build on the foundation of support for NHPR: board members, sustainers, members and soon-to-be-members,” Christine says. “I look forward to advancing the mission of NHPR, bringing trustworthy journalism to communities throughout New Hampshire and beyond.”

Christine has spent most of her life in New Hampshire, split between the North Country and the Lakes Region. She has worked as a development professional for the past 32 years, ensuring academic and other non-profit institutions have the resources they need. She began her career at her alma mater, the Holderness School, leading its annual giving program, and later returned to direct the Advancement Office as the school’s Director of Development. 

She has led fundraising efforts for the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, the Currier Museum of Art, the Tilton School, and most recently for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of New Hampshire. Through the important work of development, her expertise and vision are visible across New Hampshire and the entire New England region.

“In Christine, we’ve found an inspiring leader who knows New Hampshire and cares deeply about our state and NHPR’s public service mission,” said Jim Schachter, NHPR’s president and chief executive officer. “Her skills and background in building and growing successful giving programs will be vital to fulfilling that mission.”

NHPR is New Hampshire’s only statewide radio news service, broadcasting from 14 sites across the Granite State. Our award-winning journalism is available to read and listen to 24/7 at NHPR.org and by asking your smart speaker to “Play NHPR.” 

NHPR journalists deliver local news, programs newsletters, and podcasts, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Civics 101, Outside/In, Document, Bear Brook, The Weekender, The Rundown, Primarily Politics, The Folk Show, and the N.H. News Recap. NHPR is the exclusive news outlet for NPR News in the Granite State and broadcasts national weekly programs such as The Moth Radio Hour, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, and This American Life. 

At NHPR, our vision is that through trustworthy journalism, we enrich lives and build stronger communities, in New Hampshire and beyond. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core to our mission. NHPR strives to build an inclusive culture that links us to the communities we serve and to produce journalism and programming that reflect those communities’ diverse cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints.

 

The Hunt Is On To Find The UK’s Next Big Podcaster

~ jen

During the last few years, and driven by the pandemic, we have slowly become consumed by the entertainment, education, fact, and fiction provided by podcasts.

In 2022, weekly podcast audience figures in the UK totalled an impressive 10.1 million people, an average of 5.9 million listening hours per week – that’s roughly 7 hours per adult person per week. With 72% of listeners acting on a brand message they heard in a podcast, after TV, streaming and social media – there’s now an audience for everyone.

With so many great series already out there, who will be the next podcaster or podcast series to break through?

UK podcast agency Earworm have set the next generation of audio mavericks a “once in a podcast” challenge. They are looking for the voices behind the finest new audio creations to pitch podcast ideas to win a prize package worth £5000 including the chance to get their fully branded podcast series live on the airwaves.

Chief of Sounds at Earworm, Ben Farley said, “We’re high-octane, cheeky, and boundary-pushing team that dares to be different. We live for audio adventures and strive to create content that gets an audience hooked like a catchy tune stuck in their heads, so this is a great chance for podcasters anywhere across the UK to join us. 

Our talented squad of creative rebels are looking for a one-of-a-kind podcast concept that we can partner with to develop into chart topping series. From conceptualizing to production and beyond, this is an opportunity to launch a new podcast career or catapult a series beyond your wildest podcasting dreams.”

Earmark are keen to receive submissions from all genres of podcast and are actively seeking new podcasts telling stories from under-represented communities across the UK. In addition to the main prize there are also 3 runners-up prizes consisting of a podcast consultancy session with an industry expert to further develop your podcast ideas. 

There are also 3 runner-up prizes of podcast consultancy worth £499 per person.

Earworm ‘Turn Up’ closes 31st May 2023. For more information to enter visit the Earworm website.

iVoox Launches Its New Podcast App For iOS

~ jen

With a completely new interface, it has been designed to make listening and discovering podcasts easier for iVoox’s more than 5 million users.

The iVoox application was a pioneer in 2009, and during this time it has become a benchmark with the largest audio offer in Spanish. It has more than 420,000 podcasts in Spanish, audiobooks and radio stations on any topic.

It also has the largest catalog of exclusive and free podcasts in Spanish, with more than 200 podcasts. In addition, with its iVoox Plus subscription service, listeners can enjoy more than 700,000 exclusive paid episodes of podcasts and audiobooks.

The leading platform for podcasts in Spanish, iVoox, has launched its new application for iOS on the App Store, with a totally renewed design following current trends, and which presents improvements in usability, new features to make it more accessible, as well as a dark theme for better visibility.

With its new interface, the podcast app for iOS has been redesigned to make listening and discovering podcasts easier for listeners. One of the big new features is the easier management of the play queue that includes native iOS features such as Long-press and swipes to perform actions quickly.

New podcast discovery and accessibility improvements

In addition to these improvements, there is a search system, which includes tags to filter the results that reorganize their presentation in a more accessible way in the thematic cards. Also, it incorporates a new related tab to the podcast screen, where listeners can find other shows and playlists from the creators, as well as other similar podcasts.

The home page also features changes aimed at facilitating the discovery of new content, with larger personalized recommendation covers and direct access to the explore section, which offers thousands of episodes, podcasts, audiobooks and radios on any topic. 

The company works to incorporate a greater depth of thematic exploration that facilitates the discovery of collections curated by its editorial experts. Also, for listeners with limited time, the new “Surprise me” button allows them to instantly receive episode suggestions based on their interests and listening times.

The new app also facilitates access to the listener’s content and, with the new Library section, puts their favorite content always at their fingertips. In the Library, they will find their podcasts, lists, downloads and other content in one place. Visually, the platform has a more elegant, minimalist and efficient design, with a dark mode that improves visibility and battery consumption.

As in previous versions, the app is still compatible with CarPlay, and its new version renews the car mode for safer driving. Likewise, iVoox is working on its adaptation for Apple Watch, which will allow listening to all its podcast, radios, and audiobooks without the need to carry your cell phone with you.

iVoox will continue to add features through these continuous improvement processes to enrich the experience of its listeners and facilitate the expansion of the podcast to new audiences.

Podcast Radio Launches Production House

~ jen

Podcast Radio has launched a new production house to create, promote, and distribute podcasts alongside its radio stations.

The new venture will provide end-to-end bespoke podcast production solutions to brand partners worldwide.

Suitable podcasts will be made and distributed on Podcast Radio itself and other platforms such as Apple, Spotify and Google. Podcast Radio will also provide promotional opportunities by way of advertising campaigns and on-air interviews with the podcast host or contributors.

Gerry Edwards, Founder and CEO of Podcast Radio, says: “This is a natural extension of what we do. We’ve made our own Podcast Radio Originals for some time but we now want to extend our extensive production skills to brand partners as well.”

Podcast Radio aims to take podcast content to radio listeners. It plans to begin distributing a 24/7 American version of its programming to radio stations and groups across the US beginning soon. It has partnered with New York-based KMG Networks to syndicate the programming. 

Podcast Radio currently plays podcasts in full but is developing an innovative short-form version of its output which will sit alongside its main radio channel and growing brand extensions for Crime, Comedy and Business.

For more information about the new production house, please see its new website.