Month: May 2023

Ubisoft Partners With Acast

~ jen

Leading independent video game publisher Ubisoft has partnered with Acast to manage distribution, sales, and promotion of its podcast operations.

The current slate of podcasts, tied to some of the company’s biggest franchises – Echoes of History, Tenacity, E-Sport, and Beyond Games – has listens split between Ubisoft’s core markets of Germany, the United States, France, Spain, and China. For the first time, Ubisoft will have the opportunity to run sponsorship and advertising across the Acast network, create bespoke brand partnerships relevant to each region and lean on the potential for in-game integrations and cross-promotional activity which look to generate both active and passive revenue.

Podcasts open up the Ubisoft brand and its properties to both new listeners and advertisers. The titles explore real-life, human experiences and generate discussion on topics seen in the narrative of video games, such as historical moments and figures, warfare, and survival. By creating podcasts that bring video game universes even closer to the real world, Ubisoft has also been able to attract both gamers and communities beyond the core player audience.

“Ubisoft is excited to expand both our reach for this growing and thriving content as well as create a unique untapped revenue stream,” said Francois Tallec, Vice President of brand and transmedia partnerships at Ubisoft.

Cédric Begoc, Content Director at Acast France, said: “Ubisoft is a perfect partner for Acast. The ability for us to work with a global gaming empire as they double down on their podcast representation is a fantastic challenge. We know we can provide unparalleled support and opportunities in monetization, but having a receptive, creative team that is willing to push boundaries with us means our opportunities become endless. Ad creative, audience targeting, thematic exploration of video games in audio form – it’s all so exciting.”

Acast is distributing Ubisoft podcasts across all listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else listeners get their podcasts. Now available for sponsorship and advertising, ads may be purchased either programmatically or direct. Additionally, sponsors can work with the Acast Creative team to create bespoke brand integrations, such as branded miniseries, episodes, or Sponsored Stories.

International Women’s Podcast Festival Postponed

~ jen

The International Women’s Podcast Festival (IWPF), a highly anticipated event celebrating women’s voices and storytelling in audio and podcasting, unfortunately, announces that it will not be taking place this year. The decision comes from insufficient industry support and funding, which has regrettably hindered our ability to organize and execute the festival at the scale and quality that we believe the global community of women in podcasting and audio deserves. 

At Content is Queen, we firmly believe in the power of supporting, platforming, and empowering women’s voices in the audio industry. Our missions has always been to create a space that encourages and fosters participation for women in podcasting, in an industry that continues to snowball. It is disheartening to encounter such challenges in rallying the necessary financial support to realize this vision.

While we are disappointed by the lack of backing we received, we are not surprised. We have witnessed other events organized by diverse founders and leaders facing similar issues of being postponed or cancelled altogether. This prevailing trend only further highlights the systemic obstacles underrepresented groups face within the industry. The decision to postpone was not taken lightly, but it is our responsibility to priorities the quality and impact of the event.

However, the absence of the IWPF this year does not diminish our commitment to amplifying women’s voices and promoting inclusivity. We firmly believe that events like IWPF are essential to provide a platform for diverse perspectives, foster collaboration, and drive positive change. We will continue to advocate for women’s storytelling, empowering female creators and striving for a more equitable podcasting landscape.

As we reflect on the situation, we remain resolute in our determination to bring back the International Women’s Podcast Festival in 2024. We will use this time to regroup, engage with potential partners, and explore avenues to secure the necessary support and resources to deliver the outstanding festival experiences that our global community deserves.

In the meantime, we encourage all individuals, organizations, and industry leaders to reflect upon the importance of supporting underrepresented voices and representation within podcasting. Let us work together to dismantle the barriers that prevent diverse talent from flourishing in this dynamic field. By doing so, we can create a more inclusive and vibrant podcasting industry for everyone.

For further updates and information regarding the International Women’s Podcast Festival, please visit our website http://festival.contentisqueen.org and follow us on social media @contentisqueenhq.

 

Dane Cardiel Launches “Good Tape,” A Print Magazine For Audio Professionals

~ jen

Good Tape is a new print magazine about podcasting for audio professionals, creators, and their fans. Founded by Dane Cardiel, former founding member Simplecast and current VP of Creator Partnerships at Gumball, Good Tape will feature work by the country’s foremost journalists and artists, answering the industry’s most pressing questions while also asking more.

Podcast creators are looking for relevant media resources and have few places to turn. Good Tape will be this community’s first go-to resource, helping them understand the state of their industry and look forward to what’s next.

“Good Tape was inspired after attending On Air Fest in LA last year,” Cardiel says. “As I spoke with others, the responses made overwhelmingly clear: There’s a real need for dedicated culture writing that intelligently covers our industry – especially one that understands the importance of design and centers our behind-the-mic creative community.”

Good Tape is proud to partner with Top Down Studio, an editorial consultancy founded by Alana Hope Levinson, to develop its editorial scope, voice and audience. Top Down Studio helps writers and brands tell editorial stories across a wide variety of mediums, with in entrepreneurial media.

“I’m thrilled to support the formation and launch of Good Tape,” says Levinson, who has spent the past decade launching media products for companies like Medium, Dollar Shave Club, and Chegg. “While the magazine is primarily for audio professionals, the high level cultural reporting and art direction will broaden its appeal, making it a must-have lifestyle product that breaks out of the B2B category.”

Artistically, Good Tape will follow a long tradition of revolutionary media – from the underground presses of the 60s to the punk zines of the 80s – and carry this legacy forward in celebration of a new era of podcasting. “We’re playing with scale, texture, and composition,” says Design Lead Sami Wittwer. “We want to challenge the readers’ largely digital context and encourage them to regard the magazine as an art object.”

To pre-order the first issue of Good Tape, please visit https://goooodtape.com and follow along for updates on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Audion Launches Audion360

~ jen

Audion, the leading digital audio and podcast monetisation technology company, launches Audion360: the world’s first platform to combine a podcast CMS with an artificial intelligence innovation and integrated advertising technology.

On-demand audio content has immense potential. However, the success of the format depends as much on the creativity as on the technology used by publishers. While most industry professionals are producing high-quality content that is attracting more and more listeners, few have found the ultimate platform to make audio a strategic and lucrative format.

After 18 months of R&D, Audio is launching Audion360 with the ambition to help publishers take the next step in the development and monetisation of their audio content. This new software is the first in the world to natively link three technological bricks that were previously worked on separately:

A professional podcast CMS (Content Management System)

A Text-To-Speech solution based on an artificial intelligence module (PrintAudio)

An integrated proprietary advertising platform, designed natively for the challenges of the format and open to the entire ecosystem.

The development of Audion360 is the result of long, iterative work with the European leaders in audio: radio groups, press publishers, podcast studios, Pure Players… In essence, it allows us to meet three fundamental needs:

  • Reduce operational friction and intermediaries by centralizing the execution of the entire strategy within a single interface, as opposed to 3 or even 4 software applications.
  • Ensure better distribution of editorial content by combining podcasts with text-to-speech. Objective: increase engagement with active users and improve conversion with new audiences.
    • Significantly increase advertising revenues with a platform that is natively designed for advertising and has exclusive features that guarantee a gain in the volume and value of advertising space.

    Only a few weeks after its launch in France, Audion360 welcomes renowned publishers such as Slate, the second most downloaded podcast brand in 2022 (according to ACPM), Engle, Futura, and Boursorama.

    Audion, already established in France and the UK, aims to become the European leader in the digital audio and monetisation market. After a second record-breaking fundraising round of €6m in 2022, the French company is continuing its development with the launch of Audion360, a 100% proprietary tool that demonstrates its technological know-how and it’s perfect understanding of a fast-growing market and is expected to reach nearly $24 billion by 2023.

    “We took the decision to develop Audion360 following multiple feedbacks we received from publishers who told us that they were having difficulty finding a viable model for podcasting. Our common observation is clear: advertising is central to the economic model and requires technologies and services dedicated to this subject.

    This is what Audion360 is all about: helping publishers to finally seize this opportunity by providing a platform reserved for professionals in the sector, packed with innovations and which, unlike our competitors, has been designed natively to increase the value derived from advertising. Functionalities related designed natively to increase the value derived from advertising. Functionalities related to editorial management or publishing have not evolved for several years, bring very limited added value to the business model and have now become a commodity. The real challenge publishers face is generating more advertising revenue and we are proud to be able to address this with our Audion360 technology” – Arthur Larrey, co-founder of Audio.

    “We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with Audio by using their CMS for our productions. The flexibility of the tools at our disposal coupled with the expertise of the teams ensure that we can optimize our advertising revenues, allowing us to focus on editorial and production” – François Cusset – Founder & Head of business Engle.

    “After two years of collaboration around the marketing of our audio advertising inventory and nearly 300% growth, the premium CMS solution offered by Audion has become a very natural extension to our native audio catalogue management package. We are therefore very pleased to extend our partnership beyond the simple marketing of our space for a further 2 years. As part of the harmonisation of our tools, the complete solution is also deployed on the entire catalogue of our subsidiary Initial Studio, a documentary podcast production studio” – Nicolas Valverde – Director of advertising sales Slate France.

     

    Ad Results Media (ARM) Hires New Chief Revenue Officer Teresa Elliott

    ~ jen

    Ad Results Media (ARM), the leader in podcast advertising as well as digital audio, broadcast radio, and influencer partnerships on YouTube, announced hiring of Teresa Elliott as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

    ARM welcomes Elliott as the newest member of its leadership team where she will focus on forging strategic alliances across the audio ecosystem and leading new business development efforts. This latest addition to ARM’s roster of talented executives highlights the audio trailblazer’s commitment to fostering growth and innovation in the industry and supporting the rapidly evolving and complex ecosystem of platforms, publishers, producers, show talent, brand-marketers, and agencies alike.

    “At a time when more brands are exploring audio with podcast advertising than ever before, and the landscape is becoming than ever before, and the landscape is becoming increasingly complex with more players and new technologies, experience matters,” said Elliott. “ARM is the leader in the podcast and audio space. I am fortunate to be joining the incredible team of audio experts that the ARM Partners have built over the last 25+ years and am excited to collaborate on the next wave of business growth opportunities for our partners.”

    The New York City-based former Spotify executive has extensive experience in spearheading complex partnerships on a global-scale, with emphasis on driving revenue growth, fostering innovation and building C-level executive relationships. Elliott brings her expertise and passion for forging mutually beneficial long-term partnerships to ARM where she will be accountable for driving business development initiatives. 

    “We’re thrilled to announce Teresa’s addition to our team at Ad Results Media,” said Steve Shanks, Co-Chief Executive Officer. “With her extensive experience in the audio industry, forward-thinking outlook, and an impressive record of delivering insight-led solutions, Teresa brings distinctive expertise that matches our commitment to industry leadership. We firmly believe that his combination will not only drive ARM’s growth and innovation, but also contribute to the progressive evolution of the audio advertising sector into new territories.”

    For more information about creator-based advertising across podcast, video and emerging audio, please visit adresultsmedia.com. 

    Captivate Announces Major Updates And Monetisation Functionality

    ~ jen

    Captivate, a leading podcast hosting and analytics platform owned by Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, proudly announces the launch of two industry-leading monetisation features designed to empower podcast creators: a subscription-based model and a tipping function.

    These powerful features will allow podcasters to better engage with audiences and foster a supportive, profitable community. They will also unlock new revenue potential.

    In response to the growing demand for more flexible, diverse and sustainable monetisation options, Captivate has developed these tools to provide podcasters with a seamless way to earn income directly from listeners.

    The brand-new membership subscription model offers the most advanced functionality of any hosting platform and gives creators total control to create effective monetisation strategies. Podcast publishers now have an option to make exclusive content available for premium subscribers and they can give early access to content for paying listeners.

    Creators also benefit from advanced functionality such as being able to set the number of subscription slots available on each membership tier, bringing independent creators a powerful toolkit with which to creatively sell sponsorships and more.

    In addition, a new tipping feature will allow fans to support their favorite podcasters with one-time contributions. 

    Stripe Marketplace, a global payment platform, will ensure transactions to give listeners and creators full peace of mind. Stripe’s robust security features ensure that all financial information is protected, allowing both creators and supporters to trust the platform.

    Captivate’s new revenue feature also include an in-depth, simple-to-use revenue dashboard, integration with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and a simple “wallet” for managing withdrawals, making it easy for podcasters to manage their income and track earnings.

    Mark Asquith, Managing Director of Captivate, Global said: “We’re thrilled to launch these new monetisation tools for our podcasting community. The subscription and tipping features provide podcasters with the financial support they need to continue producing high-quality content. We’re committed to helping serious podcasters to grow their audience and revenue in diverse and meaningful ways, and these new features are a significant step towards achieving that goal.”

    Global, the Media & Entertainment group, acquired Captivate in 2021 and integrated the platform into its entertainment app Global Player, and its digital ad platform DAX whilst still focusing on growing Captivate as the first choice for podcast distribution, measurement & monetisation amongst serious audio creators. 

    James Hickman, Managing Director of Global Player said: “These innovative, fully integrated features open up so many new opportunities for podcast creators – from audience growth and engagement, through to monetisation and revenue. They also provide listeners with a chance to interact with their favorite shows and hosts and show their appreciation for the content. We’ll of course continue to use Captivate’s market-leading product to continue to grow our own portfolio of hit podcasts too.”

    In addition to the exciting new membership and tipping features, Captivate is proud to unveil the newly branded “Captivate Creator Suite,” a comprehensive toolkit that brings together Captivate’s unique, market-leading workflow and revenue tools.

    The Captivate Creator Suite encompasses several of the platform’s existing features, including dynamic show notes, guest booking and interview management tools, episode planning and research tools, as well as AMIE, Captivate’s innovative dynamic content and ad technology and will continue to expand as Captivate releases more innovative features.

    All of these market-leading creator tools are now consolidated into one easy-to-understand offering, empowering serious podcasters with the ultimate toolkit to streamline their creative process, enhance audience growth, and maximize revenue opportunities.

    The introduction of these new monetisation features highlights Captivate and Global’s commitment to innovation and the ongoing growth of the podcasting industry. As podcasting continues to thrive around the world, Captivate continues to support creators with the well-considered tools they need to excel in this rapidly evolving landscape.

    For more information, please visit www.captivate.fm

    The Guardian, The FT, The Economist And More Team Up With Acast To Launch New Consortium

    ~ jen

    Acast launches a UK consortium dedicated to advancing the podcasting industry, promoting trusted audio journalism and encouraging healthy debate.

    Publishers in Podcasting (PiP) is the very first membership consortium of its kind. Bringing together some of the most influential publishers in the UK, the purpose is to use members’ collective experience and trust to progress the podcast industry for common good. By sharing information, experience and expertise, the consortium will aim to continue further the power of the podcasting industry for publishers, advertisers and listeners alike.

    Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast platform, has a long history of working closely with household-name publishers. Since 2014, the company has hosted and monetised global publishing powerhouses, including podcast networks from The Economist, The Guardian, and the BBC. With such a pedigree of premium publishers, Acast provides advertisers access to the highest-quality content, the most financially-secure audiences, with the most significant scale, through the most relevant stories.

    Alongside Acast, members of Publishers in Podcasting will be; The Economist, The FT, The Guardian, News Broadcasting and Tortoise Media. This core membership will be the foundation for Publishers in Podcasting, with the scope to expand as the consortium, develops.

    The consortium will aim to share ideas, celebrate success, overcome challenges and develop standards across the publishing podcast industry in the UK. One of the most extensive outputs from publisher podcast networks is news podcasts. There is a growing demand for trusted news sources, and this has led to an increase in the popularity of news podcasts. Acast has seen an 18% growth in listens across UK publishers in the last two years, and 1 in five news podcast listeners say they use podcasts as their primary news source. One of the first topics the consortium will approach is how to continue that growth.

    Alexandra Fuller, Senior Partnerships Manager for Publishers, Acast: “For the first time, the UK’s biggest publisher podcast networks are coming together alongside Acast to discuss the biggest topics in podcasting. This is a seminal moment and proves that the power of podcasting can bring leaders together to outline the next steps for growth in our industry. We’ll aim to meet each challenge collectively and work together to further establish podcasting as one of the most trusted news sources for listeners and advertisers.”

    For more information on getting involved, visit Publishers In Podcasting or Advertise.Acast.com

    Motley Fool Money Podcast Founding Host, Chris Hill, Passes The Mic

    ~ jen

    The Motley Fool announced that Chris Hill, longtime host of the Motley Fool Money  podcast and radio show, is leaving at the end of the month. One of The Motley Fool’s longest-tenured employees, Hill leaves the company after nearly 26 years.

    “Getting the chance to create and host Motley Fool Money has been the highlight of my time at The Motley Fool,” said Hill, who has hosted the show since the first episode in February 2009. “One of the things I’ve always loved is the team approach we’ve taken to helping listeners understand what’s happening on Wall Street, bringing a long-term perspective to daily market news, and offering stock ideas and analysis. We have a deep bench, and that same team approach will continue after I’m gone. With the show in such a position of strength, the time is right for me to explore the next chapter in my professional life.”

    Dylan Lewis, head of programming at The Motley Fool, will lead a team of hosts that include Deidre Willard, Mary Long, and show producer Ricky Mulvey.

    “Chris established The Motley Fool as a pioneer in podcasting and shaped our voice and presence in financial media,” said Lewis. “He has been the trusted source for market coverage, reassurance, and humor day-in and day-out to thousands of Fools around the world. We’re grateful for his vision, mentorship, and countless hours in the studio.”

    In January 2010, Motley Fool Money became the first podcast to make the leap to broadcast radio and continues to air every weekend on more than 75 affiliate stations across America.

    Podium Celebrates 1 Year In The Netherlands

    ~ jen

    A year ago, podcast platform, Podimo made its debut in the Netherlands. By now, it is impossible to imagine the Dutch podcast landscape without Podimo, with more than 70 shows to listen to, both exclusively and on the open network. Lovers of true crime, entertainment, narrative podcasts, news & politics know how to find Podimo for (local) shows like Moordcast, De Zelfspodcast, and Alle Geshiedenis Ooit.

    Flying Start

    In just one year, Podimo has given stage to more than 70 local shows. Existing podcasts like Dionne and Heinrik Slagter’s Moordcast and Jaap Reesema and Sander Schimmelpennick’s De Zelfpodcast immediately made the transition to Podimo. But new formats also emerged, such as Alexander Klöpping’s Goed Verhall (Good Story), where talented podcast creators have free rein to make what they want. And Podimo also gave old acquaintances a new podium in podcast land. After her famous book series, Francine Oomen launched Hoe overleef ik… the podcast, made possible by Podimo and freely available by everyone to listen to on the open network.

    Dionne Slagter: “Podimo has given Moordcast the opportunity to take our episodes to the next level. It’s great to have such a nice and professional platform behind you that specializes in podcasts. From a collaboration with the police and great interviews with those involved to wonderful promo content; they are always read to help. It’s an atmosphere team and I proudly subscribe Podimo’s exclusive podcasts.”

    Hours of listening pleasure

    Added up, a total 13,636,659 hours of podcasts were listened to on Podimo in the first year, and 752,054 hours of audiobooks. In the period from May 22, 2022 to March 2023, the true crime category grew by more than 106%. For the history category, it is a growth of more than 250%, and entertainment shot up by 244%.

    Podimo figures show that the Dutch listen to podcasts, for an average of 5 hours per week. And when do the Dutch prefer to listen to their favorite show? 9.7% listen during business hours on weekdays, 6% listen at night, 5.1% during the morning commute, while 12.8% put on a fine podcasting the morning or evening while commuting. The most popular genre is entertainment, followed by personal stories and true crime. Podcasts about culture and news/politics rank fourth and fifth.

    Tim de Gier, Head of Content at Podimo Netherlands: “Next year, Podimo aims to expand the portfolio even further, with a suitable offering for every moment of the day; from news and depth in the morning, light entertainment in the afternoon and compelling stories at the weekend.”

     

    Rumble Acquires Podcasting And Live Streaming Platform Callin

    ~ jen

    Rumble, the popular video-sharing platform, announced that it has acquired Callin, the San Francisco-based podcasting and live streaming platform founded by technology entrepreneur and investor David Sacks and Axel Ericsson. Pursuant to the terms of the definitive acquisition agreement, Sacks is slated to join Rumble’s board of directors in the second half of June 2023. Ericsson and the Callin team will continue to develop live streaming capabilities as a part of Rumble.

    Callin creates as seamless experience for its users to create, discover, and consume live and recorded content. The Callin app was built to blend the best aspects of social audio and video with the most attractive features of podcasting. We believe the addition of Callin’s user-friendly app and post-production tools coupled with Rumble’s substantial creator and user communities will create beneficial synergies, improving the experience of Rumble’s creators and their fans.

    “It was my own experience with the All-in Podcast that gave me the idea for Callin: I discovered how much work goes into producing a show and wanted to radically simplify the experience. I teamed up with Axel to launch the first ‘social podcasting’ platform, where users can easily stream, take questions, record, edit, publish, and share content with their audience,” said David Sacks, co-founder of Callin and co-founder/partner at Craft Ventures. “I am excited to expand Callin’s capabilities by joining forces with Rumble, a platform with significant size, influence, and reach. As an avid proponent of the creator economy and the free flow of ideas, I strongly support Rumble’s unwavering commitment to free speech.”

    Chris Pavlovski, Rumble Chairman and CEO, added “We are beyond excited to have David, Axel, and the Callin team to become a part of Rumble. The addition of Callin’s talented team and the capabilities of its product signifies a major step in our journey to deliver greater value and tools to our creators, which will further enhance our user engagement.”