Month: June 2023

AMA Launches AI-Powered Features For Personalized Audio Advertising

~ jen

AMA (A Million Ads), the global leader in dynamic creative and personalization for digital audio advertising, announced the launch of its innovative AI-powered product features, Studio.AI, designed to further enhance the speed and precision of the AMA dynamic decisioning engine. The new solution intelligently syncs audio files with script lines and selects relevant data triggers for highly-personalized ad experiences and is available for use across leading audio platforms, including Spotify, Pandora, Acast and iHeart.

The digital audio advertising market has skyrocketed, fueled by consumer adoption of premium content through music streaming services and podcasts, increased programmatic availability of inventory for advertisers, and advertiser interest in investing in privacy-safe channels. In 2023, digital audio ad investments are expected to surpass $10 billion, and within the next four years, will climb to nearly $13 billion. To continue to unlock growth, particularly form new and smaller brand advertisers, however, the production and targeting of campaigns must become more intelligently automated and data-driven.

“Brands, big and small should be equipped with creative capabilities enabling them to develop experiences that are scalable, performant and cost-effective,” said Steve Dunlop, Founder and CEO of AMA. “We are introducing AI that, makes it easier to build and launch campaigns that are tailored and high-performing, thereby reducing the barriers to entry for advertising on digital audio.”

Enter the Studio.AI product suite. Built into AMA’s flagship platform, AMA Studio, this suite activates AI to:

Effortless Audio-Script Synchronization

Studio.AI streamlines the creative process for producers by automatically matching the ideal audio voice elements to each script, ensuring a seamless and engaging listening experience for users. With this feature, producers can reduce time-to-live, bring ideas to life quicker, and reach audiences with the benefits of dynamic content faster than ever before.

Hyper-Personalization with Data Triggers

Studio.AI enables advertisers to deliver tailored and relevant audio ads to listeners by choosing the best data triggers such as location, day/time, weather, device type, events and ad rotation. This technology enhances ad engagement and effectiveness by ensuring each listener receives a unique and contextually relevant ad experience.

“The launch of these AI-powered features marks a significant milestone in digital audio advertising,” said Paul Kelly, CRO of AMA. “By harnessing the power of AI to support enhance and accelerate dynamic creative optimization, we are making incredible leaps in helping advertisers connect with listeners, delivering highly personalized and effective experiences and campaigns.”

In addition to these advanced features, AMA is exploring integrations with the powerful AI tools available including OpenAI’s ChatGPT to support creative development. This collaboration will further enable advertisers to craft highly engaging and personalized audio ads, amplifying their campaigns’ impact.

Studio.AI’s features are now available around the world for advertisers taking advantage of audio platforms like Spotify, Pandora, Acast and iHeart among others who are already partnered with AMA. Brands currently using the new AI-powered features include Target, Walmart, Google, and booking.com among others. 

Rob Greenlee Partners With StreamYard

~ jen

Podcast pioneer Rob Greenlee revealed on 100TV’s “StreamLeader The Report” that he is teaming with StreamYard to advance the company’s commitment to serving podcasters in creating audio and video content.

In his first extended interview about the partnership, Greenlee told 100TV, founder, Ross Brand supports StreamYard’s podcasting industry outreach. 

“I’m incredibly excited to partner with StreamYard,” said Greenlee. “Together, we will revolutionize the way video and audio content is produced and shared, allowing creators to reach wider audiences and maximize their impact via live and on-demand video podcasting.”

A 2017 inductee into the Podcast Hall of Fame, Greenlee has a long history of building partnerships in the podcast industry. He has severed as a senior executive at podcast-hosting companies such as Libsyn, Podbean, PodcastOne, and Spreaker. At Microsoft, Rob led the integration of audio and video podcasts into Windows Media Center, Zune, Xbox, and Windows Phone. InsideRadio selected Greenlee to their list of 2020 Podcast Power Players.

“We are honored to have Rob Greenlee join StreamYard as an official partner,” said StreamYard co-founder Geiger Vandentop. “His deep understanding of the podcasting and new media industry is unparalleled, and his passion for empowering creators resonates strongly with our own values. We believe this partnership will open up new opportunities for our users, enabling them to elevate their content and engage with their audiences like never before.”

StreamYard has added a whole range of features to appeal to podcasters in need of the highest audio quality, such as record-only mode, separate audio tracks, and local device recording. While StreamYard has been popular with podcasting influencers who livestream their shows since 2019, the opportunity to capture a larger share of the podcasting market is within reach, thanks to its professional audio recording tools and the explosion of interest in video podcasting, particularly on YouTube.

“We’re thrilled to see our top live-streaming app and favorite podcast executive joining forces to marry podcasting with live-streaming,” Brand said. “Our shows at 100TV have both video and audio versions. The overwhelming majority of our creators record in StreamYard.” With his experience as a prolific podcast creator and his leadership on the industry’s business side, Greenlee has the rare portfolio to appeal to independent podcasters and major industry brands. Not only can he educate podcasters on the benefits of StreamYard’s full audio and video feature set, Greenlee can help StreamYard’s millions of livestream customers add podcast distribution to their content mix.

Co-founded by Geige Vandentop and Dan Briggs, StreamYard launched its live-streaming studio in 2018. StreamYard grew quickly over the next two years to become the world’s most popular browser-based live-streaming app. StreamYard’s three pillars are 1) ease of use, 2) stability, and 3) professional streams. 

Virtual event company Hopin acquired StreamYard in early 2021. Vandentop and Briggs continue to operate StreamYard, innovating and developing new features to serve better creators while staying true to their three pillars. 

Greenlee hosts “Trust Factor” Mondays at 10 am on ET on 100TV Network. He also co-hosts the “New Media Show,” which has been recorded and streamed live for over a decade and subsequently distributed in audio and video podcast versions.

100TV Network launched in May 2023 as a collaboration of independent creators hosting exclusive shows and supporting each other through cross-promotion and monetization opportunities.

mowPod Promotes Chase Hattie to Chief Revenue Officer Amid Rapid Scaling

~ jen

mowPod, a trailblazing entity in the podcasting world announced the promotion of Chase Hattie from Executive Vice President of Business Development to the critical role of Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Hattie, a crucial pillar of the mowPod team since 2019, has demonstrated exceptional leadership in spearheading revenue growth and team development.

As CRO, Hattie will extend his leadership over the sales team and work in tandem with the C-Suite to enlarge mowPod’s podcasting Ad tech product offerings. This endeavor empowers the podcast community to expand their audience, aligning with mowPod’s mission of democratizing podcasting.

“Chase’s strategic foresight and leadership have been instrumental in growing mowPod’s revenue since he joined the team in 2019,” said Mike Wiston, CEO and Co-founder of mowPOd. “We are thrilled to have him lead our efforts as CRO, especially at this crucial period of aggressive scaling.”

Beyond leading the sales and business development teams, Hattie will also prioritize fostering wider partnerships with podcast networks, hosting platforms, and agencies. He brings to the table a track record of successful team-building, having constructed the existing sales team the has proven pivotal to mowPod’s growth.

This announcement comes on the heels of the recent release of mowPod Boost Self-Serve (boost.mowpod.com), the first self-serve product in podcasting that drives listeners from the open web to podcasts with transparent delivery and reporting. Hattie’s leadership will be crucial as the company seeks to expand its reach and impact in 2023 and beyond.

 

RSS.com Releases Free Audio To Video Conversion Tool

~ jen

RSS.com, a leading podcast hosting company, has unveiled PodViz, an innovative in-house technology that simplifies the process of transforming audio podcast episodes into captivating videos. Notably, RSS.com has integrated this solution into its hosting platform, empowering podcasters to effortlessly convert their episodes and upload them to popular video distribution platforms like YouTube.

Setting itself apart from similar offerings, PodViz goes beyond basic functionality by also supporting Podcasting 2.0 chapters, ensuring the converted audio-to-video files retain elements such as chapter art, title, and metadata.

The development of this new technology reflects the growing trend among podcasters worldwide, who are leveraging video distribution platforms to expand their listener base and enhance the discoverability of their primarily audio-focused shows.

Podcasters from all corners of the globe can take advantage of this revolutionary audio-video conversion toll for free by visiting RSS.com/podviz.

“We are thrilled to offer our podcasters the ability to showcase their Podcasting 2.0 enabled chapters and chapter art in video format, all without additional fees. This exciting audio to video feature bridges a gap between YouTube’s offering and outstanding Podcasting 2.0 enabled apps such as Podverse, Podfriend, and Fountain. By expanding the reach of Podcasting 2.0 features, we’re giving our podcasters the opportunity to reach new audiences. Now any of our podcasters who wish to distribute their podcast to their own YouTube channel can effortlessly do so.” – Ben Richardson, Co-Founder of RSS.com. 

In addition to integrating with YouTube, RSS.com plans to expand its support for video content platforms such as Vimeo, PeerTube, and TikTok.

About RSS.com

Founded in 2018, RSS.com is a podcasting platform with a global community and strategic investments in audio technology, IP and production of original content.

 

Podchaser Develops AI-Powered Data Capabilities With Launch of Collections+

~ jen

Podchaser – the podcast industry’s intelligence engine – announces the launch of a groundbreaking AI-powered capability to allow advertisers to expand their reach in podcasting and refine their targeting further than ever before. Podchaser’s Collections+ has been developed and tested with Acast, and is now being made available to any hosting provider, ad platform or marketplace in the industry looking to enhance its own targeting offering for advertisers.

With Collections+, data on podcasts and their audiences is pulled from the widest range of sources across podcasting – including the hosting platform’s own data, Podchaser’s first-party data, Apple Podcasts and Spotify category and chart data, IAB categories, surveys and transcriptions. 

The data is then synthesized using AI models, sorting podcasts into verticals based on all available data points. This creates the highest quality collections for advertisers to target against in the industry, replacing the traditional method, where podcasts are categorized manually into groups which advertisers then choose to buy against for their campaigns.

Bradley Davis, CEO at Podchaser said: “We’re turning what once was the art of podcast buying into a true science using everyone’s best friend, AI. By combining Podchaser’s position as the industry’s intelligence engine with Acast’s decade of deep experience in packaging podcasts to help advertisers reach valuable audiences, we’ve been able to create the highest-quality collections in the industry, which go beyond simple manual human classification.

“As audience-first buying becomes increasingly important, and more and more dollars flow into brand campaigns, we’re optimizing ad planning for everyone. Advertisers are empowered to plan smarter campaigns and we’re enabling more podcasters to earn more revenue. Most importantly, this data technique is being made available to the whole industry to use, to improve podcasting for all.”

Data shows that 44% of US podcast advertising investment lands with the top 500 shows. But these shows only account for 12% of monthly reach, which means advertisers are missing the opportunity to target nearly 88% of the addressable podcast audience. Collections+ benefits all parties in podcasting: for advertisers it brings more scale, increased longevity of creatives, better campaign diversity and increased effectiveness. For podcasters, it means greater discoverability amongst advertisers, increased chance of revenue and more shows monetized.

For example, a podcast may present itself as focusing on travel, but through Collections+ Podchaser can deduce that episodes veer heavily into discussions around, say, mental health as well as self-development, allowing that show to be included in more relevant sales verticals, making the podcast more discoverable to advertisers and attracting even more relevant advertising to engaged audiences than before.

At Acast, Collections+ has already seen uptake from a large number of brands including several Fortune 500 companies, and has enabled Acast to monetize 5% more shows in the first seven weeks of testing. For advertisers, buying through Acast, the capability is available in all markets at no additional cost – whether brought through Acast’s sales teams, programmatically or via Acast’s self-serve advertising program.

Collections+ is available now for any podcast hosting or ad platform – contact cole@podchaser.com for more information.

PRX And Sonic Partner To Provide Podcast Creation And Production Services

~ jen

Leading audio production company Sonic Union and top podcast distributor PRX, an award-winning public media organization, announced a new strategic partnership. PRX Productions – PRX’s team specializing in high-quality audio production and storytelling – and Sonic Union will jointly provide podcast creation and production services to brands seeking to create original podcasts.

Sonic Union serves as a nationwide creative services and audio production house, for collaborations with ad agencies, Fortune 500 companies, museums, and entertainment clients. PRX Productions has created original podcasts in partnership with significant consumer brands, creatives, and mission-focused entities alike, including Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, Simon & Shuster, the Woman’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, America Abroad Media, and more. To date, PRX and Sonic Union have partnered on podcasts including Out Travel the System, a travel podcast from Expedia, and an acclaimed teen advice podcast, We Got You.

In addition to expertise in podcast development, PRX operates Dovetail, a best-in-class podcast distribution platform trusted by a variety of major producers and acclaimed storytellers. The platform is an advantageous component for aligning distribution with data, analytics, and monetization.

According to a recent study, podcasting is on the rise as an effective medium to engage with audiences. The reach of podcasts are growing particularly among younger demographics, reaching nearly as many individuals between ages 18 and 34 as radio and television. Additionally, audiences are also more likely to consider brands they hear via podcasts than from other forms of media. 

In this compelling time for podcasting, PRX Productions and Sonic Union aim to draw on their shared expertise, success, and commitment to quality while also increasing their capabilities to serve as close audio partners to brands, organizations, marketers, and advertising agencies as brand media plans to include podcasting.

“We’re proud that PRX is one of the top podcast distributors in the world,” notes Jason Saldanha, Chief of Business Development at PRX. “Our in-house production team PRX Productions creates premium audio and podcasts for and with outstanding partners. The team at Sonic Union are masters of the craft and have deep relationships with major advertising agencies and creatives across the U.S. Our hope is that we’ll complement one another while together delivering the best possible opportunities and service.”

“Audio narrative is a powerful and effective tool for engagement. As our agency and brand clients ideate attention grabbing campaigns, podcasting will more steadily become part of media plans, and may not include the integration of podcasting with social channels, YouTube, and video components. This is a territory we are collectively poised to help navigate,” says Halle Petro, Sonic Union Executive Creative Director. “This exciting partnership will help to provide strategy ahead of the curve within the industry.”

Triton Audio Marketplace Now Supports Advertising Across Digital and Broadcast Radio

~ jen

Trition Digital, the global technology and services leader to the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries, today announced Basis Technologies, a leading provider of cloud-based workflow automation and business intelligence software for marketing and advertising, is enabling marketers to streamline and consolidate advertising across all audio segments – podcast, streaming and now terrestrial broadcast radio via the Triton Audio Marketplace. Basis Technologies expanded its integration to give brands and agencies programmatic guaranteed buying access to broadcast radio ads.

Purchasing broadcast radio historically has been a complex process, requiring time-consuming negotiations and agreements between marketers and publishers. The Triton Audio Marketplace alleviates this frustration by aggregating audiences at scale across all audio segments, an industry first, making it seamless for agencies to play, buy, and measure the impact of cross-platform audio advertising. For the first time, broadcast radio inventory from iHeartMedia will be available in the the Triton Audio Marketplace, with additional Katz Media Represented broadcast partners to follow. 

“Brands and agencies want direct access to guaranteed audio inventory at scale, with the control, speed, and flexibility required to meet fast-paced deadlines. Basis Technologies aligns with Triton Digital to help marketers rise above the noise to reach their customers,” said Ian Trider, VP of Product, Basis Technologies. “The Triton Audio Marketplace’s supply of high quality digital and now broadcast audio content that engages loyal listeners, combines neatly with programmatic advertising technology to reach people with the right message, at the right time, across devices.”

The Triton Audio Marketplace Ofers access to the largest pool of audio audiences, with more than 100 billion audio impressions per month, allowing marketers and agencies to transact on all forms of audio inventory and access unmatched, sophisticated measurement and targeting tools across a range of audiences, from mass reach demographics to narrower, more precise targets. Basis Technologies further empowers advertisers by providing access to audience segments that are normalized in digital to broadcast spot radio, as well as real-time optimization of broadcast campaigns.

“As the first open audio marketplace to bring together broadcast radio, podcast and streaming audiences at unprecedented scale, we continue to remove the barriers to cross-platform audio advertising,” said Jean-Luc Washer, VP of Architecture and Partnerships, Triton Digital. “The addition of Basis Technologies further signifies our commitment to delivering audio ad buys at a global scale through open auction and programmatic direct deals in a single, easy to navigate marketplace.”

Introducing Scribbler – Revolutionizing The Podcast Experience With Concise Information

~ jen

Today, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Scribbler, a tool that delivers key insights from any podcast directly to you. With Scribbler, listeners can now unlock the power of efficient podcast consumption, saving valuable time and gaining valuable insights.

Podcasts have surged in popularity over the past decade, offering a wealth of information, entertainment, and thought-provoking content. However, the time commitment required to listen to full episodes often poses a challenge for busy individuals seeking to stay informed and entertained. Scribbler addresses this challenge head-on, offering three key benefits that set it apart from listening to an entire episode.

Time Efficiency: With Scribbler, users can extract the essence of a podcast episode in a matter of minutes. Our software, employed advanced natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze the audio content and generate concise, accurate summaries. Say goodbye to hours of listening and hello to quick insights that fit seamlessly into your busy schedule.

Enhanced Accessibility: Not everyone has the luxury of being able to listen to podcasts at any given moment. Whether you’re commuting, exercising, or engaged in other tasks, it’s not always possible to dedicate your full attention to an episode. Scribbler allows you to stay connected to you favorite shows without missing out on vital information. You can conveniently skim through summaries during those brief moments when you have a spare minute, ensuring that you never fall behind.

Discoverability and Variety: The podcasting landscape is vast and diverse, with countless shows covering an array of topics. Scribbler offers an opportunity to explore a broader range of podcasts by providing a glimpse into each episode’s content. Discover new interests, niche topics, and compelling a discussions without the commitment of listening to an entire episode. Scribbler allows users to choose from 1000s of episodes in our library of top podcasts, or get a summary on demand.

“As avid podcast listeners ourselves, we recognized the need for a solution that would enable individuals to make the most of their limited time,” said Ian Tan, Founder of Scribbler. “With Scribbler, we’ve created a game-changing platform that prioritizes efficiency and convenience, allowing users to stay up-to-date with their favorite shows while exploring new content. We believe Scribbler will revolutionize the podcast experience and make valuable information more accessible to everyone.”

Scribbler is available now at app.scribbler.so. https://app.scribbler.so.  It’s completely free to sign up to experience the convenience of podcast summaries firsthand.

Research In Finland: Podcast Listening Takes Time Away From Other Media Consumption

~ jen

A research conducted by Norstat, on behalf of Podimo, in the spring examined the podcast listening market in Finland. According to the study, podcasts are displacing other forms of media consumption, particularly traditional electronic media. Of the respondents, 37% reported that podcast listening significantly or moderately reduces their radio listening time, while 23% said the same for television viewing.

Johannes Saukko, the Country Manager at Podimo, explained, “Podcast listening in Finland is on the rise, as is the willingness to pay for podcasts. The engagement with podcasts is high, and the time spent on them naturally comes at the expense of other activities. However, podcasts can also be enjoyed in situations where visual content consumption is not feasible, providing listeners with additional opportunities and enhancing their engagement with podcasts.”

Podcasts are predominantly consumed on the go, although many people also listen to them at home. Saukko added, “Tasks like cleaning and other household chores become much more appealing when combined with consuming interesting content.”

Podimo, the podcast and audiobook service that launched in Finland in August last year, has established a strong position in the country this spring. The research indicates that Podimo has caught up with its competitors in terms of subscriber numbers as of February this year.

“Our growth remained strong even after the data collection for the study, and our subscriber numbers are now over 40% higher than at the beginning of the year. While we won’t disclose the exact figures, we are extremely pleased with the development of the Finnish market. We have successfully brought together excellent podcast series in one place for our listeners. Of course, we owe thanks to our fantastic podcasters,” concluded Saukko.

The research also revealed the following findings:

Currently, 16% of podcast listeners subscribe to one or more paid podcast services. 18% have previously subscribed to a paid podcast service but are not currently subscribed.

The most popular podcast genres among listeners are True Crime (43%), Comedy (33%) and News and Current Affairs (29%).

46% of podcast listeners also listen to audiobooks on a monthly basis or more.

The target group for the research comprised nationally representative Finnish individuals aged 15-64. Interviews were conducted through Norstat Finland’s national consumer panel, with data collection taking place from February 12 to February 17, 2023. The study involved a total of 1,063 respondents.

Participation in the study required respondents to listen to podcasts at least once a month. The study was commissioned by Podimo Finland and conducted by Norstat Finland Oy. The survey form was designed by Podimo Finland Oy.

Podimo is a monthly subscription-based podcast and audiobook service that offers a wide selection of exclusive podcasts and Finnish-language audiobooks at an affordable monthly price. Podimo features the best selection of true crime podcasts and entertainment, such as “Murk Joke Tapahtui” (A Murder That Happened), “Gaala” (Gala), “Selven Päin” (Sober), or “Kerhotalo” (Clubhouse), as well as podcasts from popular entertainers like Aki Linnanahde, Sointu Borg, Janni Hussi, and Sara Parikka.

As the fastest-growing podcast and audiobook subscription service in Europe, Podimo is currently available in Finland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Mexico. It can be accessed by iOS and Android users, iPad and CarPlay users, as well as on the web. https://podimo.com/fi 

Waves Plugins Are Now Compatible With OBS Studio – Enhance Your Audio

~ jen

Waves Audio, the world’s leading developer of professional audio signal processing technologies and plugins, announces that Waves plugins now run in OBS Studio, the leading software for live streaming and video recording for Twitch, YouTube, and more, enhancing audio quality in OBS Video Streams.

Running Waves plugins in OBS Studio is simple and fuss-free. Just install the free Waves StudioRack plugin chainer from Waves Central, insert StudioRack on any audio source from the fillers menu in OBS Studio, and continue loading your favorite Waves plugins inside StudioRack.

With Waves’ StudioRack now compatible with OBS Studio, users can take advantage of StudioRack’s advanced audio processing capabilities to dramatically elevate the sound quality of their recorded videos, podcasts, and live-streamed content on OBS, providing their audiences with an immersive and engaging listening experience:

  • Clean unwanted background noise with AI-powered noise reduction
  • Get you voice sounding rich, smooth, and present
  • Improve the sound of zoom calls and phone microphones dramatically
  • Ensure your output levels are up to professional standards
  • Change voice pitch, add effects, and vocoders
  • Add zero latency real time pitch correction for vocals in musical performances in live streams

Waves Audio also now provides AI-optimized StudioRach plugin chains designed to elevate the quality of streaming: Enhance audio quality, reduce noise, and ensure optimal levels for live streaming and more with Waves’ StudioVerse custom “OBS” tagged chains.