Month: May 2024

Andy Bush And Guestimators Team Launch Lock It In Studio

~ jen

The team behind Guestimators, the breakthrough podcast quiz presented by Absolute Radio’s Andy Bush, have launched Lock It In, a full-service production studio specializing in talent-led, comedy and entertainment podcasts.

Focusing on podcasts that are inspired by the nuances of British culture, Lock It In will be working with platforms, talent and brands on everything from concepts and content strategy through to production, monetisation and promotion.

Bush, the voice of Hometime for 2.2m listeners, is an equal partner in the business alongside Will Nichols (former VP, Content Development at Universal Music) and Matt Cutler, the sports journalist behind ground-breaking documentary The Pirates vs The Premier League.

The trio launched quiz platform Guestimators in November 2023. It’s twice-weekly podcasts distributed by Keep It Light Media, has features celebrities including Mel Giedoyc, Bob Harris, Rosie Holt and Lloyd Griffith, while its loyal community of thousands plays the quiz every week.

Lock It In already have a number of podcasts in production including the kitchen-based My Life In Mugs; Ethan Lawrence’s Best Brits, which ranks regional celebrities and historical figures; Horsemeat Lasagne, an exploration of the 21st century’s strangest scandals; the folklore story-telling Celtic Whispers; and the football-focused Away Days.

Mamamia Announced Natalie Harvey As New CEO

~ jen

Mamamia announces the appointment of Natalie Harvey as Chief Executive Officer. Harvey joined Mamamia in the role of Chief Revenue Officer in January this year and will move into the CEO role on June 1st, taking over from Co-Founder and CEO Jason Lavigne, who shifts into the role of Executive-Chair.

Jason Lavigne said: “Mamamia is already the undisputed Australian super-charged channel for women, and we have a strategy for far more significant growth over the near term, in media, and digital products and services.

I’ve spent several years looking for the right person to be the next CEO of Mamamia and I knew from the first meeting with Nat Harvey that she was the one. With more than 20 years experience on both publisher and Media Agency sides, she is an exceptionally talented executive who shares the values and vision upon which Mia and I have built Mamamia.

Having led the business through 16 years of growth, powered by many of the most dedicated and talented people in the industry – it’s now time to hand the wheel to Nat as we enter this next exciting chapter.

While I’ll continue to work closely with Nat and our executive leadership team, I look forward to having space from the day-to-day running of the business to focus on the many non-BAU growth opportunities in front of us.”

Natalie Harvey said: “Mamamia has been an industry-leading pioneer in digital media since it began and is unquestionably the leading women’s media brand in Australia. After an incredibly successful 16 years, we are ready to accelerate quickly into the future. No one understands women like Mamamia and we have the greatest opportunity of any publisher in Australia to scale up. We have huge reach and unrivaled influence. I am humbled and grateful to be leading the amazing Mamamia team into this next era, and continue to live our purpose of making the world a better place for women and girls.”

About Mamamia

Mamamia is Australia’s #1 women’s media brand, reaching over seven million Australian women monthly across articles, podcasts, social media, live events and online courses. Mamamia’s founding purpose is to make the world a better place for women and girls.

Libsyn To Take The Stage With Nick Viall & ABC Audio At the 2024 IAB Podcast Upfront

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), announced its presence at the 2024 IAB Podcast Upfront. The IAB event is designed to preview new podcast shows and highlights their ability to engage listeners and authentically align with advertisers.

Leaders from Libsyn Ads, the world’s premier podcast advertising network, will host a panel discussion with Nick Viall, host of the award-winning The Viall Files podcast, and Liz Alesse, Vice President of ABC News’ ABC Audio, on unlocking the magic of podcast advertising.

Additionally, Libsyn released its April 2024 Podcast Advertising Rates, including the highest and most accessible CPM categories. Libsyn releases these figures monthly to promote greater transparency in podcast advertising.

IAB Podcast Upfront Session

The newly rebranded Libsyn Ads is the top one-stop destination for brands and agencies to access high quality, brand safe, engaging podcast content at scale. With hundreds of exclusive podcasts and thousands of participating shows, advertisers can tap into Libsyn Ads’ highly sought-after podcast inventory, as well as benefit from our unmatched specialist expertise, advanced targeting solutions, outcome based measurement capabilities, and brand safety and suitability tools.

“Podcasting has become a driving force in advertising, captivating more than 135 million Americans monthly with engaging content from diverse creators spanning every genre,” said Dave Hanley, Chief Revenue Officer of Libsyn. “This Upfront season, as Libsyn takes the IAB stage with our esteemed partners, we’ll showcase the power of podcasting with it’s new ad formats and capabilities, and offer actionable insights on how brans can forge genuine connections with audiences – and how it outperforms other channels in driving consumer action.”

The Magic of Podcasting: How Brands Are Finding Success with the Right Podcast Partners Thursday May 9, 2024 | 11:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST | etc. venues at 360 Madison Avenue & IAB.com

Podcast advertising has emerged as a powerful medium for brands, offering measurable results and captivating storytelling opportunities. It’s poised for accelerated growth, serving as both a brand awareness and direct response channel. However, it’s a highly complex and fragmented landscape for brands and marketers to navigate – highlighting the importance of trusted partners.

Join Libsyn Ads and our advertising partners – The Viall Files, the acclaimed pop culture podcast hosted by Nick Viall, and ABC Audio, the premier network of on-demand audio content focused on lifestyle, culture, and entertainment – as they share lessons learned from their podcast advertising journey for driving audience growth and advertising outcomes. Join us to unlock the magic of podcast advertising!

Speakers:

* Liz Alesse, Vice President, ABC Audio, ABC News

* Stephen Pickens, SVP, Host Read Advertising Sales, Libsyn Ads

* Anthony Savelli, SVP, YouTube & Influencer Advertising Sales, Libsyn Ads

* Nick Viall, Host, The Viall Files

April 2024 Podcast Advertising Rates

The following rates, which are denoted as cost per thousand or CPM, are published monthly by Libsyn Ads, which provides comprehensive podcast advertising for creators, advertiser, and agencies. The Company releases the figures to empower the podcaster and advertiser communities to readily monitor market pricing and provide greater insight into podcasting advertising as a monetization vehicle. The data is derived from actual sales data across Libsyn Ads’ network of thousands of shows.

For April 2024, the average CPM rate was $21.75 for a 60-second ad spot. That figure is sightly lower than last month (March 2024 avg. CPM rate $21.94), and the same month last year (April 2023 avg. CPM rate: $22.76).

The three highest CPM categories in April based on delivered advertising were:

Technology: $27

Education: $25

Comedy: $24

Moreover, three categories where advertisers can effectively tap into highly engaged audiences at more accessible CPM rates include Games, Kids & Family, Religion & Spirituality , which averages around the high teens to low 20s in April.

Historical monthly CPM rates can be fond on the Libsyn Ads website at: https://advertising.libsyn.com/podcast-advertising rates.

About Libsyn Syndication

Celebrating our 20th year in podcasting, Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”) is the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers to host, distribute, monetize, amplify, and measure their audio and video content. The Company hosts more than 75,000 shows and delivers over 8 billion downloads to listeners globally.

Libsyn Ads offers industry-leading podcast advertising solutions, serving as a comprehensive ad buying and management offering for creators, advertisers, and agencies to initiate and manage highly targeted campaigns across thousands of shows. Visit libsyn.com or investor.libsyn.com for more information on the Company and the platforms that it powers.

Viral Tribe Entertainment Expands Promotion Through Acquisition of Soho Radio

~ jen

Viral Tribe Entertainment, the next-generation podcasting business, has announced that Soho Radio and its podcasting business SRP Studios will become part of the Viral Tribe family following a deal between the two parties.

The agreement brings together two dynamic forces in the world of audio and video content creation, promising an exciting future for music, culture, and storytelling.

Viral Tribe is a talent-driven podcast production house that works with some of the biggest names on the planet, producing original and authentic digital content that resonates with audiences worldwide.

From its grass roots founding in 2014, Soho Radio has grown into an influential voice and amplifier for music and culture. Broadcasting live from its studios in London and New York, Soho Radio produces more than 250 shows a month. SRP Studios, the production arm of the business, contains state-of-the-art podcasting suites that counts the BBC, Stephen Fry and Gillian Anderson amongst its impressive roster of clients.

The deal which will bolster the output of both parts of the business, bringing together and utilizing decades of experience and expertise. Viral Tribe expects this move to benefit and accelerate the growth of each exciting arm of the expanded business.

Viral Tribe CEO and founder Jon O’Donnell said: “I’m incredibly excited by this partnership and can’t wait to start working with the team.

“We believe in the power of cultural moments and few brands have had a greater cultural impact in the capital than Soho Radio. It’s played host to some of the best-known DJs and artists in the world and continues to blaze trails and shape tastes for listeners every single day.

‘As Viral Tribe’s original content output continues to grow rapidly, integrating the brilliant SRP Studios into our offering will allow us to scale even more quickly. Both businesses have garnered a reputation for high quality talent-led storytelling, so the synergies are both obvious and tremendous.

‘Most of all though the deal will bring together the shared values of two fantastic teams. Creativity, integrity, loyalty, and obsession about delivering the very best content to our audiences.

‘As we say in VT, “good vibes make great tribes”, and I’m feeling a hell of a lot of good vibes about this partnership.’

Soho Radio said: “At Soho Radio we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year and have always been committed to fostering a vibrant community around music, culture, and creativity. Now with Viral Tribe’s expertise and resources, we can’t wait to take this to the next level and see what the next 10 years brings.’

Nielsen Releases ‘The Record’ – Quarterly Insights On How U.S. Audiences Listen To Ad-Supported Audio

~ jen

Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data analytics, announced the launch of The Record, a quarterly insight into audio listening behaviors and share of average daily usage of ad-supported audio in the U.S.

According to the inaugural report with data from Q1 2024, consumers spent nearly 70% of their daily ad-supported audio time listening to radio, 20% listening to podcasts, and the remainder with streaming audio (music services) and satellite radio (select channels).

Per the Record, which is powered by data from both Nielsen and Edison Research, most radio listening occurs during the day while away from home, with more than 80% of in-car ad-supported audio time going to radio in Q1 2024.

Across both over-the-air and streaming radio, the leading radio formats among listeners 18+ during the same period were News/Talk (10.8%), Adult Contemporary (8.6%) and Classic Hits and Country (5.9% each). From a streaming-only perspective, News/Talk radio stations accounted for 21.7% of listening among audiences 18+, followed by All Sports stations at 8.6% of all streaming station listening.

“We’re excited to introduce The Record, which utilizes powerful data insights from Nielsen and Edison Research to provide the industry with a unique, multi-lens look at how U.S. audiences are listening to ad-supported audio,” said Rich Tunkel, Managing Director, Nielsen Audio. :The audio portion of consumers’ daily media diet is significant, and these new insights will serve as an important tool for advertisers, broadcasters and podcasters alike to better understand and ultimately reach their intended audience.”

The News/Talk radio format includes commercial and non-commercial stations.

About Nielsen

Nielson shapes the world’s media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiences – now and into the future. Nielsen operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram).