Month: July 2024

Focus on Blubrry Podcasting: Programmatic Advertising

~ jen

This is the fourth part of an ongoing series that focuses on features provided by Blubrry Podcasting.

Advertising has been a hot topic in podcasting for years. Podcast producers are always trying to figure out, “Where do I get ads for my show? How do I insert ads into my episodes?” Questions like these are exactly why Blubrry built its Programmatic Advertising service.

No More Gatekeepers
The typical story when it comes to podcast advertising goes like this: once your show reaches a certain number of downloads per episode (usually a VERY high number), you can reach out directly to potential sponsors or you can work with advertising brokers to get ads for your show. The challenge with that is, the required minimum per-episode download number will be unattainable to most shows, especially for niche topic shows that, by default, may not appeal to large audiences. Blubrry Programmatic Advertising removes this gatekeeping, as podcasters only need to meet some basic requirements, with no download minimums, to use the service.

Simple Setup
To start using Blubrry Programmatic Advertising, podcasters have to fulfill these simple requirements:

  • Have an active Standard or Advanced Blubrry media hosting subscription
  • Provide a complete W-2 form (U.S. residents only)
  • Provide PayPal information so Blubrry can process payouts

Once the above requirements are fulfilled, just enable Programmatic Advertising within your Blubrry Podcaster Dashboard.

Podcasters In Control
If you’re producing a show focused on healthy living, you probably don’t want ads for fast food or alcohol to precede your episodes. Or maybe you just never want a political ad to run on your show. Blubrry Programmatic Advertising has multiple categories that can be toggled on/off for different ad types to ensure your audience only hears ads that are relevant to your show. Here are some of the ad categories available:

  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Business
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Health & Fitness
  • Food & Drink
  • Hobbies & Interests
  • Law, Gov’t & Politics
  • Personal Finance
  • Religion & Spirituality
  • Technology & Computing
  • Travel

And more! If you ever decide you’d like to change what types of ads appear within your episodes, you can edit the available ad categories at any time.

Set It and Forget It
You decide if you’d like preroll, mid-roll, or post-roll ads to appear in episodes. Once that’s done, the Programmatic Advertising system automatically finds relevant ads and inserts them accordingly; no need for you to choose specific advertisers. Ads won’t appear in every episode but the system typically fills about 80% of available ad slots. Estimated CPMs are between $5 and $15 with Blubrry taking 30%. Payouts occur after a minimum of $50 is earned in ad revenue.

Get With the Programmatic
Blubrry Programmatic Advertising is truly podcast advertising for the masses. Forget the gatekeepers and all the hassle involved in finding ads for your show. Sign up with Blubrry and get Programmatic Advertising today!

Persephonica To Create Podcasting Hub In Sheffield

~ jen

One of the UK’s leading podcast companies is establishing its permanent headquarters and studios in Sheffield, as part of its plans to create a world-leading podcasting hub in the North of England.

It will mean some of the country’s biggest podcast shows are made and produced in Sheffield, as the city benefits from a multimillion pound revamp of it’s city centre and capitalizes on its cultural and creative history.

Persephonica make some of the UK’s biggest podcasts, including Miss Me?, with Lilly Allen and Miquita Oliver for BBC Sounds, and Political Currency, with Ed Balls and George Osborne.

It has had international success with Due Lipa’s interview series, At Your Service, and it was the co-creator of the UK’s biggest daily podcast, The News Agents, with international brand, Global.

Persephonica’s founders, Dino Soros and Tom O’Hara, are from Sheffield. They established the company in 2021 and one of their priorities in founding the company was to increase socio-economic diversity in the media — moving the company’s headquarters to Sheffield is at the heart of that mission.

Persephonica CEO Dino Sofos said: “This is a huge boost for creativity in the North. We are very excited about starting a new chapter for British podcasting in this buzzing, creative and diverse city.

“Talented people from lower income backgrounds often struggle to get a foot on the ladder in the media because they can’t afford to do free work experience or freelance on low wages while paying high rents in London.

“It means people growing up in the South East have an unfair advantage at securing interesting and influential media jobs. The best way to change the status quo is to create more opportunities outside the capital.”

“Thanks to its abundance of world class journalism and media courses, South Yorkshire is full of people with huge potential to become the future stars of the podcasting industry.”

Persephonica will move into Leah’s Yard, a former industrial workshop, early next month.

The company will fund training, internships and partner with local colleges and universities to develop a new pool of podcasting talent in the region. It will also partner with other media organizations and production companies to generate more new opportunities in the region. Perspephonica  will retain a small base and staff in London.

Persephonica CEO Dino Sofos is a co-founder of the Crossed Wires podcast festival, which took place in Sheffield in May and saw thousands of podcast fans, companies and makers flock to the city.

Sofos founded the festival with My Dad Wrote A Porno star Alice Levine and founder of Sheffield’s Tramlines festival James O’Hara. The first year was supported by Amazon Music & Wondery, and saw the biggest names in British podcasting perform in Sheffield, including Adam Buxton, Jon Robson, and Katherine Ryan. The Festival will return in 2025.

Pacific Content Sold To UK Start-Up Lower Street

~ jen

Canadian podcast producer Pacific Content has been sold to UK start-up Lower Street for an undisclosed amount.

Founded in Somerset, England, by Harry Morton in 2017 Lower street is a full-service podcast production agency and works with such brands as Adobe, Pepsico, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Morton, 38, explains: “When I founded Lower Street I looked up to one company in particular, Pacific Content. Their podcasts were legendary — super creative, expertly produced and showed a real understanding of how to cultivate and grow passionate audiences.

“They really pushed the branded content space forward and became a benchmark of quality for me. To be able now buy such an amazing brand as Pacific Content is a real testament to the hard work, talent and passion I see at Lower Street every day. It will most certainly help supercharge our growth as we move into the next phase of our development and that of the branded podcast industry overall.”

Pacific Content’s Founder Steve Pratt says: “Harry is one of my favorite leaders in the podcast industry. I’m consistently impressed with how thoughtful he is about building the Lower Street culture and team, and how generous he is in publicly sharing his thinking and strategy with the marketing and podcast industries. I am very grateful that Harry and his team are building an exciting new chapter in the Pacific Content story and I can’t wait to see where they take it next.”

Lower Street is a full-service podcast production agency and has a fully remote team of 29 people. It is on a mission to produce the best podcasts on the internet and believes the future of content marketing is binge-worthy episodic shows that power brands to build an intimate relationship with their key audiences over time.

WNYC’s On The Media Names Micah Loewinger Co-Host

~ jen

Producer and reporter Micah Loewinger has been named co-host of WNYC’s On The Media, the Peabody Award-winning weekly public radio show and podcast that analyzes how the media shapes our worldview.

Loewinger assumes the role following eight years on the On the Media staff, first as a producer, then as the show’s first-ever reporter, and, most recently, as a regular guest host. He will now officially co-host alongside Brooke Gladstone, host of On the Media for over 20 years.

Loweinger’s work has largely focused on digital media’s influence on politics and political movements. His award winning investigation into the walkie-talkie app Zello revealed the way right-wing militias were using it to recruit new members, and his sustained tracking of these groups on the app led him to uncover their ties to local police departments and discover one group’s plan to storm the Capitol.

He interviewed Tasha Adams, the ex-wife of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, before and after his conviction for his party-action in the January 6 insurrection. Loewinger has also covered stories on QAnon, teenage fascists who had been deradicalized by left-wing YouTubers, why preppers weren’t prepping for the pandemic, how restorative justice might help rehabilitate trolls on Reddit, how a video game about a war helped a family survive a actual war, and why a conservative election director became a pariah in her deep-red county.

“Micha joined the show just as social media was deep into transforming our political communication and politics in general, and he was largely responsible for ensuring we never fell behind,” said Gladstone. “And with his investigative skills, his deep engagement, and his distinctive voice, we knew he would help steer the show into vital new territory.  OTM’s executive producer Katya Rogers and I are both thrilled have Micah in this new role, especially now, as we parse the news for what is real – and what isn’t — during this crucial election season.”

“As someone who grew up with the internet — watching more YouTube than cable news — I’m excited to help the show to rethink how we define media,” said Loewinger. “I hope to incorporate the voices of more independent and social media-based journalists on our show to better reflect how and where Americans get news and information. The media industry is struggling, and there’s plenty of disagreement about how to transform and save it, but it’s truly an honor to be part of a team committed to helping our listeners contend with what’s happening in real-time.”

“Twenty-plus years into its run, On the Media remains one of the most relevant, essential guides to understanding the way media shapes our public perception and democracy,” said Kenya Young, Senior Vice President, WNYC Programming and WNYC Studios. “How people consume news and information is changing at an ever-faster clip, and Micha’s appointment heralds an exciting moment for the show, as he brings his digital native perspective and investigative chops to an era of rampant mis- and disinformation.”

WYNC Studios’ On the Media airs weekly on more than 400 public radio stations across the country, and has a biweekly podcast. The show has been recognized with multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards for feature reporting and investigative reporting, multiple Bart Richards Awards for media criticism, multiple Gracies, the Silver Gavel Award hosted by the American Bar Association and two Peabody Awards. 

Most recently, Loewinger was a finalist for a Mirror Award for his series about digital media, and Gladstone was honored with a Mirror Award for her piece, “The Fog of War Shrouds a Devastating Conflict.”

Captivate Achieves IAB Podcast Measurement 2.2 Certification

~ jen

Captivate, a leading podcast hosting platform owned by Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, has received IAB Tech Lab Podcast Measurement certification for version 2.2 of the guidelines — the first podcast hosting platform in the world to be aware of this milestone accreditation.

The IAB Tech Lab’s Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines v2.2 enhance the transparency and reliability of podcast advertising metrics, focussing on the unique challenges of measuring podcast downloads using server-side data. 

Key updates include requiring companies to document their anomaly resolution methodologies, stricter criteria for validating “ad delivered” metrics, and guidance on filtering out duplicated downloads, such as those from Apple Watches. These measures continue to foster deeper trust and consistency in podcast advertising, aiding advertisers in evaluating campaign performance.

This certification not only meets but surpasses previous IAB Podcast Measurement Guidelines v2.1, reaffirming Captivate’s commitment to providing the highest quality service to its users.

In order to meet certification criteria, Captivate has introduced a number of features to enhance its platform for podcast creators and advertisers, including a brand-new, self-auditing spike detection system. This advanced system automatically identifies spikes in podcast metrics, such as unique listeners and downloads, and pinpoints the underlying reasons, ensuring accurate and reliable data for podcast creators and advertisers.

In addition to the spike detection system, Captivate now supports IPv6 using the first 64 bits of the IPV6 address. This upgrade ensures enhanced connectivity and reliability to future-proof the platform as the internet and streaming landscape continues to evolve.

Kieran McKeefery, Director of Technology at Capitvate, commented on the certification, saying: “Achieving the IAB Tech Lab certification for version 2.2 of the IAB Podcast Measurement Guidelines is a testament to our dedication to innovation and excellence. Our new spike detection system and IPv6 support are just the beginning of what we have planned to ensure our platform remains at the forefront of podcast technology.”

Mark Asquith, Managing Director of Captivate, added: “This certification underscores our commitment to our users and the podcasting community. We are thrilled to offer tools and resources that not only meet but exceed industry standards, providing our podcasters and advertisers with the best possible experience.”

Captivate’s achievement of the IAB Tech Lab Podcast Measurement certification for version 2.2 marks a significant advancement in the podcasting industry, setting a new benchmark for quality and transparency. As part of Global, Captivate continues to lead the way in podcast hosting innovation, delivering unparalleled service and support to its users.

Captivate’s IAB Tech Lab Podcast Measurement certification comes just days after the platform released is dashboard 2.5 update and industry-leading podcast network capabilities for publishers and independent creators.

For partners interested in optimizing their podcast players, Captivate has created an insightful article detailing best practices for podcast players. Furthermore, to maintain transparency in its IAB Tech Lab’s certification process, Captivate has detailed its processing workflow.

About Captivate

Captivate is owned by Global, the Media & Entertainment Group. It is the world’s leading podcast host for serious, growth-focused creators. Known for its user-friendly interface and robust analytics, Captivate provides podcasters with the tools they need to grow and monetize their shows effectively.

Former NYT Exec Geoff Isenman Named CEO Of Campside Media

~ jen

Veteran media executive Geoff Isenman has been named CEO of Campside Media, the award-winning podcasting company known for ambitious, non-fiction storytelling like Suspect, Chameleon, and its most recent global hit, White Devil, which has been lodged on the podcast charts for its entire run, reaching #6 on the Apple Podcast chart and approaching 3 million downloads. 

“The quality and breadth of Campside’s work is inspiring. It is a testament to the commitment and passion of the founders and team they’ve built,” said Isenman. “I’m thrilled to lead the company, with Sister’s partnership, during this transformative period for the entire audio industry.”

Campside co-founder Adam Hoff, who has been serving in the CEO role, will now shift to full-time to oversee the company’s fast-growing film and television slate as Head of Film and TV for the company.

Said Hoff: “Geoff’s deep experience is going to be a tremendous asset to Campside and we’re beyond thrilled to welcome him to the team. It’s been a pleasure serving as CEO and now I’m looking forward to focusing on the creative side of the business.”

Isenman brings with him an extensive resume in deal-making in the media and technology space, with a focus on audio-forward companies. He joins Campside from AccelPro, where he was founder and General Manager of Kaplan Inc.’s audio-first career development platform. Isenman recently produced the Webby-nominated podcast Big Sugar, released in partnership with Imagine Entertainment and iHeartMedia.

From 2017-2021, Isenman was Chief Business Officer of Cafe Studios, a podcast company co-founded by Preet Baharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (acquired by Vox Media) and also Some Spider Studios, a portfolio of the leading digital-first parenting brands (acquired by BDG Media).

From 2008-2015, Isenman was an executive at The New York Times. As Vice President, Corporate & Business Development he oversaw the company’s partnerships and M&A, along with its venture investing portfolio which focused on early stage SaaS businesses.

Isenman began his career in the entertainment industry, at Tribeca Productions. Additionally, he has independently advised and invested in early stage companies across technology and media for more than ten years.

Said Campside Media co-founders Josh Dean, Vanessa Grigoriadis, Matt Shaer, and Hoff, “We’re very happy to welcome Geoff to Campside and excited for him to accelerate the growth of our business. With Geoff’s arrival and Adam’s shift to focus on the exploration of our deep well of IP, Campside is well-positioned for the future.”

About Campfire

Specializing in deeply-reported narrative non-fiction podcasts, Campside Media’s award-winning shows have been downloaded more than 100 million times, and featured on “best of” lists compiled by editors at The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Esquire, and New York Magazine.

Campfire, which was co-founded in 2020 by the veteran magazine journalists Josh Dean, Vanessa Grigoridias, and Matt Shaer, and the screenwriter/producer Adam Hoff, is the creator of the Chameleon and Suspect franchises, the forms of which won the Podcast Academy Award for “Podcast of the Year” in 2022 for its third season “Wild Boys.” 

With over 40 limited series podcasts produced to date, Campside has worked with over a dozen different partners in audio and currently has 25 projects in various stages of development for television and film. Further, Campside has 15 documentary projects in the works, including recent sales to Hulu and Netflix. Campside was named one of Fast Company’s 10 most innovative media companies in 2022.

61% of British People Listen To Podcasts Every Month

~ jen

Global Brand Lift measurement company On Device has released new data on the UK’s podcasting habits, revealing a nation deeply engaged with 38% of listeners tuning into humour/comedy podcasts making it the most popular category. 

According to the study, 61% of UK residents listen to podcasts monthly, spending an average of 1.8 hours daily listening to their favourite shows. Prime podcast listening times are in the afternoon and evening, with 30% tuning in between 3:00 PM — 7:00 PM on weekdays.

Following on from humour and comedy related podcasts, Brits are keen to listen to true crime (30%), sports (30%), chat/conversational (27%), and news (22%) themed podcasts. Conversely the least popular genres include arts (9%), fashion (10%), fiction (12%), business (13%), and technology (13%).

Sarah Robson, Global Head of Advertising Effectiveness from On Device says: “Brits love a good laugh, and it shows with comedy topping the podcast charts. In the UK, podcasts are booming with over half the population tuning in every month, which is much higher than other countries such as Australia (53%) and Singapore (55%). And nearly half of those people listen weekly.

“Another key finding across these markets is the time of day that people are listening to podcasts. In the UK, people are using podcasts to wind down at the end of the day and on their commute home, whilst Australians prefer to turn in before heir working day starts and Singaporeans much prefer to listen to podcasts on the weekend.

“The UK’s robust podcast engagement, particularly in the sports genre, provides a fertile ground for advertisers looking to tap into a highly engaged audience.”

Daily podcast listeners are 53% more likely to also be daily broadcast radio listener, demonstrating a strong cross-platform engagement. Mobile phones are the preferred device for 76% of listeners, with platforms like Spotify (46%) and BBC/BBC Sounds (22%) leading the way. While 56% use free ad-supported services, 25% opt for subscriptions. Key reasons for listening include entertainment (55%) and relaxation (48%).

Compared to Australia, where 53% listen monthly and spend 1.6 hours daily, the UK’s engagement is notably higher. Additionally, the UK’s preference for smart speakers (22%) surpasses both Australia (15%) and Singapore (11%). These findings are based on responses from 800 UK residents.

Andrew Goldsmith, CEO from Adelicious: “The detailed insights into the UK’s podcast consumption habits uncovered by On Device is not only empowering for us, but also the brands we partner with to develop podcasts that engage with audiences. We’ve known for some time that the podcast market is growing at a fairly quick pace so understanding the habits of UK podcast listeners, such as the genres they want to listen to as well as the time of day they choose to tune in, is a fundamental part of our development process.”

28% Of Singaporeans Prefer Educational Podcasts

~ jen

Global brand lift measurement company On Device reveals a new finding on Singapore’s podcast preferences. Showcasing a significant tilt towards educational content which captures the attention of 28% of monthly listeners, making it the most popular category.

The study shows that 55% of Singaporeans listen to podcasts monthly, with an average listening time of 1.8 hours daily. Podcast consumption in Singapore peaks during weekend nights, especially between 10:00 PM – Midnight (21%) .

True Crime (24%), humour/comedy (37%), chat/conversational (26%) and news (23%) are also popular podcast genres for Singaporeans. Conversely, the least popular podcast themes in Singapore include arts (8%), science (14%), politics (16%), fashion (11%), and fiction (12%).

Simon Clarke, Commercial Director of On Device APAC states: “Singapore’s podcast listeners show a distinct preference for educational content, which we found really interesting and is much higher than other parts of the world such as Australia (24%) and the UK (17%). This highlights how unique the market is for advertisers to engage a knowledge-seeking audience.

“Singaporans also use their weekend evenings to listen to podcasts. This is in stark contrast to Australians who much prefer to get up early and consume their favourite podcast between 6:00am and 9:00am while on their way to work and Brits who consume them most between 3pm  – 5pm.

Daily podcast listeners are 67% more likely to also be daily broadcast radio listeners, highlighting a strong cross-media connection, and mobile phones are the device of choice for 81% of listeners. 

Preferred platforms include YouTube (55%) and Spotify (51%).

While 66% of listeners prefer free ad-supported services, 38% tolerate ads for free content, though 30% feel that there is excessive ad clutter. Key reasons for listening include entertainment (58%) and commuting (34%).

Clarke expands: “What this research is telling us is that Singaporians look to podcasts to be entertaining but also as an educational tool. Like many other countries, the vast majority of users are opting for the free platforms to listen to podcasts, however, brands and podcast producers should keep in mind that users are feeling that the number of ads are increasing, and mindful of how they integrate them into their shows.”

In comparison to the UK, where 61% listen monthly and 22% use smart speakers, Singapore exhibits strong engagement via mobile devices and a preference for educational content over the UK’s sports preference. These insights come from 804 Singaporean respondents.

Kym Treasure, the CEO of Audacia Audio, highlights the importance of On Device’s detailed analysis of podcast consumption trends among Singaporeans for marketers and media agencies.

“ Understanding how Singaporean consumers are embracing podcasts is crucial for allocation into the medium. This study and data fills a significant gap in the market, prompting marketers to justify increased budget allocation to the podcast advertising. With the rapid expansion of the podcast industry, grasping the genre preferences and favoured listening times of Singaporean listeners is essential for media buyers to shape their audio strategies effectively.”

iHeart Australia’s #1 Podcast Publisher For 50th Time

~ jen

ARN’s iHeart has achieved a monumental milestone once again securing the top spot as Australia’s #1 podcast publisher, marking an incredible 50 consecutive #1’s according to the Australian Podcast Ranker for June 2024. This golden achievement reinforces iHeart’s excellence and audience engagement in Australian podcasting.

With an impressive 6.5 million listeners and an astounding 20.3  million downloads this month alone, iHeart’s podcasts are the nations go-to source for entertainment and information.

In the Top 10 of this record-breaking ranker are Audioboom’s Casefile, which was the number #1 True Crime Podcast (#2 overall), The Imperfects which was #8 overall (#1 Health & Wellness Podcast), The Kyle & Jackie O Show held its title as the #1 on-demand radio (#9 overall), Life Uncut with Brittany Hockey and Laura Byrne came in #10 overall (#1 relationship podcast).

The celebrations continue with Stuff You Should Know the #1 Knowledge (#13 overall), She’s On The Money hosted by Victoria Devine, which jumped 4 places to #33 (#1 finance podcast), No Such Thing As A Fish which ranked #40 and On Purpose With Jay Shetty which came in at #44.

Some notable debuts include Malevolent Mischief: True Stories of Horror at #59, Backstage with Cooper & Matty Johns at #61, and Find And Tell iHeart’s Original Co-producion with Blakcast debuting at #102.

These phenomenal results highlight the extraordinary diversity and ever-expanding offering within iHeart’s podcast slate as iHeart continues to set the gold standard to seek out and support content Australians want to engage with.

ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, Corey Layton, said: “Achieving the #1 Podcast Publisher status for the 50th consecutive ranker is a monumental feat an a testament to the dedication and innovation of our amazing partners and team. As I know all too well, it’s not the size that counts, but the level of engagement and passion Australians and brands continue to show for our incredible line-up.”

LiSTNR Is Australia’s No.1 Sales Network For 22nd Time

~ jen

LiSTNR is Australia’s no.1 sales representation podcast network nationally for the 22nd time, reaching more monthly listeners than its competitors in June as per the Australian Podcast Ranker, with Hamish & Andy remaining in first place as Australia’s favorite podcast.

One of Australia’s most prominent podcasters, Abbie Chatfield celebrated the largest monthly audience since launching It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield in 2019, with 315,587 monthly listeners.

Alongside Abbie Chatfield, LiSTNER’s sport focused podcasts led the charge with strong audience growth, including Triple M Footy AFL (up three places to 169,861 monthly listeners), The Rush Hour with JB & Billy (up six places to 129,970 monthly listeners) and Triple M Rocks Footy NRL, which was up seven places with 75,762 monthly listeners, with Ben and Harry making their debut on the All Australian Podcast Ranker.

For the money-minded audience, Motley Fool Money jumped eight places to 54,166 monthly listeners in June.

Popular podcasts in the top 20 included Hamish & Andy, which again claimed he number one comedy podcast, It’s A Lot With Abbie Chatfield, Crime Junkie, 7am with Schwartz Media and Happy Hour with Lucy & Nikki.

Overall, LiSTNR’s sales representation network had 63 podcasts in the Top 200 Australian Podcast Ranker in June, and 38 titles in the All Australian Top 200.

LiSTNR’s owned and operated titles that grew their monthly listeners year-on-year included Darling, Shine!, KICPOD, and CommSec Market Update.

“As LiSTNER continues to be the leading sales representation network, it’s great to see the LiSTNR sales team increasing its podcast revenue across June to finish +25% year-on-year,” Executive Head of LiSTNR Podcasts, Grant Tothill, said.

“For Hamish & Andy to continue as Australia’s favorite podcast, and for Abbie to achieve her best monthly audience, is a real credit not only to Hamish And Andy and Abbie, but also their respective teams.”

“Podcasting continues to be a dynamic industry and it’s important to develop new podcast talent. So, to see Ben and Harry McKay making it into the Top 200 All Australian Ranker is just reward for the team and for them,” concluded Tothill.