Month: July 2025

IAB Australia Appoints Sarah Kruger As Director Of Policy And Regulation

~ jen

IAB Australia has announced the appointment of Sarah Kruger as its Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs effective immediately. Sarah will work with IAB member organizations, other trade associations, policy makers and the global IAB network, with the primary goal of distilling and navigating the myriads of local and global regulatory frameworks that underpin the digital advertising ecosystem today and into the future.

Sarah joins IAB Australia from Seven West Media where she was head of Government and Regulatory Affairs. Previously, she was Chief Legal and Government Affairs Officer and Company Secretary at Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA). She has extensive experience in government affairs, policy, legal and regulatory affairs across the Australian media and technology sectors.

Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Sarah Kruger to the IAB Australia team. Sarah brings extensive experience from media organizations, industry associations and working with government — making her ideally placed to help navigate the complex and evolving regulatory environment. She will play a critical role in advancing our work on privacy reform, data governance, transparency and industry standards, supporting a sustainable and innovative future for digital advertising in Australia.”

Sarah said: “I am very exited to be joining IAB. I look forward to working closely with publishers, tech platforms and advertisers on the important policy and regulatory issues that the sector faces.”

Sarah holds a BA (Hons) and Master’s degree, both from the University of Cambridge.

About IAB Australia

IAB is an independent industry association with nearly 9,000 members globally spanning media owners, publishers, technology companies, agencies, and advertisers. It works to align industry stakeholders to develop solutions for the issues faces by the market and develop standards that are intrigue to the operation of digital advertising.

As one of 45 IAB offices globally, the role of the IAB is to support sustainable and diverse investment in digital advertising across all platforms in Australia as well as demonstrating to marketers and agencies in the many ways digital advertising can deliver on business objectives. www.iabaustralia.com.au

Sounds Profitable Wins A Prestigious 2025 Content Marketing Award

~ jen

The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) just announced Sounds Profitable won a 2025 Content Marketing Award for Best Data Storytelling. In addition, Sounds Profitable was one of five finalists for Best B2B Branded Content Campaign. The Content Marketing Awards, presented each year by CMI, is the largest and longest-running international content marketing awards program in the world for content creation, distribution, and innovation.

The Content Marketing Awards recognize the best content marketing projects, agencies, and marketers in the industry each year. This year’s panel of all-star judges reviewed hundreds of entries to determine the best of the best in content marketing excellence.

The 50+ categories recognize all aspects of content marketing, including the best in strategy, automation, research, social media, video, editorial, illustration, design and much more, across many different industries from healthcare to manufacturing, from B2B to B2C.

“On behalf of Sounds Profitable, our research partners at Signal Hill Insights, and our supporting sponsors, I am thrilled to be part of another award-winning research content team,” noted Sounds Profitable Partner Tom Webster. “Data without insight is trivia, and without story, it’s also soon forgotten. To be acknowledges for this is more than just an honor, it’s a career aspiration.”

This is the second major CMI award for Webster, director of the effort, who previously was part of the Edison Research team awarded Best Use of Original Research In Content Marketing in 2019.

“Once again, I’m amazed by the winners of this year’s Content Marketing Awards,” shares Stephanie Stahl, managing director, Content Marketing Institute. “The winning marketers and brands showcase true excellence in content and marketing. We’re honored to award and recognize them for their innovation and successful marketing work and everything they are doing to move this industry forward.”

As a winner, Sounds Profitable is now in consideration for Project of the Year. Finalists and winners for that category — along with Agencies of the Year and Content Marketers of the Year — will be announced in August and winners will be celebrated at Content Marketing World, September 15-17, in San Diego, California. 

Podcast Listening Grows As Video Redefines The Podcast Landscape

~ jen

Edison Research’s The Podcast Consumer 2025, released today, charts the continued rise of podcast listening in the U.S. and underscores the significant appeal of video podcasts.

Podcast consumption continues at a record high: 73% of those ages 12+ have ever consumed a podcast, 55% have consumed a podcast in the last month, and 40% have consumed a podcast in the last week, each measure being an all-time high. Since 2015, the total time spent with podcasts among those ages 13+ has grown by an astounding 355% to 773 million hours per week.

Video podcast consumption has redefined the landscape: Over half (51%) of the U.S. 12+ population has ever watched a video podcast; 37% have watched a video podcast in the last month, and 25% have watched a video podcast in the last week. Those who actively watch video podcasts are younger and more diverse than those who only listen to audio-only podcasts.

Edison Research Vice President Megan Lazovick presented findings from the study, which combines research from Edison’s The Infinite Dial, Share of Ear, Edison Podcast Metrics, and other original custom research.

According to Lazvoick, “It feels as if some people are just now waking up to the opportunities in video podcasting, but I can assure you that the audience has been awake, eyes wide open and watching for some time now. Over half the U.S. population has consumed a video podcast.”

Key findings from the study include:

Podcasts offer high engagement and trust from listeners: 88% of weekly podcast consumers agree that hearing ads is a fair price to pay for free content; 68% say they don’t mind hearing  ads on podcasts. 

Podcast consumers have a high-value consumer profile: Monthly podcast consumers are more likely to be college-educated and to have higher incomes than the overall market, and they have high incidences of business opportunities and home ownership.

Podcasts offer a diverse listener base: 51% of Black Americans ages 12+ and 58% of Latino Americans ages 12+ are monthly podcast consumers.

Other findings include:

31% of Americans age 18+ who have driven or ridden in a car in the last month ever listen to podcasts in their primary vehicle.

Those who use in-car infotainment systems are more likely to listen to podcasts in-car; 44% of those who are age 18+ who have driven or ridden in a car in the last month use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, listen to podcasts in-car.

Acast Enters Partnership With Magnite To Expand Programmatic Podcast Advertsing

~ jen

The collaboration brings Acast’s 1 billion podcast listens to a wider array of demand sources, making its premium podcast advertising inventory more efficiently and extensively accessible globally.

Acast announces a global partnership with Magnite, the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising platform. This strategic collaboration will make Acast’s extensive premium podcast inventory – encompassing more than 140,000 podcasts that generate more than 1 billion listens quarterly – available to advertisers via Magnate’s infrastructure.

This partnership enhances the global accessibility of podcast advertising inventory, and directly addresses the increased demand from media buyers for streamlines, unified access to audio advertising alongside digital video formats. By integrating Acast’s podcast inventory into Magnate’s platform, advertisers can now seamlessly plan and execute omnichannel campaigns across podcasts, Connected TV (CTV), and online video (OLV) from a single interface.

The collaboration leverages a multi-faceted programmatic approach, including Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) and Private Marketplace (PMP deals). This broader access is expected to drive enhanced campaign performance for brands, while simultaneously opening new demand sources and monetization opportunities for Acast’s vast network of creators.

“We’re seeing a significant shift as more advertisers strategically incorporate podcasts into their multichannel campaigns. Our partnership with Magnite is pivotal, enabling media buyers to seamlessly access our premium podcast inventory and precisely connect with highly engaged listeners, all the while driving powerful new monetization avenues for our creators” says Greg Glenday, CEO at Acast.

Mercury And The Student Radio Association Announce Podcast Partnership

~ jen

As announced on the Podnews Weekly Review, the Student Radio Association (SRA) has partnered with Mercury, in a groundbreaking deal which will see the new indie network distribute all podcast content from the SRA and its member stations.

The SRA is the voluntary body supporting student radio, representing 65 stations across the UK, and a long history of bringing through the next generation of radio stars. This new collaboration marks a clear move into podcasting.

The Mercury network will provide free hosting and distribution of all podcasts made by the SRA and any of its member stations. This is a non-exclusive deal, and the SRA will maintain full control over all content on its network.

By removing the financial barriers and providing a space where students can develop, launch, and distribute their own content, Mercury’s foundation Liam Heffernan believe this “will empower the next generation of great podcasters.”

As well as hosting and distribution, Mercury will support students with additional training and expertise, and use its growing resource to promote and monetise SRA shows. The expectation is not only to provide cost savings, but also to generate revenue for the student radio network.

For graduates who launched their shows on the SRA network, it is Mercury’s intention to provide ongoing support beyond University, as it continues to expand its offering for the global independent podcast community.

To hear more about this partnership and the Mercury podcast network, listen to Liam’s full interview with Sam Sethi on Podnews Weekly Review.

“This partnership with Mercury marks a huge moment for student radio. Podcasting is an exiting and rapidly growing space, and this collaboration gives our members the tools, support, and platform that they need to thrive in it.”

“By removing key barriers to entry, Mercury is helping us unlock even more opportunities for creativity, experimentation, and career development across our network. We’re excited to see where this takes our stations — and the future voices of the audio industry.” – Summer Wilde, SRA Chair.

“Students audio is the primary gateway into the audio industry, and podcast are now a huge part of the audio landscape. But student radio stations are run by volunteers with very little resource, and what they achieve under those circumstances is nothing short of spectacular.” 

“But podcasting still remains a side hustle for many stations, due to the limitations involved. By giving student radio this platform we remove the financial barriers, not only making it easier for stations to launch their podcasts, but to do it with full creative autonomy. I am certain that this partnership will empower there next generation of great podcasters, and I’m delighted to be supporting that.” —Liam Heffernan, Mercury Podcasts.

Triton Digital Partners With ekoz.ai To Bring AI-Generated Host-Read Podcast Ads To Spreaker

~ jen

As advertisers look for ways to scale the performance of host-read ads without overburdening creators, Triton Digital, the global technology and services leader in the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries, is introducing a new solution, powered by AI voice technology.

To power this new capability, Spreaker, part of Triton Digital and the iHeartMedia family of brands, has partnered with ekoz.ai to bring scalable, programatic host-read ad inventory makes using AI-powered voice cloning.

ekoz.ai uses its AI-driven solution to deliver host-read podcast ads across a wide range of shows, especially in the mid- and long-tail of the podcast market. The integration gives advertisers a new way to programmatically plan, buy, and deliver ads into one of the podcasting’s most effective formats at scale, while enabling creators to access premium campaigns without taking on additional work.

“We’re always looking for more partners who help us bring new opportunities to podcasters,” said Sharon Taylor, EVP, Podcast and Content Delivery, Triton Digital. “ekoz.ai does exactly that. By enabling scalable host-read ads that preserve the authenticity and control creators value, they’re helping us unlock a new revenue stream for podcasters and deliver more value to advertisers.”

Through the ekoz.ai platform podcast hosts opt in to clone their voice sample “eko,” making their voice and ad inventory available to advertisers. Scripts are generated by AI from advertiser talking points and personalized to each host.

The ads are then created in the host’s own voice, host-approved, and delivered to their show, preserving authenticity while reducing manual workload. The integration launched through private marketplace deals with select Spreaker podcasts and is already delivering millions of impressions to market.

“We’ve built the first AI solution that allows advertisers to get host read ads at scale, and lets podcast hosts expand their influence, without losing what makes them unique,” said Marty Avalone, CEO of ekoz.ai. “Hosts keep full control over how their voice is used and which ads run. They boost revenue and deliver a better listening experience, without taking on more work. After all, it’s still their voice, just working harder for them.”

Spreaker, part of the Triton Digital and iHeartMedia family, continues to focus on expanding monetization access for independent creators and publishers across its platform. This new partnership adds a programatic option for host-read ads, bringing AI-driven scale to one of podcasting’s most trusted formats.
To learn more about how Triton Digital and Spreaker are helping podcasters maximize revenue

Audioboom Acquires UK Podcast Leader Adelicious

~ jen

Audioboom Group Pic, the leading independent podcast company, has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Adelicious Ltd, the award-winning British podcast network.

The acquisition and combination of the businesses will create the UK’s largest homegrown podcast network with 40 million unique listeners and more than 125 million monthly downloads and video views. 

Adelicious, founded by Pascal Hughes and David McGuire in 2020, is home to more than 200 leading podcasts, including Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things, Shore History Of …, The Teen Commandments with Sara Cox and Clare Hamilton, and History Extra.

Audioboom’s British podcast roster includes: No Such Thing As A Fish, Dig It With Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley, the official Formula 1 podcast Beyond the Grid, and the Cycling Podcast. The combined scale of the network will provide brands with expanded advertising opportunities and increased marketing, technology and monetization support for British podcasters.

Stewart Last, CEO of Audioboom, commented: “I have long been an admirer of Adelicious as they developed into a best-of-class podcast network. Our platform will help supercharge their growth with access to our sophisticated technology and expanded monetization tools. We share the common goal of taking the best of British podcasting to the world and by joining forces that ambition will become a reality.”

Andrew Goldsmith, President of Adelicious, commented: “Audioboom is a well-respected audio business and we share the same philosophies, values, and vision for British podcasting. Adelicious has come an incredibly long way in five years and we are looking forward to working alongside Audioboom and bringing the best of British Podcasting to a worldwide audience.”

Pascal Hughes and David McGuire, Adelicious’ co-founders, said: “We could not be more excited for the Adelicious team and we have no doubt that Audioboom will elevate Adelicious to become an even greater service to our podcasters. The podcasting landscape has greatly evolved since we started in 2020, and this new partnership will ensure Adelicious continues to be the perfect home for the UK’s very best shows.”

Wolfson Partners LLC acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Adelicious.

MowPod Charts Get Major Update With Spotify Rankings, Podnews Partnership, and Social Sharing Tools

~ jen

MowPod is thrilled to announce a powerful new upgrade to MowPod Charts, the go-to destination for tracking the world’s top-preforming podcasts.

Spotify Chart Rankings Now Available: We’ve expanded our coverage to include Spotify chart positions — giving podcast creators and fans a fuller picture of where shows rank across platforms.

New Partnership with Podnews: We’ve teamed up with Podnews to surface daily editorial highlights directly on charts.mowpod.com. You can now subscribe to Podnews alerts when signing up for chart updates — bringing you timely news, fresh podcast drops, and notable movements.

Powering the Podnews Charts Section of Email: Our data engine now powers the Podnews section of their daily email, helping listeners and industry insiders discover not only the top podcasts but also interesting newcomers and biggest daily movers across categories.

Faster Performance & Smoother Browsing: We’ve dramatically improved site sped and caching so you can get the freshest chart updates in even less time.

Enhanced Social Sharing: Podcasters can now instantly share their chart positions with new, beautiful chart cards tailored for X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Show off your success with a few clicks.

More To Come

These updates are just the beginning. We’re actively building new features based on community feedback and are grateful for the love and support we’ve already received. Want a feature? Please let us know! User feedback and feature requests make up a lot of our updates.

ProTip: Did you know that you can save a bunch of favorite shows (the little heart icon) and then click Rotate All? All of your shows will rotate and show off the rankings!

Visit charts.mowpod.com to explore the new features — and stay tuned.

Maisie Adams To Host British Podcast Awards 2025

~ jen

The British Podcast Awards as confirmed that comedian and podcaster Maisie Adam will host this year’s ceremony.

The 2025 event will take place on Thursday 2nd October and Indigo at the O2 in London, and marks the most ambitious edition of the awards to date. After two consecutive sell-out years at HERE at Outernet, the move to a larger venue reflects the growing scale and influence of the UK podcasting industry. With a record number of entries and new categories including Video Innovation, Education, and Lifestyle, this year’s awards will spotlight the full breadth of podcasting talent from across the UK.

Joining the celebration is award-winning comedian Maisie Adam, who will host the 2025 ceremony. Maisie is one of the most in-demand comedians in the UK, with TV credits including Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, QI, and Have I Got News For You. She is also the co-host of Big Kick Energy, the popular football podcast she presents with Suzi Ruffell, which quickly built a dedicated following after launching in 2023.

Speaker about her role, Maisie Adams said:

“The British Podcast Awards are like the Oscars — if the Oscars were way funnier, had fewer dress codes, and no one slapped the host (hopefully!). It’s a brilliant celebration of the creativity, talent behind the storytelling, and community that makes British podcasting so addictive. I’m buzzing to be part of it! I hope to see you there.” 

Public voting is now open for the Listener’s Choice Award, the only category decided entirely by podcast listeners. In 2024, fan-favorite “Help, I Sexted My Boss” (Audio Always), hosted by Jordan North and William Hanson, won the coveted award, showcasing its enduring popularity among listeners.

Voting is free and open now for the 2025 Awards at britishpodcastawards.com/voting.

Bestselling Author Ryan Holiday Teams Exclusively With Backyard Ventures

~ jen

Backyard Ventures, a strategic partner for visionary creators building sustainable media brands across platforms, announced that the New York Times bestselling author Ryan Holiday has entered into an exclusive partnership with the company. 

This expanded relationship makes Backyard Ventures the official representative across all of Holiday’s properties, including his podcasts “The Daily Stoic” and “The Daily Dad” and associated daily newsletters and weekly video content.

The move reflects the continued growth and evolution of both parties. Holiday, renowned for reviving interest in Stoic philosophy through bestselling books such as “The Obstacle Is The Way,” “Ego is the Enemy”, and “Discipline is Destiny,” has built an expansive multimedia empire that reaches millions daily.

“Backyard Ventures have been in incredible partner to me, Daily Dad, and the Daily Stoic brand. Over the past few years, they’ve helped transform our newsletters and YouTube channel into a meaningful and sustainable part of the business. I’m excited to now have everything under one roof again – with a single, trusted partner helping us grow and create value across all our media properties,” said Holiday.

As part of this next chapter, Holiday is preparing to run the historic Marathon-to-Athens route in Greece on July 13th, a nod to the ancient endurance feat that gave rise to the modern marathon.

Athletic footwear brand HOKA sponsors this significant run, a prime example of how Backyard Ventures strategically curates exclusive brand partnerships for its creators, generating unique revenue opportunities and providing brands like HOKA with unparalleled access to influential figures and their loyal communities. More details about the activation will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Ryan’s platforms have become daily rituals for millions of people,” said Matt Cisneros, CEO and Founder of Backyard Ventures, “At Backyard, we don’t just facilitate brand deals, we embed brands into our clients’ ecosystems, ensuring partnerships feel organic, meaningful, and aligned with their audience’s values.”

Ryan Holiday is represented by William Morris Endeavor (WME), who spearheaded the negotiations with Backyard Ventures.