NOVA Entertainment Appoints Kim Keaton As Head Of Podcast Partnerships

~ jen

NOVA Entertainment has strengthened its digital leadership line-up by announcing the appointment of Kim Kerton to the newly created role of Head of Podcast Partnerships.

The role has been introduced with NOVA’s branded entertainment division CREATE, responsible for podcast-led content partnerships and show integration.

Kerton rejoins the business having spent the last five years as a senior strategic consultant for brands including Queensland Tourism, Colonial First Slate, Tourism Tasmania and AGL, defining their podcast content, audience and monetization strategies. She is an established podcast creator, producer and host.

Prior to that she was the Head of CREATE Sydney at NOVA, spearheading brand integration solutions for some of the country’s biggest audio advertisers, with over 15 years of sales leadership experience.

Kate Murphy, NOVA’s Director of Commercial Strategy, described Kerton as uniquely qualified for the role.

“When it comes to brand interaction, radio sets the standard for depth of creativity and connection, within audio and beyond. NOVA has been a market leader on that front and Kim’s appointment speaks to our intention to cover customers that same gold standard of access, influence and impact across our podcast content.”

“Kim is a unique talent, an expert in both content and commercial podcasting, alongside significant experience in commercial brand integration. She knows intimately how to maximize the potential that our content, talent and audience represent for advertisers.”

Kerton said of her new role: “It feels like the best of both worlds for me — being back at NOVA and getting to do what I love. As a podcaster, I understand the balancing act between creating conversations that connect with an audience and then building a meaningful role for brands within that.”

“I know there’s greater potential in podcast advertising. And I know I’m in the right business to unlock that.”

Kerton’s appointment coincides with the recent announcement of several key new titles joining the NOVA Podcast network, including Schwartz Media’s 7am, and JOHNS MEDIA’s Backstage with Cooper & Matty Johns and the Johns Family Podcast.

These signings and Kerton’s appointment, further signal commercial confidence in NOVA’s digital transformation, following the appointment of Michelle Golding (Digital Strategy Director) and Rebecca Jeffrey (Business Director, Digital) to the commercial leadership team in 2024, joining from the BBC and Seven Network respectively.

Evergreen Podcasts And Rhapsody Announce New IP Acquistions

~ jen

American Criminal, the most recent launch from Airship, amassed over one million downloads within the first few months of launching their partnership with Rhapsody Voices (Rhapsody) in 2024. Now, CEO of Airship and Executive Producer of American Criminal, Lindsay Graham has announced an expanded partnership with Rhapsody and Evergreen Podcasts (Evergreen), inclusive of shared IP of the hit podcast.

The Partnership between Airship and Rhapsody was announced in 2024, with this most recent news signaling great success from the relationship. Late last year, Evergreen announced its acquisition of Rhapsody and their respective sale of shows. The American Criminal expanded partnership, including owned IP, is their first major announcement after the acquisition.

Highly decorated producers in the space, Lindsay Graham and the team at Airship have reached hundreds of million of listeners through the podcasts American Scandal, American History Tellers, History Daily, American Election: Wicked Game and more. 

The new venture, however, saw Graham jump into the world of true crime. American Criminal is a weekly true crime podcast that dives deep into the country’s most infamous felons, historical and modern, from mob bosses to Crypto kings.

Hosted by Jeremy Schwartz (the voice of Edwin Stanton in Airship’s critically acclaimed series 1865, each episode of American Criminal is as thoroughly researched as it is gripping.

After just one year, the podcast has reached over 2,000,000 downloads and continues to find new audiences. The teams tease expanded content ideas and opportunities with this new, co-owned IP.

“We are thrilled audiences are embracing the experience of premium true crime with a historical slant that is also highly entertaining and informative. This has resulted in a growing and engaged audience that continues to support the show’s ever-increasing list of sponsors,” said Mike Jensen, CEO of Rhapsody Voices.

CEO of Airship, Lindsay Graham, commented, “We always believed true crime needed’t be just grisly details. Some cases have changed the course of history. So American Criminal seeks to tell captivating, entertaining stories that both teach the past and inform our present. And now, with this expanded partnership, we’re confident we can reach even more listeners, whether they’re true crime fans, history buffs, or just fascinated by tales told well.”

Mercury Partners With SoundCast To Scale Up Ad Sales

~ jen

Mercury, the network representing independent podcasts from around the world, is partnering with audio ad-tech monetization platform SoundCast, as it looks to scale up its advertising and create more revenue for independent creators. SoundCast is a European company launched in France and looking to strengthen its footprint in the UK.

Mercury currently represents shows including the chart-topping Warhammer podcast The 40K Forecast, British comedy time-travel show PastMaster, and the Canadian Dad’s Bedtime Stories for Kids.

“One of the driving forces behind Mercury is being able to level the playing field in our industry, and democratize the resources usually reserved for the big players,” says Mercury founder Liam Heffernan. “This partnership unlocks major monetisiation opportunities for our shows, and finally brings these platforms to the creators who can benefit most from them.”

SoundCast provides solutions for publishers, networks and advertisers to deliver programmatic audio advertising.

“Our SSP will help Mercury utilize its ad inventory and fulfill programmatic demand,” says SoundCast. “This partnership also allows us to strengthen our presence in the UK, towards becoming the number one solution for publishers, media agencies and advertisers.”

Independent Podcasting Company Acast Reveals $44.9m Payout To Creators In Australia and New Zealand

~ jen

Acast, the world’s leading independent podcast company, has posted its first year of profitability in its financial results. The year-end report revealed net sales growth in 19% in 2024, a significant milestone in the company’s development.

Since launching locally in 2017, Acast has paid out $44.9m to podcast creators in Australia and New Zealand. Acast now boasts some of Australia’s most successful podcasting exports, driven by a series of major signings in 2024. The ANZ Creator Network saw an increase in homegrown talent achieving international success, with new additions including global podcasting phenomenon Casefile True Crime, and iconic comedy show Toni and Ryan. The platform now hosts more than 140,000 shows and 3,300 advertisers globally — a number that grew 24% in 2024.

Acast is committed to empowering all podcasters, irrespective of their size or location, to monetize their shows. Fuelled by the increasing demand for podcast advertising and a commitment to increasing value for creators, Acast are expanding their capacity to deliver integrated campaigns across audio, video, social media, and more. The company solidified its leading position by continuing to attract prominent creators across Australia and New Zealand in 2024.

In February 2025, Acast began its new partnership with Casefile, one of the world’s leading true crime podcasts and Australia’s most successful podcasting export. Casefile has grown into a multi-award winning global phenomenon since launching in 2016, when it became a mainstay in the Australian, UK and US charts within its first year. With over 800 million listens to date, Casefile adds 80 billion annual listens to Acast and consistently ranks among the top podcasts globally.

In August 2024, Acast announced a new multichannel partnership with Australia podcast duo Toni Lodge and Ryan Jon, whose daily podcast consistently delivers 3 million monthly listens alongside a combined social media reach of 4.2 million followers. The show boasts a mammoth audience across both audio and video, locally and internationally, with highly engaged “TARPers” (Toni and Ryan Podcasters) in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond.

Henrik Isaksson, Regional Managing Director of Acast AU/NZ said: “Podcast advertising is growing and is now firmly cemented as a go-to choice for many Australian brands. Being able to share revenue numbers like these — in what has been a pretty tough couple of years in the Australian advertising market — proves that you can launch a podcast independently and thrive whilst doing so. What is even more exciting is the return on investment that advertisers and brands are seeing when utilizing the medium correctly. One of the main drivers of growth has been our ability to move with market demand and expand our omnichannel capabilities by delivering campaigns that span audio, video, social and more.”

 Acast has also continued its focus on expanding its Creator Network in New Zealand, with recent additions including the #1 long-form interview podcast, Between Two Beers, and Frances Cook’s newly launched financial show Making Cents with Frances Cook. Hosted by Steve Holloway and Seamus Martin, Between Two Beers boats more than four million total downloads and features in-depth conversations with New Zealand’s biggest stars across the fields of sport, business and entertainment.

Ashley Flowers’ Audiochuck Receives $40 Million Investment From TCG

~ jen

Audiochuck, the true crime and mystery media company founded by Ashley Flowers and home to the #2 overall podcast of 2024, announced today a $40 million minority investment from TCG (The Chernin Group). Audiochuck will leverage its first-ever outside capital to scale the company and fuel its next phase of growth.

Founded in 2017 by Ashley Flowers in Indianapolis, Audiochuck has established itself as a powerhouse in true crime and mystery storytelling and one of the largest podcasts networks in the industry. Crime Junkie, Audiochuck’s flagship podcast hosted by Flowers, launched the company into prominence and remains a dominant force, ranking as Apple Podcasts’ #1true crime podcast and #2 overall podcast of 2024 as well as Edison Research’s #2 podcast.

Audiochuck signed a 3-year (2022-2024) deal with SiriusXM, which SiriusXM renewed in 2024 for a fourth year (2025). Named Adweek’s Podcast Network of the Year in 2023, Audiochuck has steadily expanded its podcast portfolio to over 20 weekly and seasonal shows — including The Deck, Counter Clock, Park Predators, and Dark Downeast — making it SiriusXS’s largest network across all genres.

“From launching Crime Junkie to growing our amazing network of shows the incredible passion of our fans for gripping stories that make a difference has been at the heart of everything we do at Audiochuck,” said Ashley Flowers. “With this investment from TCG, we’re excited to amplify our storytelling, grow our team, and bring even more innovative projects to life during an exciting new phase of growth. All of this will allow us to have an even bigger impact on cases and social issues we champion. The future of both Audiochuck and podcasting more broadly is brighter than ever, and I can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together.”

“Ashley and the remarkable Audiochuck team have built a world-class company and brand at the forefront of the future of media,” said Jesse Jacobs, Founding Partner at TCG. “The next great media businesses are being built with personalities at the core and being built with personalities at the core and by distributing content across podcasts, social, digital video and live events. Ashley and Audiochuck check all the boxes of what a successful media company will look like moving forward. And, we love that they do it all from Indianapolis. Audiochuck has the full support of TCG and we are honored to be their first and only outside investor.”

The TCG investment comes amid an optimistic outlook for the podcasting industry. The Interactive Advertising Bureau predicts a return to a double-digit revenue growth, projecting an increase of 12% for 2024, with expectations to reach nearly $2.6 billion by 2026. The number of true crime weekly listeners has reached 19 million, surpassing sports and news as the third largest category in podcasts.

With an audience median age of 34 (significantly lower than that of cable newspapers, and audio talk radio), podcasters are earning a more diverse and increasingly female set of listeners who are spending more time with podcasts. While 84% of the U.S. population 13+ consume some form of true crime content, women are almost twice as likely as men to regularly listen to true crime podcasts. The medium is also seeing a rise in momentum on the heels of its significant impact on the recent U.S. election cycle.

TCG is a multi-stage investment firm that invests in companies that define culture. TCG has a track record of successful investments in creator-driven media brands and emerging media platforms, including Barstool Sports (its first and only investor), Hello Sunshine (its first investor), Crunchyroll, Twitter, Night Media, Classic Football Shorts, Exploding Kittens, Epic Gardening, Vuori, and Oura Ring.

 

Podimo Surpasses 1 Million Paying Subscribers In Its First Five Years

~ jen

Podimo has reached 1 million paying subscribers globally. This milestone reflects the company’s dedication to supporting local podcast creators, helping them find new listeners and offering the best monitezation opportunity in our markets, while in turn providing listeners with access and connection to the most important local stories and voices of the day.

Founded in Denmark in 2019, Podimo has since expanded to six markets in Europe and across Latin America, and continues to show substantial growth across all the markets in which it operates. This early milestone has been achieved through Podimo’s deep understanding of local markets along with the contributions of its strategic acquisitions including Dag en Nacht Media, Tonny Media, and PodAds. Podimo has already become profitable in three of its markets, and expects to grow dramatically by the end of 2025.

One of the key drivers behind Podimo’s success has been its ability to curate and deliver content tailored to the unique tastes and preferences of each region’s listeners. 

“Reaching 1 million paying subscribers is a massive achievement from our humble beginnings in Denmark, and a testament to our model and strategy of investing in local content and building strong relationships with local creators. By brining this approach to many markets, we have cemented ourselves as a global player,” said Morten Strunge, CEO and Founder of Podimo. “Many thought podcast subscription was a niche thing. It’s not. 1 million is just the tip of the iceberg, and it proves that the ceiling for this business is incredibly high when we can effectively showcase the right content to the right audience,” Strunge added.

Beyond the Nordics, Podimo is seeing significant momentum in regions like the Netherlands, which launched only 2.5 years ago and is already profitable. “Our growth goes will beyond the Nordics. The majority of our subscribers come from other markets, where we’re generating 10-15x more revenue per listener than advertising and putting that directly back into creators’ pockets. This is about more than just business — its about sharing great content with people and making sure creators get the support they deserve” said Strunge.

Over the past two years, Podimo has been investing heavily in its product, with significant upgrades to the user interface, resulting in a 45% increase in overall listening on the platform in 2024. Subscribers enjoy 20 hours of content a month, across 3-4 exclusive shows per week. This has been driven by improvements in our personalized recommendations and interactive community features including comments, in-show emojis, polls and fan profiles.

As Podimo continues its upward trajectory, the company remains focused on innovation and content quality. Podimo’s future includes further investment in local talent along with in-depth narrative formats, deeper integration of product features, and expansion into new markets. “Our mission is to become the go-to destination for spoken audio entertainment and preferred partner for creators, and we’re confident that we’ll continue to reach new heights as we evolve.”

AIR Releases The 2025 Rate Guide – A Vital Benchmark For Fair Pay In the US Audio Industry

~ jen

The Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) is proud to introduce the 2025 Rate Guide, a long-awaited essential resource designed to empower independent audio professionals with the latest, data-driven insights into fair pay. This comprehensive guide responds to a dramatically transformed media landscape, offering freelancers the tools to advocate for their worth, negotiate confidently, and build sustainable careers.

“Independent audio professionals have navigated rate negotiations with little transparency for years. This guide is more than a reference, it’s a tool for empowerment,” said Keisha Salmon, Executive Director of AIR. “Freelancers are the backbone of the audio industry, and they deserve clear, data-backed benchmarks to help them secure air pay and sustainable careers.”

The 2025 Rate Guide provides updated benchmarks for producers, sound designers, story editors, fact-checkers, and researchers in the audio industry. It also includes a newly expanded role and responsibilities reference tool, helping freelancers and hiring organizations better define experience levels and roles. The guide is based on a comprehensive research process conducted throughout 2024, including an industry-wide survey and in-depth interviews with freelancers and employers.

Why This Guide Matters Now More Than Ever

Since the last Rate Guide in 2021, the audio industry has undergone rapid shifts, including the explosion of podcasting, new funding models, and increasing demand for high-quality production. Yet, freelancers, the backbone of the industry, have often been left without clear standards for fair compensation. The 2025 Rate Guide fills this gap by providing:

Fresh data on industry pay featuring the latest freelance rates for producers, show runners, sound designers, fact-checkers, and researchers.

A reimagined reference tool for roles helping freelancers and hiring organizations align on experience levels and roles.

A reality check on rates based on survey data and interviews with freelancers and industry employers reveals what professionals are paid.

“The Rate Guide is a vital resource for freelancers trying to establish their rate and for organizations creating budgets. It is also AIR’s most visited resource,” said Erin McGregor, Program Manager at AIR, who leads the rate guide research. “The Rate Guide is intended to help freelancers understand how to think about and understand their rates.”

Breaking Down the Research

The 2025 Rate Guide was developed by AIR’s Rate Guide Committee, led by McGregor and AIR Board members Mia Lobel, Will Coley, and Rob Byers. The guide categorizes freelance rates into four key areas:

Producer Rates

Story Editing & Research Rates

Fact-Checking & Research Rates

Mixing, Engineering, Sound Design & Music Composition Rates.

The research behind the 2025 Rate Guide was extensive. In 2024, AIR conducted a two-phase process:

An industry-wide survey collecting direct rate data from freelancers across roles.

Deep-dive interview speaking with over 50 freelancers and hiring organizations to understand rate-setting practices and pay expectations.

More Than A Guide: A Movement For Fair Pay

 AIR is reinforcing the release of the 2025 Rate Guide with a series of hands-on-events, equipping freelancers with the tools they need to advocate for better pay:

Panel: Guide to Fair Pay In Audio: What Freelancers Need to Know (March 6th)

Panel: Setting Project-Based Rates (March 27th)

Workshop: How to Track Your Rates (April 17th)

Realm Expands Partnerships With Adelicious To Become Exclusive US Sales Partner

~ jen

Realm, an audio-first digital media company with a global podcast network, announced the expansion of its partnership with Adelicious, the UK’s premier independent podcast network. Through this expanded agreement, Realm is now the exclusive US sales partner for Adelicious’ entire podcast slate.

This partnership builds upon the success of Realm’s initial collaboration with Adelicious, which began in 2023 and focused on a selection of Adelicious shows. With this expanded agreement, Realm will leverage its deep expertise in the U.S. podcast ad market to drive high-impact opportunities for Adelicious’s entire podcast portfolio. Building on a successful year — including strong ad sales across shows such as Short History Of .. and Intelligence Squared-Realm will now also represent newly-announced Adelicious partner Immediate’s podcasts for US ad sales.

“Realm’s commitment to delivering exceptional results for our partners is unwavering,” said Sarah Bentley, Realm’s Head of Network. “Deepening our partnership with Adelicious marks another significant milestone in what’s already been an exciting start to the year for Realm. We’re thrilled to bring their entire lineup of premium podcasts to the U.S. market, adding to our already robust slate. With shows that inform, entertain, and spark curiosity across multiple categories — paired with Realm’s proven sales expertise — this partnership offers brands a powerful way to connect with engaged listeners.”

Craig Eastwood, Commercial Operations Director at Adelicious, said: “Realm has been a brilliant, trusted partner for Adelicious over the last year, helping us to grow both our business, and more importantly, our shows in the U.S. market — creating greater opportunities for our creators. Their deep understanding of the industry, combined with a track record of delivering exceptional results for our shows, made this an obvious next step in our partnership.

This past year has been one of remarkable growth for Realm, driven by strategic partnerships, key acquisitions, and an expanding network of premium content. With a focus on curating voices that resonate with today’s listeners, Realm has welcomed acclaimed shows like Unspooled with Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson, Something You Should Know with Mike Carruthers, Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode from Legendary Entertainment, and IGN’s slate of gaming podcast. Backed by millions of engaged monthly listeners across its ever-growing network, Realm remains focused on forging high-impact partnerships that push the podcast industry forward.

ARN’s iHeart Celebrates 5th Birthday With Major Partnership Extensions

~ jen

February 2025 marks a major milestone for ARN’s iHeart as it celebrated five years of shaping Australia’s podcasting landscape — while securing yet another #1 ranking in the latest Podcast Ranker.

Released today, the January Podcast Ranker reaffirms iHeart’s leadership as Australia’s #1 Podcast Publisher, a title that has held for an extraordinary 57 consecutive ranker. Last month alone, iHeart recorded over 6.5 million listeners and 22.7 million downloads.

Further strengthening its position as the home of premium audio, iHeart has extended key partnership with Audioboom and Sony, reinforcing its commitment to delivering world-class content. These renewed agreements build on recent collaborations with BBC Studios late last year and Exactly Right Media, the creators of My Favorite Murder, last month.

Longstanding partnerships with Clubby Sports, Channel 7, and The New York Times further cement iHeart’s reputation as Australia’s leading destination for must-listen podcasts.

Corey Layton, ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, said: “Celebrating our fifth anniversary as Australia’s #1 podcast publisher is a huge achievement and highlight iHeart’s dedication to delivering outstanding audio content. Our continued dominance in the Podcast Ranker reflects the strength of our partnerships and the incredible engagement of our listeners.

With the renewal of key agreements with Audioboom and Sony, alongside exciting collaborations with BBC Studios and shows like Life Uncut, The Daily Aus and She’s On The Money, we’re continuing to grow our offering and set the benchmark for podcasting in Australia.”

Overall, iHeart represents 45 of Top 200 podcasts, with highlighting including:

Casefile: True Crime at #5 overall (#1 True Crime)

Life Uncut at #9 (#1 Relationship Podcast)

Stuff You Should Know up 5 places to #17 (#1 Knowledge)

The Daily Aus climbing 9 spots to #19

The Kyle & Jackie O Show jumping 13 spots to #26 overall (#1 radio show) despite being off air for most of the month

She’s On The Money up 10 spots to #28

BBC’s Global News Podcast moving up 3 places to #30

On Purpose With Jay Shetty maintaining its spot at #34

No Such Thing As A Fish climbing 3 places to #40

TED Talks Daily at #60

UK Production Company Rusty Quill’s The Magnus Archives Surpasses 100 Million Downloads

~ jen

Rusty Quill is proud to announce that its flagship audio drama series The Magnus Archives, has surpassed 100 million downloads on Spotify, securing a major milestone in the world of podcasting. In recognition of this remarkable achievement, Rusty Quill has been awarded a prestigious accolade from Spotify, positioning The Magnus Archives as one of the leading podcasts on the platform.

This award places The Magnus Archives in an exclusive group of podcasts to have reached the 100 million download threshold. It is one of only a few British podcasts to ever achieve such a feat, underscoring the immense global appeal and quality of the show.

“This award from Spotify is not just a celebration of our work on The Magnus Archives, but a reflection of the incredible team at Rusty Quill. “Reaching 100 million downloads is a rare and humbling milestone for any podcast, let alone audio drama, and we’re honoured to be in such company. It’s a testament to the hard work of everyone involved, and to the loyal fans who continue to support us.”

The award comes at an interesting time for The Magnus Archive IP, as the second season of The Magnus Archives’ sequel, The Magnus Protocol, releases on Thursday 27th February on all major podcast platforms.

Also this week, the Rusty Quill team has built on the success of their record-breaking The Magnus Archives roleplaying game with Monte Cook Games with the second installment, ‘Tangled in The Web,’ which began funding on Monday 10th February and has exceeded its target by more than five times, reaching over $550,000 at time of writing.

The Magnus Archives, a spine-chilling horror series that follows the eerie investigations of the Magnus Institute, has captivated listeners since its launch in 2016. With it’s unique blend of horror, mystery, and intricate storytelling, the series has built a dedicated global fanbase and garnered critical acclaim, making it a standout in the podcasting world.

Rusty Quill looks forward to continuing to deliver innovative audio drama experiences to its growing fanbase, and is excited for the future of The Magnus Archives and its other creative projects.