LibSyn

Libsyn Adds Seasoned Podcast And Digital Sales Leader Meredith Krantz

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers, announced the appointment of Meredith Krantz as Director of Brand Partnerships, based in New York. She will be responsible for driving brand partnerships and sales of direct, programmatic, and integrated podcast-first campaigns for Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast, the industry’s premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters. Krantz joins Libsyn from Cumulus Podcast Network, owned and operated by Cumulus Media, where she served as Vice President of Digital Partnerships.

“With a diverse growing listenership, podcast advertising remains a bright spot – especially as more advertisers look to take advantage of the new programmatic capabilities,” said Chris Bowlby, Head of Brand Partnerships at Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. “Meredith brings an impressive audio and digital media background and a passion for podcasts, and we’re thrilled to have her join our team to build and strengthen relationships with East Coast brands and agencies as we scale our next phase of advertising growth.”

With a track record in partnership building, consultative sales, and new business development, Krantz brings a decade of podcast industry and more than 15 years of multi-platform expertise spanning branded content, live events, and digital audio. At Cumulus Podcast Network, she led the go-to-market strategy for the creation of sales of podcast-first branded solutions for the podcast network. Previously, Krantz served as Senior Director of Partnerships at The Atlantic focused on driving sales of branded content programs, display and programmatic advertising campaigns for the publisher.

Before that she held senior sales positions at Slate and digital ad networks, TargetSpot and Undertone. At these organizations, she successfully introduced and educated advertisers on best practices for working with emerging digital channels and her work resulted in impactful programs for clients, including Volvo, HSBC, Remy Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, IHG, BMW, and Shell, among others.

Krantz holds a Bachelor of Science in Literature and Dance from Sarah Lawerence College.

Libsyn Provides 2022 Financial Update

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn” or the “Company”), the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers, provided a financial and operational update for 2022.

Founded in 2004, Libsyn was the first podcast-hosting platform and one of the first companies to help podcasters monetize their content. Over the past few years, podcast monetization has experienced rapid growth, and Libsyn is strategically positioned to benefit from the increased podcasting demand among both consumers and brand advertisers. Libsyn continues to experience significant growth from its focus on podcast monetization through advertising sales.

In 2020, Libsyn earned revenue of $25.8 million, nearly all of which was derived from the Company’s hosting business. In 2021, the Company amplified its focus on helping podcasters monetize their content, and the Company increased revenue by 63% to $42.1 million, which included approximately 37% from advertising sales. In 2022, Libsyn continued its growth resulting in a 39.4% increase in preliminary unaudited revenue to $58.7 million, including over 57% from advertising.

Other operational highlights for 2022 include:

  • Launched new proprietary programmatic advertising capabilities with its Automatic Ads solution for podcasts hosted on Libsyn – achieving significant scale with an early limited release, on track to deliver 75 million monthly impressions.
  • Signed several large exclusive podcast shows to the network, including Lore, the award-winning, critically acclaimed podcast about true-life scary stories that has been downloaded over 400 million times.
  • Renewed several of its exclusive sales relationships, including The NewsWorthy, Moms and Mysteries, and The Michael Savage Show.
  • Completed its acquisition of Julep Media, Germany’s leading podcast advertising Company, and launched operations in Spain and Canada.
  • Completed an integration with Apple Podcasts that allows Libsyn’s creators to publish Apple Podcast Subscription content directly from the Libsyn hosting platform.
  • Completed its YouTube data integration partnership to feed real-time, IAB-compliant data into its hosting platform and advertising marketplace.

“The advertising market has been challenging for many companies, and we have not been immune to those macro trends. Still, we remain optimistic that both host-read and programmatic podcast advertising will continue to grow as podcast consumption shows no sign of slowing down,” said Libsyn’s CEO Bradley Tirpak. “According to the Infinite Dial 2022 from Edison Research, in 2022, 62% of those aged 12+ in the U.S. (an estimated 177 million people) have now listened to a podcast, up from 57% last year. We are extremely well-positioned to take advantage of this continued growth in podcast listeners through both our enhanced hosting services and our increasing ad sales capabilities.”

Other financial highlights include:

Recently entered into a new loan agreement with First Commonwealth Bank replacing its old agreement. Upon the closing on February 1, 2023, Libsyn has a term loan payable of $10 million cash and equivalents of $8.7 million, and the ability to draw up to an additional $2 million from a revolving line of credit.

  • Completed its financial audits for 2019 (restarted), 2020, and 2021.
  • Reported positive adjusted EBITDA in every quarter during 2022.
  • Total shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022, were 30.9 million.

As previously announced in April 2022, the Company consented to the revocation of the registration of the Company’s shares of common stock by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Therefore, the shares are no longer traded on the OTC Markets or a national securities exchange. However, shareholders at that time remain shareholders today, and the ownership interests of shareholders remain intact. The Company is actively evaluating alternatives to facilitate liquidity to shareholders in 2023.

Libsyn’s estimated, unaudited financial results and certain business metrics as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, presented above are preliminary and are subject to Libsyn’s quarter-end and year-end closing procedures and further financial review. Libsyn’s independent registered public accounting firm has not audited, reviewed, compiled, or performed any procedures with respect to this preliminary financial information. Libsyn’s actual results may differ from these estimates as a result of the completion of our quarter-end and year-end closing procedures, review adjustments, and other developments that may arise between now and the time our financial results for the fourth quarter and year are finalized.

Libsyn Unveils February 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates

~ jen

Libsyn Syndication Inc, (“Libsyn”), the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers, announced its February 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates, including the highest and most accessible CPM categories.

“Programmatic accounts for just 2% of total podcast ad revenues. While this is still nascent, in the last six months, AdvertiseCast is experiencing growing adoption of our Libsyn Auto Ads solution as more brands and agencies seek to buy podcast advertising programmatically like they purchase other digital ads,” said Dave Hanley, Chief Revenue Officer at Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. “What sets our open market apart is our ability to bring together content, audience, technology, and transparency to deliver meaningful results for advertisers.”

The AdvertiseCast February 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates

The following rates, which are denoted as cost per thousand or CPM, are published monthly by Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast, the industry’s premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters. 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 AdvertiseCast’s network of over 2,900 shows, including more than 225 exclusive podcasts.

For February 2023, the average CPM rate was $22.04 for a 60-second ad spot. That figure is down approximately 1% compared to last month (January 2023 avg, CPM rate: $22.28) and has decreased year-over-year (February 2022 avg. CPM rate: $23.25).

“Although the podcast ad market remains resilient, we are seeing a couple factors pushing rates down for us,” said Hanley. “Given the market uncertainty, we are working aggressively with our agency and brand partners to offer them great value. In addition, our network has gone up market representing several larger podcasts, this carries natural rate compression, and those large audiences carry more weight in our calculations.”

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

Technology: $27

Education: $25

Kids & Family: $25

Moreover, three categories where advertisers can effectively tap into highly engaged audiences at more accessible CPM rates include Music, Leisure, and Fiction, which averaged around the low twenties in February.

Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast combines an industry-leading as buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that makes it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns, while providing maximum return for creators. Historical monthly CPM rates can be found on AdvertiseCast’s website at: www.advertisecast.com/podcast-advertising-rates.

Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast Signs Exclusive Ad Partnership With The Viall Files

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers, today announced an exclusive, multi-year advertising deal between AdvertiseCast, the industry’s premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters and The Vial Files, an award-winning pop culture podcast hosted by Nick Viall – a TV personality, best-selling author, and former star of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor.’

The Viall Files will leverage AdvertiseCast’s full-service advertising platform, including Libsyn’s Automatic Ads solution to augment their host-read program with programmatic ad revenue and Libsyn Subscriptions to build listener membership for its subscription-based, ad-free content.

Launched in 2019, The Viall Files is a weekly multi-episode podcast that discusses relationships, pop culture, and provides real and unfiltered dating advice. It has amassed over 100 million downloads with an average of 5 million listens per month. The series was nominated for a People’s Choice Award in 2020 and voted one of the Top 10 Podcasts of 2019 by AP.

On Mondays, listeners call in to “Ask Nick” for advice on all aspects of their lives. On Tuesdays, during ‘The Bachelor/The Bachelorette’ seasons, Nick ands team recap each episode. And on Wednesdays, he has one-on one, in-depth conversations with a special celebrity, pop culture, or expert guest, in which the past have included Nikki Glaser, Justin Long, Jim Jeffries, Josh Peck, Meghan Trainer, Steve-O, January Jones, Taylor Lautner, Maria Menounos, Kelly Osbourne, Brian Baumgartner, and Chrishell Stause. They sometimes challenge the way he looks at the world – and no topic is off limits as Nick gets intimate taking inspiration, friendship, family, dating, and sex with his guests and audience.

“Nick has built an incredible team of podcast professionals who understand their listeners and embrace the underlying principles of both audience and revenue growth. Our sales team is ecstatic to represent The Viall Files and are already actively introducing new brand and agency partners to the show,” said Rick Selah, Senior Vice President, Content Partnerships, Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast.

“I’m elated to bring The Viall Files over to the razor-sharp team at Libsyn. We have some amazing things planned to continue growing The Viall Files into an undeniable media brand, and Libsyn has built an incredible home to expand and flourish under,” said Nick Viall, Creator, Producer, and Host, The Viall Files.

Libsyn’s AdvertiserCast empowers brands to effectively target and reach a fast growing and coveted podcast audience and helps creators to monetize their audio and video content. The marketplace combines an industry-leading ad buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that makes it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns, while providing maximum return for creators.

Libsyn’s Julep Expands Into Spain

~ jen

Julep Media GmbH (“Julep”), Germany’s largest independent platform for podcast advertising – a Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”) company, announced its expansion into Spain with a localized version of its podcast platform and the appointment of two audio and sales experts to drive growth for the region. Based in Madrid, Madelón Lánchez (previously at LBK. Immersive Audio Productions, S.L.), will be responsible for Partner Management, and Javier Huertas, based in Barcelona (previously at TikTok and Httpool, where he was Spotify Partner Director), will serve as County Director, Spain.

Julep has been part of Libsyn, the leading U.S.-based all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers, since 2022. The acquisition bolstered Libsyn;s presence in international markets, enabling the company to become the global destination for creators looking to monetize and brands looking for exposure to the fast-growing media market. In addition to its core market of Germany, Julep is already active in Austria and Switzerland. Spain marks Julip’s fourth European territory, with continued international expansion for the Libsyn subsidiary expected this year.

New Roles for CEO Steffen Hopf and Vice President, Sales Maik Lenze

Effective immediately, Steffen Hopf and Maik Lenze are taking on added roles as a result of the expansion. In addition to his role as CEO of Julip, Steffen Hopf has been appointed Head of International at Libsyn and will focus on further growth across Europe. Maik Lenze, Vice President of Sales at Julep since July 2020, is also County Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, taking on primary responsibility for Sales and Podcast Artist Management in the D (“Germany”) A (“Austria”) and CH (“Switzerland”) region.

Steffen Hopf, CEO, Julep and Head of International, Libsyn, stated: “By entering the Spanish market, we are continuing to scale our growth internationally with the active support of our parent company, Libsyn. I am pleased to welcome Madelón Lánchez and Javier Huertas, two proven sales and audio experts in Spain, to our world-class team. I am also delighted that the operational development of our business in the DACH region will be led by Maik Lenze. I wish everyone great success in their new roles.”

About Liberated Syndication

Founded in 2004, 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 content. In 2021, the Company hosted over 75,000 shows with 5.8 million podcast episodes and delivered over 6 billion downloads to listeners globally. Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast marketplace combines an industry-leading ad buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that make it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns on over 3,000 shows.

Based in Munich, Germany, Libsyn’s Julep Media platform is the leading podcasting hosting platform and advertiser marketplace in Europe. Libsyn also powers podcast membership platform, Glow, and web hosting platform, Pair Networks.

Libsyn Unveils January 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers, announced its January 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates, including the highest and most accessible CPM categories.

“We saw an slightly lower average CPM rate in January due to the typical seasonality which follows the holiday season,” said Dave Hanley, Chief Revenue Officer at Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. “Coming into 2023, we’ve signed several new exclusive podcast advertising partnerships, and many are leveraging our Libsyn Auto Ads offering to augment their host-read program with programmatic ad revenue. We expect to roll out even more features soon to enable creators and advertisers to drive more value from podcasting with improved measurement, insights, and transparency.”

The AdvertiseCast January 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates

The following rates, which are denoted as cost per thousand or CPM, are published monthly by Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast, the industry’s premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters. 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 AdvertiseCast’s network of over 3,000 shows, including more than 225 exclusive podcasts.

For January 2023, the average CPM rate was $22.28 for a 60-second ad spot. That figure is down approximately 5.5% compared to last month (December 2022 avg. CPM rate: $23.55) and has decreased year-over-year (January 2022 avg. CPM rate $25.40).

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

Games & Hobbies: $28

Technology: $26

True Crime: $26

Moreover, three categories where advertisers can effectively tap into highly engaged audiences at more accessible CPM rates include Art, News, Fiction, and TV, which averaged in the low twenties in January.

Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast combines an industry-leading ad buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that makes it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns, while providing maximum return for creators. Historical monthly CPM rates can be found on AdvertiseCast’s website at www.advertisecast.com/podcast-advertising-rates.

Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast Signs Exclusive Partnership With Lore Podcast

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), the leading ‘Podcast As A Service’ platform, announced an exclusive, multi-year advertising deal between Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast, the industry’s premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters, and Lore, an award-winning, critically-acclaimed podcast about true life scary stories that is hosted by one of the most successful podcast producers in the world, Aaron Mahnke. In addition to leveraging AdvertiseCast’s ad platform, Lore will also be leveraging Libsyn’s Auto Ads solution to augment their host-read program with programmatic ad revenue.

Launched in 2015, Lore is a bi-weekly podcast about dark historical tales. Each episode explores the mysterious creatures, tragic events, and unusual places that fill the pages of history. Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction. The extraordinarily successful podcast has racked up nearly half-a-billion downloads, been adapted for two seasons of television on Amazon Prime, and published as a three-book set from Penguin Random House.

Lore is also a multiple winner of the iTunes Annual Best list and has also been the recipient of the “Best History Podcast” designation by the Academy of Podcasters. The podcast’s following has remained steady and is currently not only Apple’s #1 History podcast, but also one of the top History podcasts in the world. As it explores the creatures, people, and places of our wildest nightmares, Lore has amassed more than 40,000 5-star reviews on Apple and has over 400 million listens.

“AdvertiseCast is proud to be the exclusive partner for Lore, and we are excited to work with Aaron who is such a renowned podcast creator. We look forward to bringing valuable opportunities for advertisers in reaching highly engaged audiences on one of the world’s most downloaded history shows,” said Dave Hanley, Chief Revenue Officer, Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. “We’re already seeing positive feedback from the podcast’s existing roster of advertisers, and we look forward to introducing both Mahnke and Lore to the many brands and agencies we work with.”

“Lore is an exceptional show that we’re especially proud to offer to our advertisers at AdvertiseCast,” added Rick Selah, Senior Vice President, Content Partnership, Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. “We are grateful that Oren Rosenbaum and his team at United Talent Agency initiated and helped forge this new partnership between Aaron and our company.”

“Podcast audiences are growing rapidly worldwide and Lore’s new partnership with Libsyn creates a clear opportunity for brands to align with our unique production and reach our growing community of listeners,” said Aaron Mahnke, Creator, Producer, and Host, Lore. “In fact, Libsyn was the hosting platform I used to publish my very first episode of Lore back in the Spring of 2015. So, I’m delighted to bring that story full circle by partnering with their remarkable AdvertiserCast team. Lore has always been an ideal show for advertisers – it is evergreen and timeless, incredibly successful, and revered by millions of listeners globally.”

Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast empowers brands to effectively target and reach a fast growing and coveted podcast audience and helps creators to monetize their audio and video content. The marketplace combines an industry-leading ad buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that makes it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns, whole providing maximum return for creators.

For more information or to advertise on the Lore podcast, please reach out to sales@advertisecast.com

Libsyn Announces Integration With Apple Podcast Subscriptions

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), the leading ‘Podcasting As A Service’ platform, announced that is is among the first podcast platforms to integrate with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. The integration empowers Libsyn creators to launch and grow podcast subscriptions by streamlining the publishing process to Apple Podcasts.

Apple Podcast Subscriptions is designed for creators who want to offer their audiences premium experiences through monthly or annual paid subscriptions. Subscriptions can offer listeners early access to new content, access to exclusive or archival content, ad-free listening, and more premium benefits. All Libsyn customers can now publish Apple Podcasts Subscriptions from Libsyn without any additional fees.

“We’ve built our business on supporting creators and making it easier for them to share their work across more platforms and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with Apple, the pioneering platform of the podcast industry, with the availability of Apple Podcast Subscriptions,” said Libsyn President and Chief Product Officer, John W. Gibbons. “We look forward to building on our partnership with Apple to simplify podcast distribution for Libsyn’s 75,000+ podcasters and make it seamless for them to grow their shows and subscriptions on Apple Podcasts.”

For more information on Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, visit Apple Podcasts for Creators at https://podcasters.apple.com/4770-news-delegated-delivery-2023. Additional resources to help creators get started and take advantage of the features available and distribution opportunities with Apple Podcasts can be found on Libsyn’s blog.

Libsyn Unveils December 2022 Podcast Advertising Rates

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), the leading ‘Podcasting As A Service’ platform, announces its December 2020 Podcast Advertising Rates, including the highest and most accessible CPM categories.

“2022 was a breakout year in podcasting. Podcasts have become mainstream with explosive growth among younger and more diverse audiences who are embracing niche genres and new ways of listening,” said Dave Hanley, Chief Revenue Officer at Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. “In parallel, advertisers are increasingly drawn to the value of the medium as a highly effective, brand safe, and brand suitable environment to market their product or service – which we expect to grow in 2023.”

The AdvertiseCast December 2022 Podcast Advertising Rates

The following rates, which are denoted as cost per thousand or CPM, are published monthly by Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast, the industry’s premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters. 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 AdvertiseCast’s network of over 3,000 shows, including more than 225 exclusive podcasts.

The average rate for 2022 was $23.87 for a 60-second ad spot – a 2% uptick over 2021 (2021 avg CMP rate: $23.30). For December 2022, the average CMP rate reached $23.58 for a 60-second ad spot. That figure is slightly lower compared to last month (November 2022 avg. CPM rate: $24.65) and is fairly flat year-over-year (December 2021 avg. CPM rate: $23.87).

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

  • Technology: $27
  • Education: $26
  • Business: $25

Moreover, AdvertiseCast combines an industry-leading ad buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that makes it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns, while providing maximum return for creators. Historical monthly CPM rates can be found on AdvertiseCast’s website at www.advertisecast.com/podcast-advertising-rates.

Libsyn Introduces Podcast Creation & Recording Features And New Interface

~ jen

Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”), the leading “Podcasting As A Service” platform, announced the rollout of enhancements to the Libsyn platform that delivers the most intuitive, user-friendly, and innovative experience for podcasters. Among the features are the integration of Studio into Libsyn, allowing creators to record their podcast inside the Libsyn toolset, as well as a brand-new navigation and user experience.

“We’ve built Libsyn to be a one-stop destination for the full spectrum of new to established podcasters to access everything they need to unleash their full creative potential,” said Yvette Meanse, Senior Product Manager, Libsyn. “We’re continually investing in cutting-edge tools to make it even easier for creators to record shows directly from Libsyn and we’re streamlining workflows for podcasters so they can quickly record, distribute, and monetize their content.’

Seamless Integration of Libsyn Studio

Studio, an all-in-one podcast planning, recording and distribution platforms now fully integrated within the Libsyn podcasting platform. Studio is designed to benefit both new podcasters and experienced creators who want a simple, reliable, and fast recording solution – and it will continue to serve as the fastest and easiest way to create and launch a podcast for Libsyn creators. Studio is now exclusively included with all Libsyn podcast hosting plans, and episodes published with Studio won’t count towards storage limits for consumer plans.

The Addition of Reusable Chapters & Editing

With sample recordings and content tips, Studio guides the podcaster through creating and recording the chapters that comprise a podcast, such as the opener, closer, teaser, and main chapter. Additionally, Studio has a Reusable Chapter tool to help speed up podcast creation. By allowing podcasters to record in chapter, they can create portions of their episode – like an intro, an outro, and a call-to-action – just once.

Those chapters are then automatically inserted into future episodes when a new recording is started to minimize recording and editing time, as well as provide structure and consistency to the episodes. Podcasters can always re-record the Reusable Chapter while editing an episode if they want to modify them. Reusable Chapters can easily be moved around to create a finalized high-quality episode.

New User Interface & Navigation

Libsyn has elevated the podcasting workflow experience for creators with a whole new look. The entire experience has been redesigned with a more modern aesthetic and the new structure makes accessing and analyzing insightful podcast performance data even better. In addition to the clearer user interface for managing podcasts, Libsyn now has a more intuitive layout and navigation has been moved to the top for easier access and clarity.

For the month of December, you can try Libsyn Studio for FREE using code “STUDIO” at checkout. More podcasting tools, features, and functionality will be introduced in the coming months. Stay tuned.