Podster

Podster Signs Distribution Agreement With Popular Audio And Book Streaming Service In Denmark

~ jen

The Danish podcast company Podster has entered into a distribution agreement with Saxo, the company behind one of the most popular audio and book streaming services in Denmark. The deal encompasses three platforms from Podster’s catalog, which are already available on Saxo’s streaming platform.

Podster has succeeded in transforming local podcasts into international formats, releasing shows in the United Kingdom, the United States, Finland, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

They also gained acclaim for their Danish true crime show, Forhøret, which was published the RSS feed through a collaboration with Acast, and strode to the top of the charts. The agreement with Saxo is Podster’s first distribution deal in Denmark.

“Our latest agreement marks three milestones for Podster. It is our first distribution agreement in Denmark, the first collaboration with a book streaming service, and the first Podster original show to be released. We are thrilled to partner with Saxo and hope to contribute much more content to them over time,” says Podster’s CEO and Co-founder Henriette Høj Gharib.

The agreement features two historical true crime podcasts; Crosshairs from What’s the Story Sounds, a podcast that examines murders of prominent figures throughout history, and BBC Studio’s Killing Victoria, a miniseries focusing on the attempted assassinations of Queen Victoria and narrated by Danish actress Ellen Hillingsø.

Podster’s original and brand-new children’s podcast The World’s Wackiest Bandits, narrated by actor Nicolas Bro, is also part of the distribution deal.

About Podster & Saxo

Podster is an audio production company based in Denmark. Podster’s goal is to introduce the most popular podcasts to new markets by localising amazing podcasts from all over the world and reproducing them to new languages.

Saxo is Denmark’s largest online book retailer and owns one of the country’s most popular audio and book streaming services.

Podster Enters Major Deal With RTL Deutschland To Globalize German Podcasts

~ jen

Podster continues to make waves in the podcasting industry with a new licensing agreement. 

 In an exciting milestone, the Danish podcast company is teaming up with Germany’s leading media house, RTL Deutschland, to adapt and distribute high-quality German podcasts to a global audience.

Podster specializes in adapting local podcasts into new formats to reach a larger audience and bring in more revenue for publishers. In its relatively brief existence, the young startup has now inked its first deal with Audio Alliance, the audio unit of leading German entertainment network RTL Deutschland, bolstering its portfolio of international collaborations that already includes BBC Sounds, DPG Media, and Grupo Planeta.

Audio Alliance develops, produces and broadly distributes a diverse portfolio of podcasts, all of them premiering with a first window RTL+, RTL’s all inclusive entertainment product combining premium video and music streaming with a large selection of audiobooks, magazines and podcasts.

“It’s particularly meaningful that as a small startup, we have the chance to take on podcast releases from the industry giants. We approach this partnership with a deep sense of humility, which is also reflected in the way we produce these adaptations,” comments Podster’s CEO Henriette Høj Gharib.

Podster will adapt several RTL+ shows, including Der Letze Sommor von Lady Di, which delves into the final weeks of Princess Diana’s life, along with the gripping and top-performing true crime series Verbrechen von nebenan.  RTL+’s new and intriguing Hollywood Crimes is also part of Podster’s selection. 

Henriette Høj Gharib mentions, “Our work and success at Podster demonstrates that the podcast market is ready to expand high-quality content, mirroring the scaling seen in books, movies, and series over the years.”

“At RTL+, we are enthusiastic about the partnership with Podster. Together, we are set to expand our podcast content’s global footprint, providing diverse, engaging shows to audiences worldwide,” adds Andrea Zuska, SVP Content Strategy at RTL and Managing Director Audio Alliance.

About Podster & RTL Deutschland

Podster is a podcast company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their goal is to introduce best-selling podcasts to new markets by locating amazing podcasts from all over the world and reproduce them to other languages.

RTL Deutschland is Germany’s leading entertainment company, spanning across all types of media: TV and streaming, print and digital, radio and podcasts. It is home to some of the country’s strongest media brands from RTL to Stern, Brigitte to Vox and Geo to NTV, and operates Germany’s largest streaming platform RTL+, with more than 4.5 million subscribers and a cross-media offer including series, films, music, podcasts and audiobooks. RTL Deutschland owns 15 TV channels, 50 premium magazines, a broad podcast portfolio and numerous digital offerings.

BBC Studios Enters Licensing Agreement With Podster

~ jen

Podster has licensed one of BBC Studios’ original podcasts Killing Victoria. The miniseries will be adapted into new languages and marks the first of its kind licensing agreement for BBC Studios on translating their own podcasts.

Killing Victoria is a historical miniseries consisting of seven episodes. The show is based on the stories of the seven men who each made an attempt on Queen Victoria’s life during her reign. The podcast series brings the listener closer to the perpetrators, unpicks what might have driven them to take up arms, and brings a fresh perspective to the realities of life in Victorian England.

The show was commissioned and produced by BBC Studios Productions. It was published in the spring of 2023 on BBC Sounds and other podcast platforms globally. Following the podcast’s recent global publication in English, BBC Studios and Podster will now make this show available in new markets and languages.

The Danish startup Podster specializes in adapting local podcasts into new formats to reach a larger audience and bring in more revenue for publishers. Podster will focus on territories such as the Nordics, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain.

“To be the first to enter this title arrangement with BBC Studios makes me feel humble and happy. BBC Studios is known for high content quality, and this is a great opportunity for both parties to reach new audiences,” says Henriette Høj Gharib, Co-founder and CEO of Podster.

Dr Bob Nicholson (Edge Hill University), historian and presenter of Killing Victoria, adds, “tracing the lives of the Queen’s seven assailants took me on a fascinating journey through Victorian history – from palaces to prisons, and onwards through asylums, pubs, parks, theaters, newspapers, convict ships, and eventually to Australia.”

Nicholson continues, “Back in the nineteenth century, these attacks made headlines around the world. Language was no barrier to the spread of such sensational news, and readers followed the cases in French, German, Italian, and Spanish newspapers. Now, the transaction of Killing Victoria means that new international audiences will be able to follow in their footsteps. I can’t wait to see what they make of it.”

Sonoma Joins Podster On Their Global Podcast Journey

~ jen

Podster, a Danish startup, partners up with the largest media company in Finland, Sonoma Media Finland. The two companies will join forces in order to improve the sound experience for Finnish podcast listeners.

The collaboration between Podster and Sonoma Media Finland is great news for everyone who likes to spend time listening to true crime. The two parties have agreed on producing Förhörsrummet – a podcast that recreates authentical police interrogations. Förhörsrummet originates from Sweden, where more than 100,000 listeners tune in every week.

For the moment, Podster will adapt and produce 11 episodes of Förhörsrummet into Finnish with the help of local creators. The show is available on Sonoma Media Finland’s streaming service Supla, which is one of the most popular podcast services in Finland.

The agreement between poster and Sanoma Media Finland could be categorized as the beginning of a new era, since Podster is the first international sound supplier for the leading Finnish media company.

“We are very excited, and we feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with the largest media company in Finland,” comments the CEO of Podster, Henriette Høj Gharib. She adds, “Förhörsrummet is definitely proof that a well-written and well-produced podcast have the capability to travel across borders. We are thrilled to have taken another step toward making best-selling podcasts available in other languages.”

Head of Content at Sonoma Media Finland, Jenni Kangasniemi, states: “We were impressed with Podster’s innovative and ground-breaking concept right from the start. We believe that their ideas regarding making content available in multiple languages will change the way we think and handle podcast productions in the future.”

Jenni Kangasniemi continues, “We have great confidence in the quality of Podster shows and productions. The Danish company has a great understanding of the source material and what it takes to make that particular production work in the target language. We are looking forward to making Förhörsrummet available and cannot wait to hear what our subscribers think of the true crime show.”

About the companies:

Podster is a podcast company based in Denmark. Their goal is to introduce best-selling podcasts to new markets by locating amazing podcasts from all over the world and reproduce them to other languages.

Sanoma Media Finland is the leading Finish cross-media company. They own a variety of media outlets in Finland, including one of the most popular podcast services: Supla.

Podster Holds “Best Undiscovered Podcast” Competition

~ jen

Podster LogoPodster Magazine has announced the Podster “Best Undiscovered Podcast” Competition. The contest is being hosted and run by Shelf Media Group. It is a competition that is open to podcasters worldwide.

Podcasts that are eligible to enter this contest must have an average of fewer than 1,000 downloads/listens per episode. The podcast must be done in English. Authors of the podcast must be at least 18 years of age at the time of entry.

The competition entry period began on June 1, 2016, and will end on November 15, 2016. Submissions to the competition will be accepted during the duration of that time period. Podcasters can enter by sending an email with a listening or download link of one episode of their podcast to podcasts@shelfmediagroup.com.

There is a $50 entry fee per podcast episode entered. The entry fee can be paid by PayPal (and it is also possible to pay by check). There is no limit to the number of episodes that an individual can enter. Each one will be considered a separate entry. This competition does not divide entries into genre categories.

The winner of the “Best Undiscovered Podcast” Competition will receive a full-page ad in a 2017 issue of Podster Magazine (described as “rate card value $1,000″). The winner will also receive an interview in a 2017 issue of Podster. Five finalists will receive editorial coverage in a 2017 issue of Podster. In addition, Podster will feature some “notable” podcasts that entered the competition in a 2017 issue of Podster.

Podster is a New Magazine About Podcasting

~ jen

PodsterPodster is a new digital magazine about podcasts and podcasters. It comes from Shelf Media. The very first issue has been released, and you can check it out for free. So, I did.

The first issue is a total of 53 pages. It felt like the right length as I was reading through it. The cover is eye catching and they used nice font for the name of the magazine. If Podster was sitting on the magazine rack at a Barnes & Noble, I’d probably pick it up and start flipping through it.

Of course, I rarely find myself at a Barnes & Noble nowadays, so its good that Podster is a digital magazine. If it were print-only, it would be much less likely that I’d have heard of it or that I’d make the effort to go out into the world to find a paper copy of it. (As far as I can tell, this magazine is digital-only and doesn’t exist in print.)

It stands to reason that a magazine about podcasting is presented in digital format. After all, once you get involved in creating and producing one or more podcasts on a regular basis, posting the show notes for each episode, and sharing links to it on social media – the internet becomes your neighborhood.

I found the content of the magazine to be interesting, well written, and incredibly relevant for podcast creators as well as podcast listeners. The January 2016 issue includes interviews with Alex Goldman from Reply All, Gretchen Rubin from Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Sarah Ginsburg from She Does. Each interview includes easy to spot links you can click on to hear one of their episodes. Alongside the interview is a list and brief description of the podcasts that the interviewee listens to.

There is a section where an excerpt of an individual podcast episode has been transcribed (with permission from the podcaster, I’d assume). Again, there are links that take you directly to whatever podcast caught your attention. No need to “Google it”! There is also plenty to enjoy of other content that I haven’t described here.

I could not help but notice that this first issue of Podster is rather ad heavy. To my surprise, I was not annoyed by the ads because all of them were very relevant to podcasting. As a result, I was shown ads that were actually interesting to me. I hope Podster keeps that up. Overall, I liked Podster well enough to subscribe to it and am looking forward to see what comes next.