Search for ‘Hot Pod’

April 19, 2024:

Ariel Shapiro’s final Hot Pod was published. In an editorial, she paints a picture of a new industry landscape - where investments have dried up and every project needs to be profitable to survive; and suggests she “got to the party too late”.

April 12, 2024:

Hot Pod, one of the longest-running newsletters about podcasting, is to suspend publishing. Lead reporter Ariel Shapiro has announced that her last week with its owner, The Verge, will be next week; Deputy Editor Jake Kastrenakes adds: “We won’t have a new writer in place by next week, so we’re planning to put Hot Pod on hiatus while we figure out next steps.” The publication’s writers, Ariel Shapiro, Ashley Carman and Nick Quah, have been a vital part of the industry since 2014 and inspired Podnews to produce this daily newsletter in 2017. We hope the publication is back soon.

August 2, 2023:

Hot Pod reports three layoffs in Marvel's podcast division earlier this year; halving the team's size.

April 20, 2023:

This is Ariel Shapiro's last week writing for Hot Pod for a while. "I am very pregnant," she writes. Amrita Khalid (also here on social media) will look after Hot Pod in the meantime.

March 2, 2023:

The Hollywood Reporter writes up the chat at the Hot Pod Summit.

February 27, 2023:

YouTube podcasts: The Hollywood Reporter was present at the Hot Pod Summit last week, and the YouTube Music announcement. So was Axios, who said the mood was upbeat. Bandrew Scott calls the announcement confusing, asking how the "ad-funded background listening" is going to work for podcasters. In emails to Podnews, "I only think this will work if the podcasts are available both on YouTube and YouTube Music simultaneously. I’m not sure if that was clarified." says Anthony Frasier. (Our podcast playlist appears visible on YouTube too). "Upsetting it is US only at the moment," says a Canadian reader (echoing our thoughts); "they are totally fumbling a massive opportunity".

February 23, 2023:

YouTube's Head of Podcasting Kai Chuk is to speak today at the Hot Pod Summit in Brooklyn NY. We are expecting an announcement about YouTube's plans for podcasting.

February 15, 2023:

YouTube's Head of Podcasting Kai Chuk is to speak at next week's Hot Pod Summit in Brooklyn NY, USA. Ariel Shapiro "will be doing a short interview with Chuk about how YouTube plans to leverage its position as the top streamer of podcasts". YouTube took part in a number of large events last year, but didn't make any announcements; and features in a leaked document shown to publishers last March have yet to materialise.

January 23, 2023:

Seven audio workers have been laid off by Vox Media, reports Vox Media's Hot Pod, including the team producing Cover Story. Vox Media declined to give exact figures. Around 130 people were laid off in total, or 7% of the workforce. Spotify is also to cut staff this week, according to Bloomberg.

September 9, 2022:

An analyst's note suggests that podcast ad spend in the US will reach $6 billion by 2026. Daniel Day, who works for B. Riley, was interviewed in Hot Pod Insider.

June 3, 2022:

Vox Media's union is threatening a strike. A search for #VoxContractNow on Twitter shows the strength of feelings; the company publishes, among others, The Verge, Hot Pod, and Today, Explained.

May 26, 2022:

Skye Pillsbury is to launch a new podcast newsletter, The Squeeze. She was the original writer for Inside Podcasting, and also wrote for Hot Pod.

April 13, 2022:

Ariel Shapiro will be the new lead reporter for Hot Pod, a podcast industry newsletter. She joins from Forbes and from ViacomCBS Paramount.

April 11, 2022:

Aria Bracci is leaving her position as writer for Hot Pod, a podcast newsletter. She'll be focusing on Calling for Closure, her podcast. Hot Pod will announce a new lead writer - the fourth in seven months - this week.

March 4, 2022:

Luminary has "a couple of hundred thousand" subscribers, according to Hot Pod Insider.

November 12, 2021:

Patreon's CEO, Jack Conte, is interviewed by Ashley Carman in Hot Pod Insider today. Patreon is to launch streaming video (it already hosts podcasts), and Conte is to launch a podcast of his own.

September 24, 2021:

Ashley Carman's Hot Pod Insider reports that podcast company Himalaya has been scaled down, with around eight people, almost half the company's staff, losing their jobs over the summer. Ariel Liu has been made CEO. We reported in April that the company was transitioning towards a focus on audio courses; the company is now pivoting again to "short-form inspirational and motivational content".

September 8, 2021:

Hot Pod has been acquired by Vox Media. Senior reporter for The Verge, Ashley Carman, will be the new lead writer for the newsletter; Nick Quah, who launched Hot Pod in 2014, will become a full-time podcast reviewer. Hot Pod will remain at $7/month, becoming Vox Media's The Verge's first paid product.

January 8, 2021:

How much is it to listen to a free podcast on Amazon? Apparently $8.95 according to Charlie Harding, who tweeted a screenshot of the Amazon website yesterday. The Verge covered the story. Amazon have removed those prices but have not responded for comment; however, Nick Quah's Hot Pod Insider has been told it was a technical error. Podnews's podcast appears to be free again, as we go to press.

November 12, 2020:

"Increased targeting, measurement granularity, and ad inventory management ease could fundamentally ruin what made podcast advertising great — and make it as screwed up as the rest of digital advertising" - Nick Quah, Hot Pod

October 16, 2020:

The Daily now averages 4 million downloads per weekday, according to Hot Pod Insider.

February 18, 2020:

On BBC Radio 4's The Media Show, The Big Money Bet On Podcasting focused on the "podcasting gold rush", with a number of industry commentators including Steve Ackerman from Somethin'Else and Caroline Crampton from Hot Pod. (BBC)

March 4, 2019:

"Everything is continuing as it was," says Matt Lieber of Gimlet, (still) trying to calm nerves that the Spotify acquisition of the company will stop us all listening to Reply All. He was speaking at the Hot Pod Summit, at the On Air Festival in New York NY, USA. (We heard lots more about the Hot Pod Summit over dinner last night, but a "cone of silence" prevents us from telling you.) Meanwhile, the Spotigimchor deal is validation for the industry, says Renee Wang, CEO of Castbox.

February 7, 2019:

Hot Pod's Nick Quah is on holiday in Malaysia, but still appears to have been interviewed by TechMeme's Ride Home podcast, and has written for NiemenLab. Get some rest, Nick.

September 27, 2018:

Hot Pod covers the phenomenon of TV companion podcasts in the UK.

August 29, 2018:

Nick Quah's Hot Pod newsletter is now no longer just Nick Quah. UK-based Caroline Crampton, formerly of Podmail, has joined as a writer, says Nick and says Caroline. (They both highlight how you can support their newsletter in their announcements - so here's how you can support Podnews).

April 3, 2018:

A long interview with publisher of Hot Pod, Nick Quah. Two quotes: "I’ve got some investments in the works ... to convert it into a more straightforward subscription-business, something that feels like a very niche and very intentional mini-Hollywood Reporter." - and the somewhat perplexing "Canadians are great. I wish I knew more Canadians."

January 8, 2018:

Hot Pod Extra! member-exclusive newsletter. Quote: "This is some sticky shit, folks". We're assuming that's positive.