Audacy launches PodSauce - all that's hot in new podcasts

• Audacy has launched Podsauce, a podcast discovery show. The show (in both audio and video) will “give viewers and listeners the inside scoop on new podcasts from the genre’s top talent and discover hidden gems they might otherwise have missed out on.” There will also be a minute-long version on the radio.

• LA Weekly carried an article praising 'king of podcasting’ Peter Vincer, which appears to be paid content, linking to a 12-minute denial video from Vincer on YouTube tackling a number of accusations made by The Verge in early June. The video includes a number of screengrabs of messages that he says refutes points in The Verge's story, and ends with a quote from The Office.

  
  Sep 5 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• Yesterday, we covered the indie Shattered Glass podcast who successfully got Kristen Bell and Monica Padman to stop using their show’s name. They’ve now published an open letter: it turns out that “in episode 2 of your podcast, you acknowledged our existence, admitted you knew about us, and then proceeded to encourage others also to start a podcast in our name.” They suggest that the Hollywood stars donate to three organisations, and give advertising space to people who advance women but also protect their intellectual property. Seems a good call.

• Spotify has added a “what’s new” feed, containing new podcast episodes and music from people you’re following. You’ll find it by tapping the bell on the home tab; it’s rolling out to all users.

• EU countries are dragging their feet to enact new controversial copyright rules. Reuters reports that many European broadcasters and artists are unhappy about a potential weakening of Article 17, which could force platforms like YouTube, Instagram and even podcast apps to filter for copyrighted content.

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• You wait all year for a collaboration tool for podcast producers, and then two come along at once. Yesterday we mentioned Episode Check; today, EditPoint, a tool that works on an iPhone or iPad. It’s designed to let you listen or check a show while doing other things, and comes complete with pre-filled buttons to note issues.

• What’s behind the year-over-year decrease in podcast downloads for June 2021? Podtrac posts a blog, confirming what we reported on July 2 - a bug in Apple Podcasts has resulted in at least a 20% dip in downloads on the platform. The fix was rolled out on July 20; so you’ll see big increases in August: and, really, they were up 5%, they say.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Sep 5 2023

• iHeartMedia has signed with Sports Illustrated and Sports Illustrated Studios for a multi-year audio content deal.

• The Sports Podcast Awards will be announced later today, we understand. With 27 categories for sports podcasts, they were initially announced in April. Emails sent to podcasters say the categories are open from now until the end of September; the winners will be announced in a live-streamed event in February.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Sep 5 2023

• Spotify has announced “The Final Chapters of Richard Brown Winters”, a 90-minute “feature-length” fiction podcast, from Gimlet.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Sep 5 2023

Tips and tricks

• What goes into planning a paid promotional campaign to support a podcast? The UK podcast producer Listen, along with ad-buyer Carat, highlight their learnings.

Podcast News

The New Statesman Podcast currently has a special set of episodes co-hosted by Armando Ianucci, the writer of Veep and The Thick of It, to examine how Britain could do politics better. Episode one went live this week, with Ian Hislop and Jill Rutter.

Raising capital? Planning your fundraise? Funded - how they raised millions is back for a second season, launching with three startup founders who raised over $77m from 18 investors.