The State of Audio: new data released

• Data: Major US broadcasters all released data packs on audio and podcasting on the same day:

  • Data: Audacy shares its State of Audio guide with a number of case studies suggesting audio does better than social media, and specifically pushing the efficiency of podcast host reads. Data is from Nielsen, Veritone, Claritas, and others.
  • Data: Cumulus Media shares 7 New Findings About The Podcast Audience, from the Share of Ear study conducted by Edison Research.
  • Data: iHeartRadio shares State of Podcasting 2023, with data from Edison Research, Scarborough, and eMarketer.

• A podcast is on tour in Zambia. Africana Woman is touring three cities, with two already sold out. The live shows will not be recorded to create a safe space for the women in attendance, though.

• The host of How To Fail, Elizabeth Day, has been announced as the Chair of Judges for the British Podcast Awards. You’ve until 18 May to enter.

• Pocket Casts has released episode search within its app.

• Podcast Brunch Club (like book club but for podcasts) is focusing on home for its May podcast playlist.

• The Writers Guild of America is on strike, which may impact some podcasts.

• Vice Media is apparently headed for bankruptcy.

• We review the Sennheiser Profile USB microphone and boom arm.

Thank you to Klassic Studios in Perth WA, Australia, for becoming our latest personal supporter. The company produces AI podcasts including Daily Dad Jokes (see below). You can join them.

A look back at April

• Spotify for Podcasters posted its second-highest share of new episodes, growing 13% since January. Spotify’s Megaphone has also continued to grow.

• April’s average CPM rates for Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast were up 4% to $23.07. The company has also announced that it is a sponsor of the 2023 IAB Podcast Upfront.

• Apple Podcasts increased its share of all downloads to 37.8% in April, according to Buzzsprout data.

Fun fact: In April, there was one new podcast episode posted every 1.5 seconds.

Moves and hires

• Jim Lally has been appointed as EVP of Strategic Partnerships at Audioboom. He’d been at Soundrise and Market Enginuity.

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Podcast News

Host of Under the Influence, Terry O’Reilly, has posted details and pictures of his podcast studio setup. It’s a 1969 Airstream trailer.

Daily Dad Jokes, an AI-powered podcast from Klassic Studios, has joined the iHeartPodcast Network. All jokes are sourced from the Dad Jokes subreddit and are curated and produced into a daily show. The show was started in late 2020, and claims to be the first AI-powered podcast.

Caleb Finn is Australia’s most popular male TikToker, with 16m followers. DM Podcasts launch Internet Parents with Caleb Finn & Soup today, a new show that promises more detail on the couple’s lives. We’re promised “a must-listen for anyone who’s a parent, a TikTok fan or just a curious human”.

Would you vote for someone who promised you a million dollars? America 2.0, Realm’s new release today, boasts a star-studded cast including Patrick J Adams, Kate Walsh, Shanola Hampton and Laurence Fishburne. Released today, it’s available in full and ad-free for subscribers to Realm+ and Realm Unlimited.

Iman Amongst Men is returning for a new season today from UNINTERRUPTED. NBA champion Iman Shumpert and his brother Ahrii spark a conversation on subjects men tend to keep to themselves. Money, mental health, fatherhood, relationships and everything in between is brought to the table.