CES brings new platforms for podcasts

• CES #1: Samsung TVs will soon have iTunes and Apple Airplay 2, the latter of which allows you to beam your favourite podcast from your iPhone to your TV, much like Google Chromecast works.

• CES #2: iHeartRadio will now be integrated into the Honda Dream Drive Platform, Roku devices, and Google’s Android TV and Android Auto, along with Bixby, Samsung’s voice-powered digital assistant.". The platform is only available in a few countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

• CES #3: Spreaker has partnered with airable, a company that provides manufacturers with a way to add internet media to their products. A press release says: “this will allow businesses to expand beyond music and easily connect to Spreaker’s extensive catalogue of podcasts”, and adds “a collection of Spreaker’s recommended shows will be available in a dedicated content channel via the API”. We asked how Spreaker recommends shows, and we were told…

The “featured this week” list on the site is an editorial decision made combining and crossing these following elements: a) New shows made in the last 2 months; b) Most downloaded shows of the last two months; c) Best episode performances of the last 2/3 episodes. After matching these elements, the content team listens to the podcasts and picks the ones that have the strongest listener engagement and the nicest covers. They avoid the ones that contain any form of hate or intolerance and try their best to promote the less represented voices in contemporary podcasting.

• CES #4: Amazon is moving into the car. Illustrated with a creepy picture of Jeff Bezos fondling a tree, TechCrunch reports that Alexa will be part of Telenav, a connected car services provider. They announced Echo Auto in September, and also announced some form of chip with Qualcomm.

  
  Aug 9 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.
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• In Dubai, AMAEYA Creative has been formally launched. “Focused on brand partnerships for dedicated shows and better ad creatives”, the company is a part of AMAEYA FM, Dubai’s first independent podcast network.

• Justin from Transistor, a podcast host, has written his 2019 podcast predictions. He sees growth for Spotify, doesn’t see smart speakers as being very helpful for podcasting, and wonders whether this is the year Apple will start monetising podcasts. Nick Quah has also written his trends to watch for podcasting in 2019 - the 17-minute read includes a number of themes and context-setting.

• Westwood One, a US broadcaster, has released data showing that audio ads + visuals are beneficial to advertisers. Chapter images (for sponsorships) are possible in some apps (notably Overcast), and Entale is an interactive podcast platform with an emphasis on visuals.

  
  Aug 9 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• The Australian Podcast Awards will open their Popular Vote Category tomorrow. You’re advised to watch their Twitter or Facebook pages.

• How to find a great podcast by Alberta Podcast Network’s Karen Unland includes a set of tips of where and how to discover new things to listen to.

  
  Aug 9 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

Stats and data

• ESPN report that their podcast downloads grew by 43% over 2018, and also note that their figures are now IAB Certified, since they use Blubrry.
• In an email to Podnews, Parcast look back at 2018, and claim “11 new podcasts, 487 aired episodes, heard in 227 countries, and over 100 million downloads”.

Podcasts

Cadence13 has partnered with Instagram account and podcast Comments by Celebs. Chris Corcoran, CCO for Cadence13, says: “Comments by Celebs is a brilliant concept and endlessly fun and engaging for anyone interested in pop culture and the celebrity world.”

LadyGang are celebrating their 200th episode. Lady Gaga and PodcastOne are also opening The LadyGang Network, with more shows on the way.

The Great Trials Podcast features “casual conversations with leading trial lawyers, taking listeners behind the scenes of America’s greatest trials”. There’s a press release with more details.

Beatles City, a Beatles podcast, has a special guest next episode… Sir Paul McCartney. The podcast is produced with the Liverpool Echo newspaper, and Acast.

The Sound Podcast is celebrating a nomination for “outstanding music series” in the Canadian Podcast Awards. Congratulations!

Faster podcast pages

We rebuilt our podcast pages (like this) today. They’re now much faster to load, all the tech info is at the bottom, and our advice now includes warnings about Apple Podcasts keyword stuffing. More services are on the way.