Libsyn and listener privacy

While very little has changed in the podcasting privacy space over the last two years, the conversation has taken center stage. But there’s a straightforward fix that isn’t being implemented because of a lack of collaboration - Today’s edition of Sounds Profitable, our adtech newsletter sponsored by Podsights. Go subscribe

This link is no longer available, as at Aug 28 2023

• What’s bad for podcast privacy? Unsecure audio files. Bryan Barletta in Sounds Profitable has discovered that one of the most aggressive voices on podcast privacy, Libsyn, has been threatening the privacy of its podcast listeners by still serving some of its podcasts using unsecure HTTP. The practice makes it easier for employers, ISPs and governments to monitor which Libsyn podcasts listeners are requesting.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Aug 28 2023

• Buzzsprout has launched a transcript distribution service and integration with Podcast Addict. Podcasters using Buzzsprout can also offer synchronised captions. The company is working with The Podcast Index to make this an official RSS tag.

• Apple is to announce new hardware today at 10am PDT. The company is widely expected to announce a set of new iPhones including 5G models, and a new, smaller HomePod. (“Hey, Siri - play news from Podnews!”)

• The Podcast Academy is to announce the details of their first annual awards today at 5pm Eastern. The webinar is free to members. The organisation has also released a mission statement. Speaking on The New Media Show last weekend, Rob Greenlee, the Chair of The Podcast Academy, confirmed that the organisation will not play a part in setting technical standards.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Aug 28 2023

• The Australian Podcast Ranker has been released for September. The #1 remains Stuff You Should Know, represented in Australia by ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network Australia. The top 10 publishers account for 45,853,133 downloads, up 4.1% from August. An incomplete ranker, it measures participating publishers only, and doesn’t include the ABC, the country’s largest podcaster.

• Spotify UK has announced content and podcast collections for its Black History Is Now hub.

• How much did Amazon pay for podcast.com? It was offered to one Podnews reader for over $2m, we’re told…

Tips and tricks - with True Crime Reporter from PAR

• How to turn your idea into a podcast (David McGuire, Stabl)

Aug 28 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.
• Tips on how to write your Podcast Show Notes for good SEO (Blubrry)

Podcast News - with cabana

From audiochuck: A murder case has many layers: the victim, the crime, and the investigation. Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi and Scott Weinberger get to the heart of it on Anatomy of Murder, a new weekly true crime series launching tomorrow. Ad sales by cabana, an AdLarge company.

That Great Business Show .com is a new podcast from Ireland bringing together a veteran business broadcaster with a former international rugby player. Conall O Móráin and Jamie Heaslip, who is now a business coach and investor, will produce the new show weekly.

As a leap year, 2020 was always meant to be a little longer than most - but The Leap Year points out that for many Australians in lockdown, it’s felt like a very long year indeed. With stories of the impact of the pandemic on Australians’ lives, this podcast from The Wheeler Centre is hosted by Sally Warhaft and was released yesterday.

Sutterfaction was launched at the end of last month. From Evan Sutter, the podcast contains short 6 to 20 minute talks about life satisfaction, well-being, happiness, the absurdity of life, suffering, playfulness, travel, relationships and joy.

Supercast has launched Supercasters, a podcast that “dives deep into how you can grow your podcast sustainably and build a business out of it.”

Sofia with an F marks the return of Sofia Franklyn, former host of Call Her Daddy. In it, she talks about her split with Alexandra Cooper, and then “a free-form monologue on whatever Franklyn decides in the moment to talk about”, says a review in Forbes.