Luminary fixes show note links in their apps

• Yesterday, we focused on how podcast apps display show notes in over 40 apps. Today, Luminary’s Joe Purzycki, the company’s Chief Strategy Officer, announced that Luminary is now displaying links in shownotes in their apps. The update to the Android app is already live, and now shows links and formatting in the “my shows” episode view (though not in the playback view). The company has also apologised “for our short-sightedness”, fixed an error in podcast attribution, and is asking for feedback. (We’ve updated our scores - this pushes their score up to 11, roughly similar to Apple or Google).

  • We also had feedback from the developer of Podcast Addict. He’s keen to explain that the view of show notes, when unsubscribed, is not formatted - but that when you do subscribe, the formatting is correct. (This is the way Apple Podcasts works). We - like listeners, perhaps - were unaware of this, but we’re happy to amend the app’s scoring, and our articles, to bring them in line with the way we scored Apple Podcasts.
  • Others have contacted us suggesting a minimum standard of how podcast apps should treat shownotes is developed. We’d agree with this: it would help the industry know what we should be doing. Any advice, readers?

• Podcast app Swoot have added support for WebSub, the RSS technology that pushes updates to podcast apps as soon as you publish a new episode. As a podcast publisher, we support it too - so if you follow us on Swoot, you should get our latest episode almost instantly.

• In France, Insider Podcasts launched yesterday. It’s the first investigative journalism podcast production company in the country, and they’re launching with 1000 Degrés, a ten episode podcast about the case of Daniel Massé, a man who was sentenced to prison for twenty-five years for attempted murder of his former colleagues with a letter bomb. He, however, claims he’s innocent; and the podcast promises new answers.

  
  Aug 13 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• Seth Resler from radio consultants Jacobs Media thinks there’s a lesson for radio from Luminary, advising broadcasters interested in podcasting to “tread lightly, invest the proper time toward learning the ropes, and do so with humility.” Writing on Medium, Mike Raab thinks the future of podcasting is subscription, though - and “we should be excited”.

• Opinion and advice: Episode descriptions and headlines are crucial in attracting podcast audiences, writes Australian radio publication RadioInfo. Brit McGinnis knows who the next big audience for podcasts is.

  
  Aug 13 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• Luminary launch six new premium podcasts this week.

Podcasts

Museum Archipelago describes itself as “a tiny show” (every episode is less than 15 minutes), all about different museums. It’s just wrapped up a miniseries of museums in Tasmania. Museums all around the world are grappling with their colonial past, and turns out that museums on the Australian island are no exception. (Fireside)

Math & Magic is a podcast focusing on secrets for success, hosted by none other than iHeartMedia’s CEO (and former radio DJ) Bob Pittman. (iHeartMedia)

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