Podcast downloads are going up

• Podtrac’s US data for August shows a 7% increase in global downloads over July. There is no change in the top 5, with iHeartPodcasts being #1 for podcasts and showing an 11% increase in total global downloads. Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast saw an increase of 27% of global downloads month-on-month. The data measures participating publishers.

• A new magazine is getting ready for launch: Sound Sourceresses will showcase the talent and innovation of women working in audio storytelling.

• Acast announced a strategic partnership with German podcast producer Zebralution. Acast will host and distribute the company’s shows, and programmatic advertising is now available through the Acast Marketplace.

• A new event, PodconMX has been announced for Mexico City in early November. The event is presented by RSS.com, and our Editor will be one of the speakers.

• Auddia has released faidr v3.0, which promises “fully integrated podcasts” as well as a new user interface. The company is to acquire two new companies toward the end of the year.

• On its seat-back entertainment, Delta is now listing two Spotify video podcasts within the TV series section.

• Wavve, a “turn your podcast into snackable video” service, has removed its free plan (there is now a 7-day free trial), and simplified its pricing from four separate paid plans to just one unlimited plan at $15.99.

• Clubhouse is evolving to being a messaging app, rather than a live chat app. The new app lets you leave voice notes to one another, a little like Anchor in 2016, perhaps?

• PodcastOne’s first day on NASDAQ saw the stock price land at $4.39. Here are the team, ringing the bell (skip to 10 mins) - we spy Jordan Harbinger.

• Australian media company Mamamia shared the findings of a new study last week in an Upfronts showcase in Sydney. Two thirds of women are managing household budgets, the company revealed.

Moves and hires - with Podnews Live: where podcasting connects

• Matthew Dunne-Miles has been appointed Internal Journalist & Media Manager at Strise - producing The Laundry, focussed on financial crime and anti-money laundering practices.

The Tech Stuff - with RSS․com

• The new podcast namespace is now the fifth biggest namespace in use in podcasting. Only two years after launch, it’s present in more than one in five podcast feeds, despite not being used by Apple or Spotify.
• A proposal for a podcast:pinned feature has been put forward; an open way of identifying a recommended entry point to a show. It mirrors proprietary functionality announced recently by Spotify.
• Also mirroring proprietary functionality announced recently by Spotify, podroll allows creators to recommend other shows you might enjoy listening to.
• The Podnews Weekly Review this week includes interviews with Ainsley Costello and Sam Mean from Wavelake.

Podcast News - with Airwave

Part of the Airwave Podcast Network: TechCrunch Startup News lets you listen to select TechCrunch articles on startups coverage — who’s raising, who’s exiting, who’s changing the world.

Podcasting 2.0 this week features Cameron from IPFS Podcasting, and Alberto Betella from RSS.com

Today, Explained has launched “Blame Capitalism,” a special four-part series exploring America’s growing frustration with capitalism, which drops every Friday in the feed. Over four episodes, the show will look at the origins of American capitalism, explain the forces that transformed it, and chart a path forward.

On the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US, Compelled - Christian Stories & Testimonies talks to a survivor of the Pentagon crash site. The show will also hit its 1 millionth lifetime download this week: host Paul Hastings has worked on the show full-time for over a year (“it’s paying all my bills and feeding a family of six”).

The host of Deep Roots, former professional rugby player Damian Browne plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, not once, but twice - with three of his podcast listeners. As the series unfolds, you’ll witness the physical and mental challenges these adventurers face as they strive to conquer one of the world’s highest peaks.

Taskmaster: The People’s Podcast has a new host: comedian Jenny Éclair, alongside the Taskmaster aficionado Jack Bernhardt. The official fan podcast talks to behind-the-scenes guests, superfans and some of the most beloved Taskmaster characters.

Understanding Men is new today. Luke Sutton and Fraser Franks, both ex-professional sportsmen, have spoken openly about their own experiences with addiction, alcoholism, poor physical health, and poor mental health. Now they’re sharing their stories in the hopes that they’ll inspire listeners to do the same within their own relationships.

Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University is a a new investigative podcast, reported and hosted by award-winning health reporter Laura Beil. Centering on the scandal around Dr. Robert Hadden, an OB-GYN at Columbia University who abused his patients for more than 20 years, the show shares the stories of numerous survivors and their decade-long battle to bring Hadden to justice and hold institutions accountable. It’s produced by Wondery.