How a podcast award works

• Pod The North takes a deep dive into The Signal Awards, which are run by the same company as The Webbys. There were 600 winners in more than 100 categories. The story says that the judging process is opaque, and that the 177 judges were not compensated for their time.

  • “We really didn’t think anyone outside of the United States really would probably be winners,” the former Managing Director for The Signal Awards, Deondric Royster, is quoted as saying. Ouch.

• From one type of award to another - Podcast growth agency Bumper has analysed 28.5mn Apple Podcasts star ratings (in the US store) to learn how they work. Crime Junkie has the most US ratings, at 344,000; but only 28% of shows have any star ratings at all. (Star ratings have no effect on the recommendation algorithms.)

• Fanlist, formerly PodInbox, is now supporting premium podcast feeds. You host your show’s premium episodes with them. The service takes a 7% cut from your income.

• Digiday reports how podcast networks are using AI tools for their ad sales.

• Happy one-year anniversary to the 604 Podcast Network, which is celebrating with the launch of a number of new shows.

• Spectral Podcasting is an “AI-powered podcast editing service”. Behind the hood, the service is using Zapier; and is earning $5,000 a month in recurring revenue.

• Podcaster and host of the 48 Days podcast, Dan Miller, has died of pancreatic cancer. He was 76. He released his last podcast episode, after seventeen years, in December. Podcast Movement’s Jared Easley said: “His love for his family, business, and relationships was inspiring, to say the least.” Dave Jackson said: “This breaks my heart. Such an amazing man.” John Corcoran said: “He was such an inspiration.”.

Tips and tricks - with Patreon + Spotify

• What should you be looking for if your podcast is carried on a new app? Our Editor writes about The unwritten contract between podcast publishers and apps.

• What is a podcast? We’ve an answer for this one, too. (We’ve put our hard hats on for this one!)

Podcast News - with Airwave

From Airwave: Have you ever wished that you had a direct line to your pediatrician to ask them all the questions that constantly crop up as you navigate parenting? Bytes of Health is the answer - every morning, this show will answer a commonly asked pediatric question in 5 min or less. Bytes of Health is hosted by Dr. Jessica Steier, a public health scientist and host of Unbiased Science, and pediatricians/authors Dr. Dina DiMaggio and Dr. Anthony Porto.

You Had To Be There is new today from a brand new podcast studio, Hi Barr. Each episode, a different host is given an assignment: dind and interview an eyewitness to an iconic moment in pop culture history…in just 48 hours. The catch? Our hosts have no idea what their assignment will be, so it’s impossible to prepare…

Our New South is new from Next Chapter Podcasts, sharing inspiring stories and conversations from unique perspectives on how Southern cities address challenges. It focuses on historical roots and directions for the future - with themes from equity in education, immigration to racial equality.

The Louis Theroux Podcast is back for a “star studded second series”, including Hollywood icon Sharon Stone, visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, fellow podcast maestro Adam Buxton, and breakout music sensation PinkPantheress, with more to be announced. Paul Mescal is the guest today. We have to tell you that “The Louis Theroux Podcast is a Spotify podcast, now available everywhere, with new episodes every Tuesday” apparently.