Spotify invests in international audiobooks

• Spotify announced that it is investing €1 million ($1.14mn) to increase the production of audiobooks in non-English languages, starting with French and Dutch. “In France, we are continuing to bring a younger, more diverse audience to audiobooks, with nearly 60% of listeners aged 18 to 34 accounting for over half of all listening hours,” the company says.

• But, what is an audiobook? Some successful podcasts are reading out public domain stories, or works to which the podcaster has the rights. However, don’t think that monetising these podcasts-as-audiobooks is going to be easy: we’ve heard from one podcast network who acquired a successful story podcast only to discover that Spotify’s SPAN wouldn’t monetise it at all. The company’s monetisation policies say that earning money is restricted for content that “is a written work by authors read aloud without the addition [of] original content”.

• Acast has signed a former Spotify exclusive show. The Receipts Podcast, hosted by Tolani Shoneye and Audrey Indome, launched in 2016, is also releasing episodes on YouTube, and will soon “launch its own dedicated studio setup”.

• Magellan AI has announced a partnership with CBC for pod-to-pod attribution, allowing CBC to gain insights into promo swaps, feed drops and paid advertising across its network.

• Rolling Stone has run an “audio awards”. RØDE and Shure are both familiar brands that have won, in more than sixty categories. (Many of the links to buy the award-winners are affiliate links, though we don’t see anywhere that discloses that.)

• Aaron McQuade writes: “PWAs dont get enough love, so I created a little web app for installing any podcast as an app on your phone.” The code is open source and uses Podcast Index.

• Simplecast has integrated Headliner into its service, to allow creators hosted with Simplecast to create podcast videos.

She Leads with CARE

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She Leads with CARE, a limited podcast series, was TheSkimm’s top pick for what to listen to this month.

This week, actress and producer Bellamy Young has a brief yet insightful conversation with Teresa, who is sowing seeds of change in Honduras. In this episode, Young talks with Teresa about how the intersection of agriculture, education, and equal rights is transforming rural communities in Honduras.

Young asks interesting but sensitive questions that help paint a vibrant picture of Teresa’s childhood and community.

The podcast delivers a powerful message about the impact of boldly following your passion and breaking the molds.

If you’re looking for a quick podcast that highlights different cultures and inspiring, untold personal stories, this one is a must-listen.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tips and tricks - with Memberful

• Dark colors make products seem more effective according to a science paper from China. Might this scientific research be useful for certain podcast thumbnails?

Podcast News - with New Podcasts

Sound Strategy with Lucas Dickey drops its trailer today. The show has a set of interviews with successful podcasters, from independents to network executives. It’s hosted by Lucas Dickey of DeepCast, Faybeon Mickens and Allison Melody.

Buffering the Vampire Slayer made it into a New York Times feature. “Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo capture what it was like to create a popular podcast for fellow superfans — and how they kept it going even after breaking up.”

Nonprofits Now: Leading Today releases its first episode today. Stacy Palmer interviews innovative leaders who have developed smart solutions to common, tough challenges - after data showing that nonprofit leaders are struggling to retain top talent and facing budgetary shortfalls. Palmer and her guests explore proven ways to prevent burnout, manage intergenerational workplaces, and hire strong senior teams.

In Beauty in the Break, you’ll hear deep, reflective conversations about life’s breaking moments and the beauty on the other side. Expect conversations of healing, transformation and resilience through self-awareness, storytelling and mindfulness, to help you achieve personal or professional growth.

The title of The (Not Boring) Boring Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting Podcast is quite a promise - but this season suggests that every business has a personality, and suggests how these traits impact the relationships that make businesses thrive. Connections between clients, accountants and bookkeepers are the focus of the stories, advice and tips. And it’s not boring.