Video: more important than ever

• “Audio is still healthy and thriving, but video is more important than ever,” according to Amplifi Media and Coleman Insights. Speaking at Evolutions in Chicago, Steven Goldstein and Jay Nachlis revealed that 77% of podcast consumers are consuming both audio and video, and that social media has overtaken recommendations from friends and family as the most popular way to discover podcasts.

  • We’ve a short interview in the Podnews Weekly Review this week, from Evolutions.

• Nick Viall has renewed his sales agreement with Libsyn Ads. He’d signed with AdvertiseCast, now Libsyn Ads, in Feb 2023 after Kast Media’s bankruptcy. Writing in Soundbite, Ashley Carman suggests that the near-four-year deal with Libsyn Ads is worth between $20-30mn. (Podnews readers get 25% off Soundbite with this link right here)

• As covered yesterday, Oxford Road published its white paper containing the definition of podcasting, including a study of consumers. The study reveals that 72% of US podcast listeners now define the traditionally audio-only medium as being inexorably linked to video. What’s more, 52% say that videos of people discussing topics – available only on YouTube – still qualify as podcasts even without an audio-only component.

• The new iOS 18.4 podcast widgets are praised by 9to5Mac.

• The Independent Podcast Awards are open for entry; and the organisers have announced a new event - the Independent Podcast Forum, a one-day event for indie creators. The awards attracted more than 400 entries last year. Podnews is a partner of the event.

• Lava for Good renewed its partnership with iHeartPodcasts. The announcement includes an expansion of its slate.

• Edison Research will publish the Women’s Audio Report, with SiriusXM Media, in a two-part webinar series in April. The report examines women’s audio consumption behaviors, including listener demographics, content preferences, discovery habits, and advertising engagement.

• iHeartPodcasts is to launch a slate of podcasts in Asia. In addition to producing original podcast content in Asia, this new partnership will also focus on extending the reach of iHeartPodcasts current catalogue of 800+ shows across Asia.

• German podcast company Podigee has launched a new AI-powered analytics tool. By asking natural language questions, creators can tap into real-time, personalised analytics.

• Roma Tre University in Italy is hosting the first European conference dedicated to podcasting as a tool for research, education, and information. The event, titled “Knowledge in Your Ears”, will take place in Rome on Apr 10–11, working with the WePod Project.

Moves and hires

• Emmy award-winning sound professional Arno Stephanian has joined 4 Feet Studio’s advisory board. The company says that his extensive expertise in sound editing, mixing, and immersive audio will be instrumental in shaping the studio’s future endeavors.

• Kacey Spivey has been named VP of Podcast Operations for Pionaire, the podcast agency founded by media personality Bert Weiss. The company has signed Mythbusters co-stars Kari Byron and Tory Belleci to host Mythfits, coming in June.

Tips and tricks - with Memberful

• Podcastle covers How to Record a Podcast from Two Locations. For the Podnews Weekly Review this week, recorded with Sam Sethi in Buckinghamshire, England, and James Cridland roaming the show floor at Evolutions, we used Cleanfeed for rock solid audio. (We have a complimentary Pro account, but don’t tell them that we’d pay anyway).

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: Every episode of MinuteEarth dives deep into a science question you might not even know you had - but once you hear the answer, you’ll want to share it with everyone you know. Yesterday: Why Malaria Isn’t Just A Tropical Disease

The Chuck ToddCast is back, after the anchor left NBC News in early February. The relaunched version is a daily hour-long show; it highlights the benefit of media personalities naming shows with their names, since it strengthens their negotiation to retain that show if they leave.

The Glass Cannon Podcast has joined Realm for distribution and ad sales representation. The actual play RPG podcast first launched in 2015.

ADWIT: The Audio Drama Writers’ Independent Toolkit is back for a third season. Hosted by Sarah Golding and Lindsay Harris Friel, the show analyzes what fiction podcast writers want, and digs deeper into the craft of writing audio drama, continuing the show’s mission to help writers create better podcasts.

In Your Radiant Spirit, you’ll feel like you’re sitting down with your spiritual best friend - Heather Eck—an intuitive artist who sees the world through color and energy—as she gently guides you back to yourself. You’ll hear soulful, down-to-earth conversations about healing, creativity, and personal transformation with guests who’ve walked through fire and found their light. If you’re craving meaning, inspiration, and a deeper connection to your inner wisdom, this one’s for you.