Triton Digital Acquires Sounder
The acquisition will bring Sounder’s brand suitability capabilities and Ai-powered podcast analysis to Triton Digital’s suite of audio streaming and podcasting tech. The deal also brings Sounder full circle, as iHeartMedia (parent company of Triton Digital), led the Series A round of investment for Sounder in February 2022. [Source]
Nearly A Third Of Hispanics Listen To Podcasts For News, Says Pew Report.
The new study from Pew Research finds nearly half (48%) of Hispanic respondents turn to radio at least sometimes for news, while 31% listen to podcasts. Overall, the most common outlet for news is online, with 87% of respondents saying they often or sometimes get news from digital devices. The growing trust in digital might be helping news podcasts with largely Hispanic audiences, as the study found 7% of respondents feel podcasts are their favorite method of getting news, while radio only got 4%. [Source]
Deepfakes are spreading, putting creator and brand safety at risk by Katie Hicks
The rising trend of bad actors using readily-available generative AI to create false endorsements has hit everyone from Taylor Swift to Le Creuset. The current strategy employed by larger brands like General Mills is to partner with a brand safety and suitability firm to monitor social media for signs of campaigns so they can be removed as quickly as possible. Something for podcasting to keep in mind as a hot-button election cycle begins in the U.S. and tools to modify or outright generate audio continue improving. [Source]
Why does your listener retention look different on Apple vs Spotify? By Mary Jubran
Pacific Content continues their article series Common Questions with a breakdown of why listener retention data from two of the biggest podcasting platforms can noticeably differ on the same show. Put simply, Apple Podcasts takes into account the average behavior of listeners, while Spotify assesses the median behavior. While charts differ due to this, the article breaks down how to read Apple and Spotify data at a glance to find the commonalities and insights that can be gleaned from both. [Source]
Saving Country Music – Music Remains Sidelined from “Immense” Podcast Opportunities
Two big hurdles stand in the way of Country music having a significant presence in podcasting: the inability to play clips of songs without an intense (and often expensive) licensing process, and the constant potential that a show could be pulled later down the line if anything goes awry with said licensing agreements. As Tom Webster highlighted in his recent CRA talk (covered in this article), there’s immense potential for music in podcasting. Research shows music is significantly more popular among video podcast viewers than the wider audience, and that’s largely because YouTubers have more leeway when it comes to music. It’s time for podcasting and music labels (country and otherwise) to come together and solve for this. [Source]
B2B marketers invest more in influencer marketing as channel proves itself by Kristina Monllos
Influencer marketing companies tell Digiday they’re seeing significant increases in request for proposals and interest from B2B marketers over the last year. The most common reason B2B marketers get in touch with influencer agencies is to find influencers in their niche, ranging from auto technicians to SAAS brands. Between podcasting’s proven track record with B2B marketing, and the fact that podcast advertising is influencer marketing at it’s core, our industry is a natural fit. [Source]
…as for the rest of the news:
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Gumball’s Marty Michael announces Gumball’s first AI-powered tool: Campaign Builder (stay tuned for a deep dive conversation on the feature with Michael and Bryan Barletta later this week!)
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Ballen Studios has announced a collaboration with Ten Speed Graphic to produce a true crime graphic novel. Since the announcement, MrBallen Presents” Strange, Dark, & Mysterious has reached #1 in Kindle Horror Graphic Novels, Non fiction History Comics & Graphic Novels, and Horror Graphic Novels.
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Pocket FM secures $103 million in funding and sets sights on global growth
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And both Women’s and final tournament March Madness games have officially sold out of ad inventory (but for brands looking to get in on the fun, sports podcasts have the inventory and dedicated fans you’re looking for).
