Audiobooks on Amazon Music, News Influencers Are Growing, & More

Before we get into the news, a quick heads-up that Sounds Profitable’s own Tom Webster will be presenting new data and findings from the landmark Podcast Landscape 2024 study in a free webinar with Crooked Media VP of Sales Giancarlo Bizzaro. The two will discuss how the study’s findings show the real story behind “audio vs. video,” why podcasting remains fundamentally audio-first even with video’s crucial discovery role, and strategic implications for both podcast creators and platforms. Register now for the live webinar on Wednesday, November 20th, at 2:00 p.m. EST.

Amazon Music to Include Audible’s Unmatched Selection of Audiobooks

As of today Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers in the U.S., U.K., and Canada now have access to the Audible audiobook library and can listen to one book per month at no additional cost. Users that want to go beyond the single title a month either have the option to also start an Audible membership or purchase titles a la carte within the Audible app.

1 in 5 US adults get their news from influencers by Cassandra Cassidy

A new study from Pew Research conducted over the summer looked into the impact of “news influencers,” classified as individuals who regularly post about current events and civic issues with at least 100,000 followers on major social media platforms. Key findings include one in five Americans regularly getting news from influencers on social media. News influencers are more likely to be found on X (where 85% have accounts), but other platforms like YouTube (44%) and Instagram (50%) still have healthy presences. [Editor’s note: this study was conducted before the recent surge of Bluesky membership that could have affected these numbers]. 77% of influencers examined have no affiliation or background with a formal news organization.

YouTube Liaison Opens Up About The Algorithm by Laurie Sullivan

YouTube Liaison Rene Richie discussed the monolithic YouTube recommendation algorithm on a recent episode of the Think Media podcast. He frames the current understanding of “the algorithm” on YouTube to be backwards, as most assumptions about it can replace the word “algorithm” with “audience” and be closer to what’s actually happening. According to Richie, YouTube’s recommendations follow where it thinks the audience wants to go. Videos rank differently based on performance, personalization, even if it’s watched in an Incognito window. The algorithm rarely will recommend multiple videos from the same creator, so it aims to suggest the video from that creator the user is most likely to click on.

Top podcast advertisers – October 2024

Magellan AI is back with their monthly charts tracking both the top spenders in podcast advertising that their data can see, as well as the top “movers and shakers” that changed the amount they invest in the industry since the previous month. In the top chart T-Mobile, BetterHelp, and Amazon have all increased their spend month-over-month with Sports remaining their top genre of investment. Investment app Robinhood has topped out Movers & Shakers for October with a 1,402% ad spend increase from $73,600 in September to $1,105,600.

The FTC Thinks Data Clean Rooms May Have A Few Dusty Corners by Allison Schiff

A new blog post from the Federal Trade Commission takes a brusque stance to data clean rooms, starting off by pushing back against the image conjured by the name. While DCRs can add privacy protections and address risks with proper configuration, there is the potential for misuse, including obfuscating privacy issues. While the blog post is not legally-binding or an official communique from the commissioners, it is a sign the FTC has data clean rooms on their radar. DCR companies interviewed by AxExchanger agree with the FTC’s sentiment that DCRs are not, themselves, a magic bullet. They’re a tool that requires careful oversight.

As for the rest of the news…