🚨Before we get into the news🚨: Sounds Profitable is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, March 12, at 2 PM Eastern. Tom Webster will be joined by Liz Hames from JAR Audio and special guest Andrea Marquez from Amazon as they present The Power of Branded Podcasts, featuring new research from Sounds Profitable and a key case study from Amazon. Register for this free event here and be the first to receive the report!
SXSW Offers Select Session Audio Free
Whether you were front row center at SXSW’s Podcast Stage and want to revisit favorite moments, or couldn’t make it to Austin this year, good news: SXSW has made the audio from several panels at this year’s conference available for free. The source above filters for events at Ballroom B (the official Podcast Stage), and any presentation with a speaker icon is one with free audio.
Buyers Say Podcast Ads Less Prone To Cuts As Tariffs Pressure Marketing Dollars
Inside Audio Marketing has been given data from a recent IAB survey finding 94% of U.S. advertising decision-makers surveyed are concerned about the impact of tariffs on ad spending. 43% of respondents expect traditional media budgets to be downsized as a response to proposed/newly implemented tariffs. While softening is expected overall, digital audio is better positioned, with only 14% of respondents expecting cuts to digital audio in general, and only 16% expecting podcast ad spend to go down. Podcasting might not be tariff-proof but it is in a position to welcome in advertisers looking to move their budgets from more-affected industries like traditional media.
Political Podcasting [Multiple Sources]
First up in the world of political podcasting: AdWeek covers a new development in the right wing world: The Daily Wire has signed the first of an annual advertising partnership with AI search engine Perplexity in which The Ben Shapiro show dedicates a five-minute segment (dubbed The Takedown) to correcting a political claim, including asking Perplexity a question to fact-check. According to Ostwal’s reporting, this marks the first step outside Shapiro’s standard host-read ad format into integrated, sponsored content. Meanwhile, across the political aisle, The New York Times covers the recent trend of big-name Democrat voices spreading their message via the mouthpiece of sports talk shows. Both radio and podcast programs are seeing the likes of Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, and Tim Walz in what appears to be a party-wide attempt to reclaim the young male demographic that was leveraged by the Trump campaigns’ consistent podcasting strategy last year.
How Wondery Is Evolving Its Video Podcast Strategy FAST by Saleah Blancaflor
With the growing popularity of video podcast viewership on connected TVs via platforms like YouTube, Wondery is leaning into the FAST world (free ad-supported TV) with Amazon Prime Video Live TV (formerly Freevee). In addition, several of Wondery’s top shows are also available as video versions on Wondery+ within the Wondery app. The article features an interview with Wondery Head of Product Neel Ketkar explaining the appeal of video podcasting and the company’s philosophy regarding their approach.
While Gen Z and Gen Alpha take the headlines for influencer marketing, brands like Progresso Soup and Harmless Harvest are eyeing Gen X and Baby boomers. Alaskan Airlines, Mountain Dew, Ilia have also hopped on the ‘silver influencer’ trend in recent years. While statistically older viewers are still tuned in to traditional media, the 55+ demographic is also active on social media. The simple fact is people like seeing themselves represented in advertisements, and the 55+ demo is slowly getting more of that outside of products specifically targeting age. And as reports like The Podcast Landscape 2024 show, podcasting has an opportunity to grow and properly recognize the 55+ side of the industry.
As for the rest of the news…
- JAR Audio has announced their third annual Emerging Women in Podcasting Pilot Competition, in which a winning pitch for a podcast pilot episode will be produced by JAR Audio (with full IP ownership remaining with the creator).
- Veritonic has debuted a combination of device graph tech and self-reported listener data called Audience Insights, which aims to deliver accurate, scalable, and cost-effective – forgive the wordplay – audience insights.
- AdWeek covered SiriusXM Media naming former AdsWizz SVP Scott Walker as SXM’s new Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, his latest move in the audio world since joining the Pandora team 17 years ago.
- John “MrBallen” Allen’s podcasting studio BallenStudios is deepening its roster with yet another sizable storytelling YouTuber. Ryan “Nexpo” Cantu (3.6m subscribers) will host the audio-first mystery podcast Late Nights with Nexpo, with a companion video series uploaded to the Nexpo channel.
- Motley Fool Money host and executive producer Chris Hill has launched Money Unplugged with Chris Hill, a new series interviewing authors, media personalities, and investors to discuss their lives through the lens of money.
