Before we get into the news proper, a quick reminder that SiriusXM is running a quick survey to take the pulse of some simple-but-big questions shaping podcasting. If you didn’t get a chance to take the survey at Podcast Movement last week, now’s the time. It’s short, quick, anonymous feedback focused on gut reactions instead of essay-length responses. Pitch in your feedback!
So yeah… your Spotify bill will continue to climb – and that’s by design by Tsveta Ermenkova
Spotify’s recent price increase to Premium subscriptions is not just a one-off cost adjustment, it’s a regularly-occurring part of the plan going forward, according to CBO Alex Norström. Future price hikes are intended to sync with new features and services. And Spotify isn’t alone with Peacock and AppleTV+ recently also increasing their monthly rates. As Ars Technica writer Samuel Axon notes, the cost of making premium content for platforms like AppleTV+ can be such that it’s not unlikely they run at a loss, leading to price increases. The age of loss-leading subscription service prices to cut out competition appear to be fully behind us. Well, except for the free.99 it costs to access most podcasts.
No Click, High Reward | from AdExchanger’s Optimizing the News
Cost-per-click has been increasing recently. While the blame isn’t entirely at AI Overviews’ feet, they’re not helping. That, combined with Amazon withdrawing significant investment in Google Shopping ads (thus cutting demand) and the more visually-cluttered design of modern search engine results pages, organic and paid search clicks are becoming rarer. Spend on paid search has remained steady, as have conversion rates. That said, industry minds like Wpromote SVP of owned-and-earned media Rachel Klein says a key strategy to surviving a world where search engines devalue clicking on anything is to build authority, not swapping organic tactics for paid search.
Awards columnist Schneider highlights how the chat podcast has effectively usurped traditional broadcast talk shows in ubiquity. Clips of Conan O’Brien interviewing guests in a podcast studio perform as well (if not better) than the legacy TV talk shows he left behind. Taylor Swift announced her new album on a sports podcast. This year only 13 talk shows were submitted to the Emmys, which meant only 3 nominees were possible by Emmy rules. While awards like the Golden Globes adding a podcast-exclusive category are nice, Schneider argues the way to save talk shows is to acknowledge modern talk shows where they are: TV and, increasingly, video podcasting.
Cultural Capital: What Black Culture Means for Modern Brands
MAGNA Media Trials has a new global study done in partnership with Black-focused media company The Shade Room. The study surveyed adults aged 18+ who use social media in the U.S., U.K. and Nigeria. 78% of respondents from the U.S. and U.K., as well as 99% of Nigerian respondents, considered buying a product after seeing it discussed by Black creators, communities, or online platforms. 80% of surveyed Black audiences want brands to show up for them year-round, not just during June when Black History Month campaigns are en vogue. As has been proven through countless studies over the decades, brands that authentically advertise directly to audiences get better results than lowest-common-denominator campaigns (or token one-off diversity plays). And given diversity and authenticity are watchwords for our industry, podcasting is an indispensable part of those marketing mixes.
As for the rest of the news…
- AdLarge and their woman-first content platform the fwd. network have partnered with NumberEight to deliver privacy-first audience intelligence without relying on third-party cookies or IDs.
- Odeeo and Wondercraft have partnered to offer a solution that allows advertisers to create localized, personalized audio ads in multiple languages using generative AI.
- Multitude has partnered with True Native Media to bring seven of Multitude’s podcasts to the agency’s roster.
- Creator payment and underwriting platform Breakr Pay is now integrated into Ossa’s platform, allowing users to do same-day payments, use Breakr’s wallet and escrow system, and run cross-agency cross-network campaigns.
- Auddia is revamping their Faidr service so its premium AI features, such as ad-skipping, are freely available to all users, instead monetizing music so bands can pay Faidr for placement in AI radio streams.
- The New York Times covers SiriusXM’s podcasting future as the company continually grows its stable of celeb-driven chat shows.
