The incredible shrinking podcast industry by Max Tani
This article covers Apple’s change to auto-download behavior that was released with iOS17 back in September. While the change was a net positive for the health of the download metric, many podcasters were surprised by the sudden change. Tani’s piece serves as an excellent reason why clear and open communication is key for podcasting’s future, as despite the Apple Podcast bugfix being a collaborative effort by over sixty podcasting companies, Semafor was able to interview several sources at large publishers and not hear mention of it. It should also be noted that the bug (Apple Podcasts auto-downloading every missed episode if a user came back after an extended absence) was in fact a bug and not an intentional design decision that was later reversed. [Source]
TikTok reports non-skippable video ads may harm engagement by Nicola Agius
A new study conducted by TikTok and MAGNA Media Trials reports 73% of TikTok users surveyed say being able to skip ads makes them more engaged in the viewing experience. 56% say they actively watch videos sponsored by a brand when they have that option to skip. Good news for TikTok’s scrolling video app, which enables users to skip past sponsored content at any time. Much in the same way open podcasting has had fully skippable ads since the industry’s inception. [Source]
How children’s privacy laws complicate connected TV tracking practices by Tim Peterson
Connected TV faces a legal gray area when it comes to IP address-level tracking, as children’s privacy laws consider IP addresses to qualify as “personal information.” Leading to a sticky situation where collecting the IP address of a household known to house a child could be considered illegal under legislation like California’s Consumer Privacy Act or future changes to the federal level with the FTC updating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. While CTV is on the front lines of dealing with current and upcoming legislation that limits advertising to children, podcasting also uses IP addresses for targeting reasons. Digiday’s Tim Peterson breaks down the current legal landscape for CTV tracking and a handful of both upcoming and potential state-level legislation in a 9 minute YouTube video. [Source]
S&P says advertisers have resumed spending
According to Standard & Poor’s forecasts for 2024, the U.S. digital advertising revenue total will increase 10.2% year over year, largely due to stabilizing global economy and growth after a shaky 2023. Digital video and retail media networks are projected to be the fastest-expanding segments of advertising as they directly benefit from growth in digital shopping, video consumption, and CTV. [Source]
iHeartMedia Announces Return of ‘The iHeartPodcast Awards’ with Live Event in Partnership with SXSW on March 11, 2024
On March 11th, the iHeartAwards will be presented live at South by Southwest in the Fairmont Hotel, as well as broadcast live online. The awards ceremony caps off a more podcasting-heavy SXSW, following Sound’s Profitable’s first official full day Business of Podcasting event on Saturday, March 9th. The series of four panels, nestled within the Advertising track, will remote discussion that elevates podcasting as an industry. [Source]
…as for the rest of the news: PodPod reports Audioboom has hit 35% year-over-year revenue growth, Flightpath premiers campaign predictions that can project one year into the future, Magellan AI adds attention metrics with Adelaide, and Pushkin appoints Gretta Cohn as CEO.
