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HLS Streaming: The Future of Video Podcasts in RSS by Justin Jackson
The Podcast Standards Project has a new proposal of bringing HLS streaming to the podcast mainstream. HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), originally developed by Apple, is a streaming protocol that uses adaptive bitrate to allow users to stream video without downloading an entire file. All while automatically adjusting quality based on internet connection speed to ensure steady playback. HLS would also have the benefit of streaming audio as well, giving RSS feeds more ability to report back consumption analytics and measurement capabilities. As the post says, HLS could give creators and hosting platforms YouTube-level insights into their podcast content while still preserving the open, decentralized nature of RSS podcasting. For brevity’s sake I normally don’t often run quotes in The Download, but (like James Cridland’s coverage) I think this Justin Jackson quote sums it up: “If we don’t nail this, we’ll be essentially telling podcasters that their only real options for podcast video are YouTube and Spotify.” There is a timer on all of this. Without someone advocating for change – regardless of how difficult it might be to convince walled gardens to make that change – we have no chance of maintaining (let alone growing) the core distribution method of podcasting.
In the world of true-crime podcasting, brand safety is scary stuff by Jennimai Nguyen
Since Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood first hit The New Yorker in the 60s, true crime has blossomed into a thriving industry across all forms of media, with true crime podcasting being a foundational contribution to the growth of podcasting. Even with its proven success, though, brands remain skeptical. Jordan Newman, head of content partnerships at Spotify, says a lot of brands don’t want to be associated with graphic subjects, and brand-safety-aware brands tend to shy away from true crime outright as a genre. In contrast, those who do advertise on true crime find they’re tapping into a fandom so passionate it’s a core plot point of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. And as studies like The Medium Moves the Message have shown over the years, podcast audiences are self-selecting. They’re actively choosing to listen to content about grisly cold cases or headline-grabbing murders, and are more likely to support the brands that appear in the ad breaks because those brands are making that content they want possible.
Kast Media Emerges from Chapter 11 Restructuring with 85% Support
With the completion of their restructuring plan and approval by both claim value and number of creditors voting in favor, Kast Media is out of bankruptcy proceedings. According to their release, Kast also ran at an operational profit during the restructuring period. This morning, former Stitcher Director of Content and VP of iHeartMedia Podcast Programming Matty Staudt was announced as the new CEO of Kast Media, effective immediately. Founder Colin Thompson will now step into the role of Chief Creative Officer. Thompson has also published a blog detailing the circumstances that led to Kast Media’s bankruptcy. At the same time, he also published an open letter to the creator industry that details how Kast Media pays creators, as well as proposing new standards for protecting creators and their funding.
As for the rest of the news…
- Wondercraft has launched Convo Mode, a feature that allows users to script conversations like a screenplay that Wondercraft then generates a multi-speaker audio file using multiple generated voices to mimic a podcast conversation.
- LinkFire has a blog detailing lessons learned at The Podcast Show London.
- SCA has announced a slate of promotions and moves within LiSTNR leadership, including Stephen Haddad becoming Chief Operating Officer.
- Headgum has launched a new podcast called Landlines, featuring actor and producer Allison Williams chatting with her two best friends.
- In an interview with MarketingBrew, Spotify’s head of North America ad sales Ann Piper hit the nail on the head about the need for audio ad growth: “Audio from a time spent perspective is outpacing the money that goes there in terms of ad dollars.”
- Speaking of Spotify, Deadline covers a new big-ticket name signed to the company with Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club video podcast coming to the platform starting June 10th.
