Bryan writes…

Over the last few months, I’ve had the absolute privilege of attending and speaking at podcast events in North America and Europe. Every 15-minute coffee meeting propelled each relationship months ahead, enabling some truly fantastic opportunities for all parties to grow. And every panel that I was able to actually make it to or participate in spurred a dozen new conversations with people I just hadn’t had the opportunity to cross paths with before that session.

Podcasting is an incredibly broad term, ranging from “I just recorded my first episode” all the way to a Hollywood-level production and everything in between. And it’s because of the range that coveted term holds that we’ve yet to find an event completely tailored toward the mid-to-enterprise business leadership that Sounds Profitable so specifically focuses on.

The HotPod Summit scratched some of that itch for me with its single-track setup, but both the topics and the accompanying On Air Fest were appropriately focused on the production side of podcasting over the business side. The IAB Podcast UpFronts succeeded in unanimously disappointing everyone by choosing to run a three-day digital event instead of the in-person event that could have satiated this need. And Podcast Show London had the most perfect space to connect with everyone attending the conference, directly in the middle of the space, but with over 5,000 attendees at the debut event, it had to satisfy many needs (which it did, admirably). Still, I wondered what it would be like to hold a smaller, single-track event with a single focus; not to compete with these events (or lack of), but simply to add some much-needed space for the leadership of podcasting to convene and push the space forward.

On its own, a one-day business-focused event would be a hard sell to just about anyone, even in NYC or LA. But as an industry, we absolutely need one. A day dedicated to the real tough conversations that the industry needs to have in order for us to drive the progress that leads to a $4bn US podcast advertising industry and then some. So, for an event like this to thrive, it would need to be attached to the undisputed leading podcast industry event in America.

Which is why I am incredibly excited to announce the first ever Sounds Profitable Business Leaders Summit, in collaboration with Podcast Movement on Tuesday, August 23rd, in Dallas, Texas.

Keeping with the momentum of our announcement that Tom Webster has officially joined Sounds Profitable as partner, we wanted to hit the ground running on our core mission: to set the course for the future of the audio business. We know that to do that, we need to gather the best and brightest not only to share knowledge, but to confront the realities of where we are today vs where we need to be tomorrow as an industry.

The Summit

I find myself torn between 1:1 meetings and attending panels whenever I go to an event. Worse, with my specific interests, it’s incredibly easy for panels I want to see to overlap. Now, I will say, I personally have found value in every single podcast and audio event I’ve attended since starting Sounds Profitable, but to drive progress, we need focus. With both meetings and panels critical to a great event, we built out our summit with only four sessions and ample time in between each to continue the conversation. They are:

Quarterly Research Report

We’ll kick things off at 9am with the first report from Sounds Profitable’s quarterly research series, broadcast live (and recorded for on-demand) for the whole industry to enjoy. As Tom laid out a few weeks back, research is going to be a key pillar of the new Sounds Profitable, and what better way to highlight that commitment than to tie our research together with three actionable sessions.

Measurement, video, and programmatic are words we hear in conversation every single day. Sometimes positively, occasionally from a negative perspective, and most often from a place of curiosity. So we’ve gathered the best and brightest to make sure we’re all on the same page, as each of these three topics continue to grow in popularity and importance.

The Metrics of Success

Podcast measurement gets a bad rap but there’s actually a lot more measurable data at our fingertips than you’d think. Hear the latest success stories from the brands, agencies, networks, and platforms running the most effective podcast ad campaigns right now. What are they measuring and optimizing for? Be there as we name names and unpack actionable campaign data.

Video & Podcasting

Video is coming to audio… the only question is, are you ready? Learn from the platforms, networks, and tech shaping how video will be an integral part of audio’s growth. Walkaway with an actionable approach to weaving video into your area of the podcast business.

Podcast Programmatic 101

To date, only a small percentage of podcast inventory is sold programmatically…but that’s rapidly changing. Learn all about podcast programmatic; how it’s growing, the pros and cons of this shift in podcast ad buying and the tech necessary to engage in the marketplace.

Each panel is focused on providing a pitch-less opportunity for attendees to be educated on the topic, see full-detail case studies with brand names included that inspire confidence, and hear tough questions and spark conversations about where we go next. We’ll end with a Q&A, followed by an hour break in the adjoining room to enable the attendees and panelists to continue conversations directly.

Presenting the topic is only half of the equation to growing the industry, so it’s incredibly important to us that everyone has the opportunity to continue the conversations in a more direct environment and at their own pace while the topic is fresh on their mind.

How To Attend the Summit

I am a massive proponent of remote work and the diversity it brings to our industry. But I also am realistic and recognize that for some things, being together in person is the most powerful and efficient way to drive progress.

It is incredibly important to us that we create an environment focused on sparking those candid conversations that drive the industry forward. To do that, we’ve decided that the only portion of this event that will be available publicly is our quarterly research report. And while we have immense respect for journalists covering our industry, the Sounds Profitable Business Leaders Summit will not be open to them.

So, who can attend this event? Individuals from organizations that sponsor Sounds Profitable, at no added cost. Not a sponsor? We’d invite you to join SXM Media, Wondery, Megaphone and over 75 other leading companies to become part of what we are doing here at Sounds Profitable.

In every avenue that Sounds Profitable expands, our goal is not to launch ideas that can only come to light with new funding or support, but rather move forward with making them a reality because we know that they need to exist. We thank all of you for your tireless support and are truly excited to provide you the avenue to drive this industry forward, faster than any analyst can estimate.

If you’d like to attend or learn more about becoming a sponsor, please hit reply to this email. I hope to see you in Dallas in a few months!

New Sponsors

Sounds Profitable exists thanks to the continued support of our amazing sponsors. Each sponsor receives one hour of consulting per month as a way to say thanks.

• Lower Street – Brands are built by humans. Brands should be more human in the way they communicate. Lower Street helps brands do that by partnering to develop, produce, and grow amazing podcasts.

Rel’s Recs

Arielle Nissenblatt of EarBuds Podcast Collective this week has chosen Crime Writers On… from Partners in Crime Media, hosted by Simplecast.

It’s really hard to be a critic in the podcast space. It such a tight-knit community and lots of creators personally know each other. With this in mind, most people, if they don’t like something or have a bone to pick with how a production was handled, say nothing. Which is fine. Understandable, even. Rebecca Lavoie and the panelists on Crime Writers On always say something. Their criticism is nuanced and valuable, and helps guide me as a listener in this world where there is SO much to check out. So this is a meta recommendation for a podcast about podcast recommendations.

Market Insights with Magellan AI

Last week Magellan AI released its April Market Update . As part of that webinar we compared the Mother’s Day spending for Storyworth during April of 2021 and 2022.

We found that between March and April of 2021 Storyworth increased spend by 1163%, promoting its product for Mother’s Day. During same period in 2022 they increased their spend by 625%, spending over $700k during the month of our April alone. We wanted to highlight this because it is a perfect example of the seasonality of certain advertisers in the podcast space. With data powered by Magellan AI we can study historical trends in the podcast space and make better predictions for what to expect in the future.

Interested in more insights like this? Sign up to join the May 15-minute monthly update.

Anatomy of an Ad with ThoughtLeaders

Sponsoring brand: KiwiCo

Where we caught the ad: https://podnews.net/podcast/imvs

Who else has sponsored this podcast? BetterHelp, Best Fiends, Daily Harvest, Liquid I.V

Where else has this brand appeared? Didn’t I Just Feed You, Beyond the Bump, The Laughing Couple, Trashy Divorces

Why it works: The episode focuses on Girl Scouts and the hosts did a great job leading into the brand sponsorship – KiwiCo – with the line “why don’t we just give them a kiwico box and call it a day”. The ad-read got straight to the point, highlighting the service’s unique selling points and even including a personal anecdote by the hosts. It was fun, short and sweet. What more could you ask for from a podcast brand sponsorship?

Check out all the in-depth Anatomy of an Ad from ThoughtLeaders!