Happy Sunday

Although some audio companies reported higher revenue in the latest quarter, recent reports from Bloomberg indicate that Podcast Studio Interval Presents is closing as part of Warner Music's cuts, eliminating 600 positions. This is not good news.

Together, let's assist our fellow podcast professionals. The newsletter's format has been slightly altered for today's edition.

We're going to start introducing new segments like Podcast Market and Podcast Research. Additionally, we'll be showcasing our partner, Podworks.io, for our podcast producers in our newsletter for Independent Podcast Producers.

Join podworks.io to showcase your talents if you are an independent podcast producer.

As always, Contact me via email, and don't forget to sign up for this newsletter here if you haven't already. Encourage a friend to subscribe as well!

PRESENTED BY MORNING BREW

Are you looking to get in front of 5000+ Independent Podcast Producers? Sponsor this Newsletter

📢 With four primary goals to support independent professionals and businesses in the podcast, radio, and audiobook industries, the professional trade association AudioUK has unveiled its new manifesto for 2024.

📢 Warner Music Group is eliminating 600 positions or 10% of its workforce. The goal of the reorganization is to save $200 million per year.

• With podcasts and other content in mind, Dexa is an AI-powered search engine that has raised $6 million in seed money. According to CEO Riley Tomasek, the company will use this funding to expand its engineering staff and make additional investments in product development.

• A $3.1 million pre-Series A round led by Quadri Ventures has been raised by London-based startup AudioStack, which aims to use artificial intelligence to transform large-scale audio production for businesses.

• PodcastOne's revenue increased in the most recent quarter, but its losses increased. The business reports that for the three months ending December 31, 2022, its fiscal third quarter revenue increased by 22%.

• Spotify's recent entry into the audiobook industry is profitable for publishers as well as for the streamer. According to data from Bookstat, Spotify led a 28% year-over-year increase in the US audiobook market in Q42023, accounting for 11% of the market and also hitting 236M subscribers.

• News Corp reported higher global revenue and profit for the three months ending December 31, 2023. In Australia, the News Media division's total revenues fell 6% year on year. The Foxtel Group's revenue increased by 2% due to a small increase in Kayo Sports and Binge subscriptions. However, there was also an increase in sports rights fees.
  
  

• The Infinite Dial® 2024, from Edison Research, with assistance from Audacy, Cumulus Media, and SiriusXM Media, will be broadcast live from Evolutions 2024 on Thursday, March 28th, Podcast Movement is thrilled to announce.

• Indeed, one can measure the contribution of AM/FM radio to site traffic and search. A +14% Average Increase in Website Traffic Is Found in LeadsRx 17-Campaign Analysis Owing To AM/FM Radio Advertising

• Podtrac release the Top Podcast Publishers and Top Podcasts rankings for January

• Edison Research released the Q4 2023 share of Ear Audio Dial revealed AM/FM Radio continues to make up the largest share of listening, accounting for more than one-third of daily time with audio among those age 13+.

• The yearly download benchmarking data for the company has been released by Omny Studio. There has been a slight decrease from 2022, when an episode could rank in the top 1% with 50,000 downloads within the first 30 days of release.
  

From its beginnings, podcasting has undergone significant change. A growing number of people worldwide are creating, listening to, and interacting with the medium, which is becoming a more visual and interactive format.

Spotify primary goal of making podcasting so incredibly easy that anyone, anywhere, can share their voice with the world has not changed, Spotify for Podcasters has evolved to serve a wider range of purposes. Our main goals right now are to provide you with the resources you need to engage with your fans in a genuine, meaningful way and to help you reach wider, more international audiences.

First, Spotify is excited to share that we are deepening our partnership with Riverside to provide a native, best-in-class creation experience right inside Spotify for Podcasters. (Continue here)

• The Hartford Live at SXSW on March 11 is the venue for the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards, which iHeartMedia announced its nominees for.

• Audacy Renews Relationship with Veritonic to Provide Clients with Actionable Audio Insights through Brand Lift and Creative Measurement

• The Joe Rogan Experience, the number one podcast in the world, has returned to Spotify. But this time around Rogan is not being kept on-platform.

• The popular Australian finance podcast, ‘My Millennial Money’, is embarking on a new direction as it rebrands to become ‘This Is Money’.

• Bumper launches Podcast X-Ray, a free podcast research tool that surfaces hidden podcast data and insights for more than 2.5 million shows.

• Audacy and Stak launch a limited-run podcast series with the late legendary director, Peter Bogdanovic, best known for Hollywood classics The Last Paper Show and Paper Moon.

• Flightpath Signs YMH Studios. This partnership provides the YMH team with trusted available inventory, tools to manage baked-in and DAI opportunities, and deep insight into how to better drive revenue growth.

• Acast, the podcast company, has announced that The Telegraph is the latest major UK news publisher to join under a new deal that includes potential podcast subscription plans.

• New Show Fueled by Evergreen Podcasts, Pit Pass NASCAR Takes the Checkered Flag.

• Blubrry has released its January-focused statistical report. Just 1.72% of downloads come from Spotify.
  

• The company announced that as part of its broader growth strategy, podcast hosting and monetization platform Adelicious has promoted managing director Andrew Goldsmith to CEO.

• Realm Welcomes Kids and family audiobook publishing legend Tim Ditlow to board of advisors.

• Leading sports podcaster Blue Wire announced three executive team promotions on Wednesday. Brittany Machado was appointed Senior Vice President of Business Affairs, Luke Pagano as Chief Revenue Officer, and Andrew Rotondi as Chief Operating Officer.

• Travis Albritton, a former Buzzsprout head of content, has been named as the new head of marketing at podcast production company Amaze Media Labs.

• After nearly six years, Ralph Lee, the CEO of BBC Studios Productions, will be departing the BBC's commercial division in April to take on a new challenge outside the company.
  
  

Apple Podcasts Transcripts: What You Need to Know

Transcripts are a new feature that Apple Podcasts announced last week and will debut in the spring.

This is significant. It means Apple Podcasts is supporting the open standards of podcasting and creating a more welcoming listening experience!

The Buzzcast team is already breaking down what this addition means for the podcasting industry, content creators, and fans alike!

Wondery announced the launch of Black History, For Real, a weekly podcast series breaking down the lesser-known events and individuals that have shaped Black culture. Hosted by TV writer, producer, and actress Franchesca Ramsey, alongside educator and digital storyteller Conscious Lee, Black History.

Ryan Kavanaugh and Manifest Media, a creative studio dedicated to revolutionizing podcasting, launched an all-new podcast, "FAILURE” today. This 24-episode series promises to be a compelling exploration of the human experience, offering insights into the deepest lows and failures that life can bring and how these adversities can serve as catalysts for redemption and triumph.

Adalyst Media, the podcast network “where women and moms come to listen,” announces the launch of Unsticking It! hosted by Blaire Brooks & Molly Lloyd, past co-hosts of the popular parenting podcast Toddler Purgatory.

Could there be a better and more fantastically disgusting title for a kids' podcast? The Battle of the Zombie Boogers is the brand new season of LiSTNR’s hugely popular and award-winning Busy Bodies podcast, written and hosted by the much loved children’s entertainer and comedian Mr Snot Bottom

 Curate a list

Nilyn Matugas

Would you like to appear in an upcoming newsletter? Visit us at podworks.io to share your exciting project updates with us!

Here are our current featured roles. Check the job board for more jobs and some freelance gigs.

• Senior Podcast Producer - Listen, Remotely working with UK-based team

• Associate Podcast Producer, Amicus - Fulltime( Hybrid) ,Brooklyn New York

• Podcast Producer, Decorder Ring - Fulltime( Hybrid) ,Brooklyn New York

Please mention Podworks.io or Podwires in your application.

Do you need to hire for your podcast? Here's where you can post a job (for free). Come hang out with us at podworks.io if you are a professional podcast producer!

• Introducing a special "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session, Podbean is excited to announce. On Thursday, February 22nd at 2pm Eastern, there will be an interactive event catering to podcast enthusiasts as well as those who are new to the medium.

• Edison Research and WorldDAB present “Dashboard Dialogue” hosted by Edison Research Vice President Megan Lazovick, and WorldDAB President Jaqueline Bierhorst.

• Our first events for 2024 are now also open for registration with the year kicking off with our Sydney Audio Summit and Melbourne Audio Summit 

• Design a Great Podcast with Strategy In Mind. This class will take you through a design process that blends vision, planning, and strategy.

• The Hot Pod Summit is returning to Brooklyn on February 28th, 2024, as part of On Air Fest for a day of in-depth talks, intimate conversations, and industry networking.

• The Institute for Independent Journalists 2024 Freelance Journalism Conference on February 29 and March 1, 2024

• Lower Street, the organisation behind the Brand Podcast Virtual Summit, has released the complete list of speakers. The free event is intended for those who want to start or expand a brand podcast.

• Podcast Group Therapy: How to Launch a Podcast. A 1-hour interactive session diving into a niche podcast marketing strategy with Tink Media's marketing experts. It's happening on February 23rd at 3 pm ET/noon PT, and sign-ups close on the 16th. Register here.

• The Podcast Show London is back, and from May 24–25, it will unite thousands of podcast enthusiasts from around the world under one roof at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

Welcome to the Podcaster Toolbox, a crowd-sourced resource for independent, DIY, and/or beginning home-based podcasters.

The Kangaroofern Media Lab team will review the resources submitted here and add them as soon as possible to the Podcaster Toolbox.

• 🏜️ Transistor.fm - is a powerful and simple podcasting platform. The ability to host multiple podcasts on one account makes it ideal for podcasters with multiple shows.

• 🎙️ Acast - is a podcast hosting service that enables you to publish, share, and earn money from your podcasts.

• 🎧 Epidemic Sound - is a company that provides content producers with access to a sizable library of royalty-free music.

• 🚗 Niceboard - modern job board software, helps communities and organisations create and manage job boards.

• 📼 Tubebuddy - is a complete tool for YouTube channel management and growth.

• 📹 VidIQ - is a website for learning that focuses on offering video tutorials and analytics to aid users in expanding their YouTube channels.

The complete Toolbox can be seen at https://www.podworks.io/toolbox

Send press releases, jobs, events and podcast ads in the street to [email protected]. Editorially, we may rewrite headlines and descriptions.

🚀 Advertise with our newsletter to get in front of Podcasters and Podcast Producers