Podcasts about adexchanger

Two big things are about to ripple the $150 billion local advertising pond. But Corey & Gordon acknowledge completely ignoring them in their newly released annual missive on the state of local advertising. Was it an oversight, or is there something else behind the omission? The podcast features an interview with Allison Schiff, managing editor of AdExchanger, who offers her thoughts on the speed of one of the approaching comets.Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

In her last week at AdExchanger, Senior Editor Alyssa Boyle reflects on three years of change, and stasis, in the CTV space. Then, how Ozempic is changing the marketing world.

Alison Weissbrot is executive editor at ADWEEK, overseeing agency, brand and creative news coverage. She was previously editor in chief of Campaign US and spent nearly five years at AdExchanger covering agencies and convergent TV. She is based in New York.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

ADWEEK COMPLETE SUPER BOWL 59 AD TRACKER Check out EVERY Super Bowl 59 ad below: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/super-bowl-59-ad-tracker-watch-all-commercials-2025/  ALISON WEISSBROT BIO Alison Weissbrot is executive editor at ADWEEK, overseeing agency, brand and creative news coverage. She was previously editor in chief of Campaign US and spent nearly five years at AdExchanger covering agencies and convergent TV. She is based in New York.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.

Alison Weissbrot is executive editor at ADWEEK, overseeing agency, brand and creative news coverage. She was previously editor in chief of Campaign US and spent nearly five years at AdExchanger covering agencies and convergent TV. She is based in New York.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Recorded from the showroom floor at CES, the AdExchanger editorial team talks about the intersection of consumer electronics and advertising with our guest, Monks head of AI innovation Dave Meeker. From the responsible use of AI to new ad experiences that will be enabled by tech on the showroom floor, we dig into what caught our eye this year.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: On Air Fest grows ever-larger for 2025, James Cridland examines TuneIn's layoffs and cost-cutting, the IAB collects examples of best practices in podcasting, AdExchanger talks tired trends of 2024 advertising, and principal-based media buying is growing more popular. Here's something different: a podcast *campaign* to keep people home for the holidays! So many people are one crisis away from becoming unhoused, like Keoni Washington, a young boxer who lost his mom to COVID and had to provide for his brothers. The podcast Sharing Stories gives a window into their lives and how one-time rental assistance helped them through a tough stretch. They're encouraging other podcasts (like yours!) to spread the word about rental assistance this season -- like by running a “PSA” in place of an ad. More info here!For links to every article covered, catch the newsletter version of the episode here on Sounds Profitable. 

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: On Air Fest grows ever-larger for 2025, James Cridland examines TuneIn's layoffs and cost-cutting, the IAB collects examples of best practices in podcasting, AdExchanger talks tired trends of 2024 advertising, and principal-based media buying is growing more popular. Here's something different: a podcast *campaign* to keep people home for the holidays! So many people are one crisis away from becoming unhoused, like Keoni Washington, a young boxer who lost his mom to COVID and had to provide for his brothers. The podcast Sharing Stories gives a window into their lives and how one-time rental assistance helped them through a tough stretch. They're encouraging other podcasts (like yours!) to spread the word about rental assistance this season -- like by running a “PSA” in place of an ad. More info here!For links to every article covered, catch the newsletter version of the episode here on Sounds Profitable. 

From the Amazon Ads Unboxed conference, AdExchanger reports on the ad tech products it's building. Plus, why brand safety and news publishers remain at odds with each other, and what each side is doing about it.

Here's what you need to know for this week in the business of podcasting: layoffs at Paramount audio, new features on YouTube, and optimizing the news with AdExchanger. Find links to every article mentioned and the full write-up here on Sounds Profitable.

Here's what you need to know for this week in the business of podcasting: layoffs at Paramount audio, new features on YouTube, and optimizing the news with AdExchanger. Find links to every article mentioned and the full write-up here on Sounds Profitable.

Index Exchange CEO Andrew Casale, fresh off the witness stand for US v. Google, and AdExchanger's courtroom reporter, Allison Schiff, join us to analyze the ad tech trial of the century.

“Generous leadership is standing up for what is right.” Chapters: 00:00  Introduction of James Rooke 03:53  Background and Influences 08:19  Lessons from Father's Leadership Style 12:08  Simplifying Decision-Making Filters 26:21  Staying Close to the Front Lines 31:15  Creating a Culture of Generosity 36:25  Humility and Vulnerability in Leadership 41:06  The Power of Small Acts 45:06 Creating Experiences that Shape Beliefs 48:59 Being Present and Engaged with Employees 52:55 Walking the Talk: Authenticity and Integrity Episode Summary: James Rooke, President of Comcast Advertising, shares insights on leadership and decision-making. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing patterns and investing in talent. James learned valuable lessons from his father, who taught him the significance of generous leadership and standing up for what is right. He also gained insights from his early career experiences, which highlighted the common root causes of organizational challenges. James recommends leaders stay close to the front lines and have simple filters to guide decision-making. He also discusses the need to balance a high-level view with deep dives into specific areas. In this conversation, James shares his approach to leadership and the importance of generosity in the workplace. He emphasizes the value of being present and engaged with employees at all levels, and the power of small acts of recognition and appreciation. James also discusses the need for leaders to have humility and vulnerability, and the importance of making quick decisions and being adaptable. He highlights the impact of creating experiences that shape beliefs and change culture, and the role of authenticity and integrity in leadership. James provides valuable insights and practical advice for cultivating a generous leadership style. R.O.G. Takeaway Tips: Recognizing patterns and investing in talent are key to leadership success. Generous leadership involves standing up for what is right and acting with integrity. Common root causes exist across industries, and focusing on human beings is crucial. Leaders should stay close to the front lines and have simple filters for decision-making. Balancing a high-level view with deep dives into specific areas is essential for effective leadership.  Generous leadership is about the culmination of small acts that have a lasting impact. Recognition and appreciation, even in small gestures, can have a profound effect on employees. Leaders should prioritize humility and vulnerability, as well as authenticity and integrity. Quick decision-making and adaptability are crucial in a fast-paced and uncertain environment. Creating experiences that shape beliefs and change culture is a powerful way to lead. Being present and engaged with employees at all levels fosters a sense of connection and belonging. Guest Bio: James Rooke is president of Comcast Advertising, the advertising division of Comcast Cable that fosters powerful connections between brands and their audiences as well as among publishers, distributors, MVPDs, agencies and other industry players. In this role, James oversees the operation of the company, which includes Effectv, FreeWheel and AudienceXpress. Most recently, James was general manager of Effectv, where he led a nationwide team across sales, product, engineering, data and operations focused on enabling marketers to reach their target audiences across TV and video streaming platforms. Since adopting the role in January 2020, he successfully led Effectv's transformation to a multi-screen, audience delivery company including bringing the more widespread use of data to TV advertising strategies, as well as driving addressable advertising and programmatic Capabilities. Prior to leading Effectv, James oversaw FreeWheel's global publisher business unit responsible for providing TV programmers and distributors with advertising technology to manage the monetization of their video content. During his eight-year tenure at FreeWheel, he also helped design, launch and scale FreeWheel's first video marketplace; led the Advisory Services practice, a consulting business unit; and served as the company's chief revenue officer. Earlier in his career, James worked in the media business at Time Warner Cable (now Charter Communications) as vice president of strategy and execution. He was also a principal in the media and entertainment practice at Capgemini, a consulting and technology company. He began his career as an associate consultant at EY (then known as Ernst & Young) in London. James speaks at many major industry conferences including Cannes Lions, Advertising Week and IAB and is often featured in leading business and industry media, including Business Insider, Advertising Age, Adweek, AdExchanger, Broadcasting & Cable, The Drum and more. Additionally, James is focused on moving the industry forward, sitting on the board of the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) and Ampersand and acting as a board advisor to TVision. James earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Birmingham in the U.K. He resides with his wife and two daughters in New York. Resources: Comcast Advertising  James Rooke Where to find R.O.G. Podcast: R.O.G on YouTube R.O.G on Apple Podcasts R.O.G on Spotify How diverse is your network?  N.D.I. Network Diversity Index What is your Generosity Style?  Generosity Quiz Credits: James Rooke, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc. Coming Next: Please join us next week, Episode 195, with special guest Yvette Kanouff.

Award-winning data ethics and responsible media luminary Arielle Garcia is the Director of Intelligence at Check My Ads. In her role, she partners with businesses and organizations to lead research and develop standards and solutions that foster a healthier market, protect civil and human rights, and promote industry accountability.  A steadfast advocate for transparency, trust, and fairness in the digital ecosystem, she has advised 100+ marketers on the evolving digital landscape, driving the development and adoption of trustworthy and effective media and data strategies for the benefit of brands and their customers. She was previously the Chief Privacy and Responsibility Officer at UM Worldwide, and she holds a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.. In 2021, Arielle was inducted into the AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement. She has also been recognized by Crain's New York Business "20 in their 20s," a Cynopsis “Top Woman in Media” in 2021, and a “Top Woman in Media & Ad Tech” by AdExchanger in 2023. In this episode… In the intricate world of ad tech, the exchange of data has become as common as trading stocks on Wall Street. Marketers now have advanced tools to pinpoint their target audience, but this data trove also brings significant privacy concerns. Brands are often challenged with the privacy implications of tracking, data selling, and sharing. And that's understandable -  it's a complex web of information, and it's not always clear where consumer data ends up.  With the imminent demise of third-party cookies, companies are exploring new methods to sustain behavioral targeting like data clean rooms, conversion APIs, and alternative identifiers, raising questions about their privacy implications. That's why Check My Ads is on a mission to keep the ad tech ecosystem in check by calling out false narratives and defunding bad actors that spread misinformation to drive systemic change. In today's episode of She Said Privacy/He Said Security, Jodi and Justin Daniels welcome Arielle Garcia, the Director of Intelligence at Check My Ads, to discuss some of the biggest privacy challenges facing the ad tech ecosystem today. Arielle highlights the fundamental conflict between ad tech business models and business privacy obligations, emphasizing the need for a shift toward consumer-centric approaches. She also shares the implications of third-party cookie deprecation, critiques current and emerging advertising business models, and discusses the critical need for implementing secure and effective media and data practices to benefit companies and their customers.

Our other “a-ha” moments from the conference, including observations on CTV, the state of commerce media, programmatic transparency – and the lack thereof. (Oh, and as an aside, somebody at the show told me they'd fed my AdExchanger articles into an LLM that could practically reproduce my work in a snap. Which is cool. Not.)

How does a product marketer end up in the CEO seat? Moving from being an analyst at Forrester to starting at BlueConic as a product marketer and doing many different jobs at the company over the years landed Cory Munchback the CEO seat.Fully backed by the founder, Cory shares her remarkable journey from analyst to CEO, detailing the vital lessons learned and the strategies that have shaped her leadership.Cory's Path to CEOCory started her career at Forrester Research, gaining invaluable insights into marketing leadership and technology strategy. This foundational experience at Forrester was crucial as she transitioned to BlueConic, where she began as the Director of Product Marketing. Reflecting on her diverse roles within the company, Cory notes, "I've always been someone who feels how the system works."Key Takeaways for CEOsEmpathy and Understanding Across Roles: Cory emphasizes the importance of understanding every department's role in achieving the company's objectives. She shares, "I have a deep reverence and admiration for the skills that they bring, because I literally knew I wasn't good enough at them or wasn't passionate about them to do it myself."Replacing the Founder as CEO: Cory highlights the smooth transition from the founder being the CEO to her replacing him as a well-planned succession. "He was fully behind me. This was a thoughtful succession plan...me taking over was something he valued as part of his own legacy," Cory explains, underscoring the significance of support and clear communication during leadership transitions.The Importance of Customer-Centric Leadership: The customer is at the core of Cory's leadership philosophy. Coming from product marketing she knows better than most that you have to stay close to the customer. Don't miss the rapid fire session at the end of the episode where Cory shares her favorite books and podcasts that have influenced her career and leadership style.For an in-depth understanding of Cory Munchbach's strategic approaches and personal influences that have shaped her journey at BlueConic, listen to the full episode.Join us next week on Sales Talk for CEOs for more insights from top executives on driving growth and leadership effectiveness.Chapters00:00 Introduction - Unveiling the critical sales knowledge CEOs need to thrive in modern markets.00:03 Female CEO Spotlight - Kicking off with excitement for female CEOs and the fresh perspectives they bring to the table.01:05 Welcome Cory Munchbach - Introducing Cory Munchbach, CEO of Blueconic, and her unexpected career journey.01:29 Exploring Blueconic - Diving into what Blueconic does, its ideal customer profile, and how their tech drives business forward.02:26 The Importance of Consumer Insights - Discussing the necessity for brands to deeply understand consumer behaviors.02:44 Cory's Path to CEO - A look at Cory's progression within Blueconic and her transition to the CEO role.03:02 From Analyst to CEO - Tracing Cory's professional roots from Forrester Research to her leadership position.05:03 The Lure to Blueconic - Cory shares what drew her to join a fresh, dynamic startup and tackle new challenges.06:07 The Marriage of Sales and Product Marketing - Understanding how product marketing works in unison with sales to achieve success.07:56 Initial Sales Struggles & Strategies - Reflecting on early sales efforts and the push for establishing brand credibility.08:05 Rapid Role Progression - Cory recounts the various roles she adapted on her way to the top.11:14 Cultivating Customer Success - Emphasizing the need for focusing on customer satisfaction to drive sales and business growth.14:15 Journey to CEO - Cory's evolution within Blueconic and the responsibilities she accumulated along the way.17:11 Cory's Role in Sales as CEO - Outlining how the CEO's involvement can significantly impact sales initiatives.About GuestAs the CEO of customer data platform BlueConic, Cory has spent her career on the cutting edge of marketing technology and has years of experience working with Fortune 500 clients from various industries. Before joining the BlueCrew, she was an analyst at Forrester Research where she covered business and consumer technology trends and the fast-moving marketing tech landscape. A sought-after speaker and industry voice, Cory's work has been featured in Financial Times, Forbes, Raconteur, AdExchanger, The Drum, Venture Beat, Wired, AdAge, and Adweek. A life-long Bostonian, Cory has a bachelor's degree in political science from Boston College and spends a considerable amount of her non-work hours on various volunteer and philanthropic initiatives in the greater Boston community. The rest of that time is spent hanging with family and friends; running around with her rescue dog; or – most likely of all – reading.Connect with Cory on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/Corymunchbach/BlueConic LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueconic/Check out Alice's website: https://aliceheiman.com/Connect with Alice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/

Shellee and Josh discuss: - Is the SAT/ACT really necessary? - Importance of AP classes - Setting your student up for success by knowing how much they can handle About Josh: As the leader behind Lemonade Education, an AP and academic tutoring company, Josh brings a wealth of experience in innovation and general management for education and technology businesses. Lemonade Education was founded on a simple belief that the quality of teaching, above all else, is instrumental in helping students achieve success. Josh's career includes leadership roles at Gannett/USA Today, ReachLocal, and Yahoo Inc. He has consistently led teams to business growth by providing new value to customers. His education background includes a B.S. in Business from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and an M.A. in Education from San Diego State University. Throughout his career, businesses under Josh's leadership have earned recognition from industry leaders, including Google (winning their Innovation Award), AdExchanger, and Gartner. With a commitment to excellence, Josh Siegel continues to shape the future of education and technology, with the goal of positively impacting the lives of customers. Connect with Josh: - Website: https://www.lemonadeeducation.com/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lemonade.education/?view_public_for=105964284740363 - LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjoshsiegel/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemonade.education Connect with Shellee: Website: https://collegereadyplan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_WodPHDfSWEbiPdsRDbyQ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gocollegeready Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegereadyplan/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeReadyPlan/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/college-ready/ Email: shellee@collegereadyplan.com

Staying on top of Apple and Google's ongoing policy changes to app tracking and user privacy is a business imperative for advertisers and essential for the future of the mobile marketing industry. It's also been Allison Schiff's job. As a journalist, she has covered privacy topics in the marketing technology field for over a decade. In this episode, Allison shares her views on how the mobile advertising industry received Apple's ATT framework, what Apple is doing now, and how Google has approached the Android Privacy Sandbox rollout. Catch up on the last few years of mobile privacy, and find out how to prepare for what's ahead.Allison Schiff is the managing editor of AdExchanger, a leading source for news, analysis, and events dedicated to the data-driven marketing technology industry. As a journalist in the space, Allison primarily covers privacy topics, measurement, attribution, and retail media. She is also the host of the AdExchanger podcast, AdExchanger Talks.Questions Allison Answered in this Episode:How do you stay informed on policy changes with privacy? Why is this shift in privacy happening?What is Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework? And how does it work?Have you heard any theories about Apple changing the way they are rolling out ATT and doing measurement?How would you describe Google Privacy Sandbox? And what does it set out to achieve?What are your recommendations for app marketers to stay up-to-date on all these privacy changes? What should advertisers expect and prepare for?How would you explain the last ten years of privacy in adtech to a 5-year-old?What do you think is going to be the buzzword or hottest topic of 2024?Timestamp:1:28 Allison's background7:20 Staying on top of privacy changes10:00 ATT & the industry's adaptive response13:27 Recap: Apple's ATT rollout19:48 Apple begins soliciting feedback from adtech26:06 Android Privacy Sandbox APIs30:12 How advertisers can prepare for privacy changes37:15 The most important buzzword for advertisers in 2024Quotes:(5:43-5:58) “Privacy is absolutely essential to our coverage now. It comes up daily. Even stories that I'm writing or that my colleagues are writing that aren't ostensibly about privacy, you really have to address it anyway.”(26:46) “The main APIs being worked on [by Android Privacy Sandbox], or maybe incubated is the right word, are topics, protected audience, which used to be Fledge, and there's an attribution API, and those are all mobile app versions of the APIs that are also in the Chrome Privacy Sandbox. So, topics for basic targeting without cross-app identifiers, protected audience for remarketing, and the attribution APIs are obviously for attribution. And then there's this other API that's unique to Android, which is SDK run time.”(32:56-33:06) “The best question that I ever ask when I'm interviewing someone is to explain whatever it is as if I'm five. Even if I think I know, I learn every time.” Mentioned in this episode:Allison Schiff's LinkedInAdExchangerAdExchanger Talks

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: YouTube officially allows creators to publish podcasts via RSS feeds by Reem MakariAfter a tough year, podcast execs say 2024 will bring in new advertisers amid stiff competition for listeners by Sara GuaglioneLibsyn CPMs down 6% for 2023 by Adam ShepherdCan Programmatic Audio Rise In The Charts In 2024? by Hana Yoo…as for the rest of the news: Lower Street has announced their speaker lineup for a free brand podcast summit on January 24th, Adam Bowie looks at Edison's top 25 podcasts in the UK from Q3 2023, and AdExchanger looks at programmatic CTV's expected evolution for the year.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: YouTube officially allows creators to publish podcasts via RSS feeds by Reem MakariAfter a tough year, podcast execs say 2024 will bring in new advertisers amid stiff competition for listeners by Sara GuaglioneLibsyn CPMs down 6% for 2023 by Adam ShepherdCan Programmatic Audio Rise In The Charts In 2024? by Hana Yoo…as for the rest of the news: Lower Street has announced their speaker lineup for a free brand podcast summit on January 24th, Adam Bowie looks at Edison's top 25 podcasts in the UK from Q3 2023, and AdExchanger looks at programmatic CTV's expected evolution for the year.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Strong online sales show Black Friday was an ‘omnichannel event' by Alex VuocoloAd revenue is growing faster than expected, per analyst by Ryan BarwickDigiday+ Research: Publishers' programmatic revenue didn't shake out the way they'd hoped, but it's still a bright spot How audience-first creative is amplifying audio and video campaigns for 2024 by Alex Donics…as for the rest of the news: The trailer and IndieGoGo campaign for Age of Audio: A Tale of Modern Audio Storytelling are now live (spoiler alert: Sounds Profitable's own Tom Webster makes an appearance), Magellan AI has published their October 2023 top movers and shakers in podcast advertising, and AdExchanger proposes programmatic CTV is in its ‘consolidation phase' (a phase podcasting has already experienced and matured from).

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Strong online sales show Black Friday was an ‘omnichannel event' by Alex VuocoloAd revenue is growing faster than expected, per analyst by Ryan BarwickDigiday+ Research: Publishers' programmatic revenue didn't shake out the way they'd hoped, but it's still a bright spot How audience-first creative is amplifying audio and video campaigns for 2024 by Alex Donics…as for the rest of the news: The trailer and IndieGoGo campaign for Age of Audio: A Tale of Modern Audio Storytelling are now live (spoiler alert: Sounds Profitable's own Tom Webster makes an appearance), Magellan AI has published their October 2023 top movers and shakers in podcast advertising, and AdExchanger proposes programmatic CTV is in its ‘consolidation phase' (a phase podcasting has already experienced and matured from).

Arielle Garcia combines a really good understanding of the advertising industry with award-winning expertise in privacy and responsible data use. She is the founder of ASG solutions, a consultancy firm specifically focused on helping marketers drive sustainable growth through respectful marketing and was previously UM Worldwide's Chief Privacy Officer. She holds a JD from Fordham University and has been recognised as a Top Woman in Media and AdTech by AdExchanger in 2023 (as well by others in prior years). In 2021 she was inducted to the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Achievement due to her impact on the industry. What we have covered in this episode: The bigger picture of privacy challenges in the digital marketing industry Cookie and pixel inventories Does more data mean better results? Privacy consequences of the new “black box” offerings from the walled gardens Unconsented signals and Conversions APIs US-specific concerns regarding the use of health-related data in programmatic advertising Aligning customer expectations of privacy with business results References: Arielle Garcia, An Industry In Conflict: It's Time For Tough Questions And Hard Decisions (Ad Exchanger) Arielle Garcia on LinkedIn Arielle Garcia on X

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: What is the Optimal Number of Ads in an Audio Ad Break? by Lisa Prentis JacobsU.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue Study 2023: Drivers, Strategies, and Tactics for GrowthYouTube Culture & Trends Report 2023…as for the rest of the news: -AdExchanger shares what they overheard at the Prebid Summit, MarketingBrew shares what they overheard at Advertising Week, and Maria Novikova shares her top ten podcasts to stay abreast of news in adtech and marketing tech.

Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: What is the Optimal Number of Ads in an Audio Ad Break? by Lisa Prentis JacobsU.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue Study 2023: Drivers, Strategies, and Tactics for GrowthYouTube Culture & Trends Report 2023…as for the rest of the news: -AdExchanger shares what they overheard at the Prebid Summit, MarketingBrew shares what they overheard at Advertising Week, and Maria Novikova shares her top ten podcasts to stay abreast of news in adtech and marketing tech.

Yuliya Gorenko“Marketing Communications expert with 10+ years of experience in PR, influencer marketing, and communications.”About MeHI! I'm a marketing communications expert with over 10 years of track record in public relations, influencer marketing, and communications. My hands-on marketing expertise extends to various industries, including consumer goods, mobile apps, B2C SaaS, and enterprise software.I've worked with over 30 brands globally, including L'Oreal, Garnier, Maybelline New York, Hotspot Shield VPN, Turnitin, and DeleteMe.In 2020, I started Mischka Agency - a marketing communications boutique that helps brands deliver their vision to the world. Since then, I've been featured in AdExchanger, SeoBuddy, and Business2Community.I am passionate about developing powerful communication strategies that elevate the brand image and contribute to business growth. In my free time, I enjoy social psychology literature and volunteer for humanitarian projects in my native country of Ukraine. I am also an Executive Board member of Kulbaba – a 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds for people affected by Russia's war against my home country of Ukraine.I can speak about the ins and outs of influencer marketing campaigns, as well as about applying my marketing communications skills to charitable work.Past speaking: https://www.enago.com/see-the-future/conference-2021/speakers/yuliya-gorenko/The Doctor offers a complimentary website analysis, or a custom software open door session with Amplifi Labs: mick.smith@amplifilabs.com.Burning America: In the Best Interest of the Children?Mick, The Doctor of Digital, Smith mick.smith@wsiworld.comBurning America: In the Best Interest of the Children?https://burning-america.comAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/G-Mick-Smith/e/B0B59X5R79Also at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and TargetLeave a message for The Doctor of Digital:https://podinbox.com/thedoctorofdigitalpodcastInstagram: burningamericacommunityPatreon burningamericacommunity:https://www.patreon.com/SmithConsultingWSITheDoctorofDigitalPodcastListen, subscribe, share, and positively review The Aftermath:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aftermath-the-epidemic-of-divorce-custody-and-healing/id1647001828Substack:https://micksmith.substack.com/Commercials Voice Talent ||https://www.spreaker.com/user/7768747/track-1-commercialsNarratives Voice Talenthttps://www.spreaker.com/user/7768747/track-2-narrativesDo you want a free competitive analysis for your business?https://marketing.wsiworld.com/free-competitive-analysis?utm_campaign=Mick_Smith_Podcast&utm_source=SpreakerMake an Appointment:https://www.picktime.com/TheDoctorOfDigitalBe sure to subscribe, like, & review The Doctor of Digital™ PodcastSign up for the Doctor Up Your Life courseFacebook || Instagram || Twitter || LinkedIn || YouTubehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gmicksmith/

The AdExchanger editorial team recaps what we learned in data privacy, retail media and connected TV at this year's Programmatic IO.

Ever wonder why Amazon seems to always be ahead of the curve while Google seems to be playing catch up? Join me and James Hercher from AdExchanger as we pull back the curtain on the lucrative yet often under-discussed world of e-commerce and D2C. We dive into the intersection of commerce, media, and advertising technology, highlighting why Amazon's risk-taking approach grants them the edge ahead of Google and how human input continues to be pivotal in automation-dominated platforms.Can you imagine AI taking over creative tasks and producing original content? As our conversation evolves, we delve into the stagnating ad market and the rise of AI, specifically its influence on businesses. James shares intriguing insights on companies like Colgate-Palmolive, which are leveraging AI for dynamic product listings to shape future customer experiences. We explore the potential and limitations of AI in the creative space, igniting a stimulating debate on AI's capacity for originality. As we examine the future of advertising, we touch on the increasing role of cloud computing. We consider the impact of tech giants like Amazon and Google in developing services like identity resolution and data clean rooms. We also evaluate the implications of automation on customer service and the potential opportunities that companies like Google and Pinterest have in retail media. This episode offers an enlightening exploration of the ever-evolving world of e-commerce and advertising technology, packed with insights and observations that you won't want to miss!

128. Pooja Midha - Giving and Creating Opportunities for Others “It is about giving and creating opportunity for others, and that opportunity can come through the literal opportunity you give them, it could come through the feedback that you give them…the context that you give them…,the kindness you give them…that unleashes their greatness. All those things are about giving and creating opportunities for others.” - Pooja Midha Guest Bio: Pooja Midha serves as Executive Vice President and General Manager for Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable.  In this position, she oversees the company P&L and a national team spanning all sales and sales development, operations, technology, product, data innovation and insights, and customer experience. Pooja is also responsible for driving growth in addressable, multi-screen and audience-based advertising.  Pooja was formerly chief growth officer for Comcast Advertising. In that role, she led global marketing across the division, which includes FreeWheel, a global technology platform for the TV advertising industry, and Effectv, as well as Effectv's sales development function. In addition to strengthening each unit's brand and differentiated value, she worked with the leadership team to enhance the company's products and solutions within a shifting, multi-screen landscape, emphasizing data and customer value.  She brings more than 20 years of experience in the media and advertising sector, with a track record of transforming businesses; creating new and innovative models; developing brands, partnerships and talent; and exceeding revenue goals.  Previously, Pooja served as president of advertising technology company true[X]. There, she was credited with leading the company through two acquisitions while also exceeding business goals, expanding its industry leading product suite, and growing true[X]'s advertiser, premium publisher and technology partnerships.  Prior to joining true[X], Pooja was senior vice president, digital ad sales and operations for the ABC Television Network. In this role, she created and led the network's digital sales vision and managed its digital sales, planning, and operations teams. Pooja and her team also spearheaded the development of several new video offerings, including programmatic and addressable advertising, major platform partnerships and new products around social, custom ads and branded content.  Before joining ABC, Pooja held a variety of senior sales and marketing roles at ViacomCBS (now Paramount), in both a domestic and global capacity, including positions at MTV Networks, MTV Networks International and Nickelodeon. She started her career in ad sales at Dow Jones & Company.  Pooja has spoken at several major industry conferences, including Cannes Lions and Advertising Week. Adweek named her a 2016 “Young Influencer,” Cynopsis spotlighted Pooja as one of its 2017 “Top Women in Digital: Industry Leader,” Broadcasting & Cable recognized her as a 2021 “Wonder Woman” and Multichannel News honored her as a “Woman to Watch” in 2019 and a “Wonder Woman in Streaming” in 2021. She is also a recipient of the IAB's 2018 Sales & Service Excellence Awards and ANA Business Marketing's “Communicator of the Year” 2022.  A noted industry thought leader, Pooja has been quoted and featured in several major media outlets, such as The New York Times, Advertising Age, Adweek, AdExchanger, Beet.TV, Variety and more.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Psychology from Lehigh University and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School. Pooja also completed the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) Executive Leadership Development Program from UCLA's Anderson School of Management. A mother of two, she resides with her family in New York.  R.O.G. Takeaway Tips: Explain the why behind an assignment, feedback, projects, initiatives  Be clear, honest, and fair with your feedback Ask people what they think to encourage them to share their ideas  Don't assume you know everything Give and create exposure opportunities for others Listen and ask quality questions Make sure there are seats at the table or expand the table Unleash greatness Resources: Pooja Midha on Instagram (@missmidha) Pooja Midha Speaker Profile — MCN Wonder Women 2021 "Pooja Midha Joins Comcast Advertising, Following Her "North Star" to TV Transformation" from BeetTV "Navigating Your Career in the Evolving Media Industry" by Pooja Midha "Pooja Midha To Oversee Comcast's Effectv Ad-Sales Unit" by Brian Steinberg Coming Next: Episode 129, Building Bridges Coaching Tips for Generous Leaders with Shannon Cassidy. Credits: Pooja Midha, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

Manuela: This is The Download from Sounds Profitable, the most important news from this week and why it matters to people in the business of podcasting. I'm Manuela Bedoya. Shreya: And I'm Shreya Sharma.This week: Podcasting a ‘bright spot' at SXM Media, Amplifi Media CEO counters ‘jarring headlines,' new Black Podcast Listener Report from SXM and Mindshare, and the state of Google in podcasting.Let's get started.Podcasting remains ‘a bright spot' at SXM MediaManuela: ‘Tis the season of quarterly earnings calls. It seems like we get a batch of these every three months! SiriusXM has published their Q4 and full-year results for 2022. Overall the company saw a 4% year over year increase in revenue, hitting 9 billion dollars. The company shouted out its agreements with, as the official copy puts it, “podcast powerhouses” like Crooked Media, Freakonomics, and a 24/7 original comedy channel captained by Conan O'Brien's Team Coco. Podcasting is on the mind at SXM. CEO Jennifer Witz spoke highly of the company's podcasting arm during the call. To quote from the transcript: “In a challenging ad market, podcasts continue to be a growth opportunity for us. This past quarter, we expanded our podcast offerings while doubling down on the shows that have proven most successful with five of the top 20 shows in Edison Research's top 50 podcast rankings, the most of any network.” Witz went on to say podcasting was a bright spot for the industry overall and SXM in particular, driving their 34% increase in off-platform business in 2022. We've said it before and will say it again: it's a good day to hear good news in podcasting. Podcasting is doing fine; thank youShreya: Last week an opinion piece from Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein was published on RainNews, built to assuage fears over recent doom-and-gloom media coverage. A quote from Goldstein's opening: “If you are reading the headlines about podcasting, you might be a little nervous. There has been a lot of confusing and contradictory chatter about what the drop in new podcasts in 2022 means. Has the podcast bubble burst? Are podcasts on the way out? Not likely.”The piece puts to bed the air of uncertainty as recent reports show a decrease in active podcasts. Goldstein points to the marked increase in podcast production at the beginning of the pandemic, along with air fryer sales, used car sales, and views for cooking videos on YouTube. Now the Field of Dreams era of podcasting is over. Companies can no longer invest with the philosophy of “if you build it, they will come.” Which leads to Goldstein's conclusion. Quote: “Just like all media, the podcast space is dynamic, exciting and rapidly evolving. It's full of possibility and wonder. We just need a little more rigor and a little less throwing spaghetti against the wall. The next generation of podcasts will likely have greater research, focus and muscle behind them. Companies that produce and promote fewer high-quality podcasts will be better positioned for optimal growth. So, let's get past the jarring headlines.“SXM Media and Mindshare publish Black Podcast Listener Report 2.0Manuela: SXM Media is back with the second edition of their Black Podcast Listener Report. The study is the result of over 2,500 online interviews with Black and/or African American adults in the United States during September of last year. According to SXM's footnotes, the data was weighted for age, sex, census region of the US, and the Edison's Infinite Dial 2022 podcasting listening statistics. Among the findings are some promising results for advertisers. From the SXM blog post: “The best way to win over Black podcast listeners is to run ads on shows that represent their voice, culture, and point of view. Black audiences who have listened to a podcast with a Black host in the last month are more likely to take action than those who've never listened to a podcast hosted by Black talent.”82% of respondents would consider a brand if they heard their ad on a podcast with a Black host, as well as 78% saying they would purchase said brand. The recap article ends by encouraging brands who set aside ad budget to target Black audiences during February for Black History month to continue that spend throughout the year. From the article: “Like so much of the population, Black audiences are listening to podcasts—and, as you've learned, they're leaned-in and here for ads that support the shows they love.” The State of Google and PodcastingShreya: Continuing the trend of earnings calls, let's talk Google. It was a mixed bag in this year's Q4 earnings report. Parent company Alphabet reported a 0.7 billion increase year over year in total revenue for Q4 2022. According to Insider Intelligence writer Daniel Konstantinovic, this 1% increase falls short of the anticipated revenue by nearly half a billion dollars. James Hercher, writing for AdExchanger, breaks down the more Google-relevant numbers: “YouTube advertising was down from $8.6 billion to $7.9 billion, while the Google Display Network decreased by almost $1 billion YoY. Net income (which is to say, profit) dropped even more steeply, from $20.6 billion in Q4 2021 to $13.6 billion.” Alongside the earnings, there has been discussion of Google and YouTube's investment into podcasting as the search engine giant retools podcast searching. Since 2018 Google has displayed individual podcast episodes and a play button whenever searching for a specific podcast. As of mid-January the feature was removed. James Cridland's coverage in Podnews at the time also noted the Google Podcasts app had not received any feature updates in eighteen months.Now even the carousel of Google Podcast links in searches for podcasts is going away, but will be replaced with a new feature called What to Podcast. In a YouTube Short by Transistor Podcasting, the new feature appears to add a new section to the top of search results that shows podcasts relating to the search term. While not as easy as a play button and episode list, it does serve as a funnel to direct foot traffic into podcast apps. Meanwhile, earlier this month, YouTube launched ad monetization for YouTube Shorts. Previously, the program had operated on a TikTok-esque fund divvied between creators who met certain engagement goals. Now any account with over 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views in the previous 90 days can earn ad revenue at a split of 45% to them and 55% to Google. Digiday's Krystal Scanlon notes this is not as attractive a revenue split as similar programs at Facebook and TikTok, but the YouTube Shorts equivalent has a lower barrier to entry for newer accounts. In this week's earnings call, Google Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler spoke on CTV, YouTube being at the top of Nielsen's measurement of US streaming watch time, and content integration. Tuesday's issue of Ben Thompson's Stratechery points out it's clear YouTube is dreaming of becoming a media streaming aggregate with the implementation of Primetime Channels on top of existing offerings like YouTube Music and NFL Sunday Ticket. From Stratechery: “The idealized future is one where YouTube is the front-door of all video period, whether that be streaming, linear, or user-generated.” With all their investments in YouTube and gentle downgrade of podcast presentation in the search engine, it feels like Google is becoming gently insistent podcasting's round peg will be expected to conform to the square hole of their media platform. Podcasting likely isn't going to come to YouTube as we know it, podcasters are simply incentivized to become YouTubers.Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week: Media Briefing: The case for and against monthly and annual subscriptions in the battle for retention by Kayleigh Barber for Digiday. An excellent breakdown of the current debate between annual vs. monthly subscriptions, how they affect churn, and detailed pros and cons for both options. Edison Research's Weekly Insight: Of all people aged 13-34 in the US, one third listen to podcasts every day. Manuela: And that was The Download, brought to you by Sounds Profitable! Today's episode was built using Spooler and hosted on Triton Digital's Omny Studio. Find out more at Spooler.fm and Art19.comI know we went through today's stories fast, so be sure to check out the links to every article mentioned, right in your podcast listening app, or on SoundsProfitable.com/TheDownload. And thank you for sticking with us as we bring you the top stories you might have missed from the past week. I'm Manuela Bedoya.Shreya : And I'm Shreya Sharma. Our producers are Bryan Barletta, Gavin Gaddis, and Tom Webster. Our editors are Reece Carman and Ron Tendick. Special thanks to Art19 for hosting The Download. And thanks to you for joining us.

Balkanizing retail media. The need for data without betraying trust. Potential buyers of Criteo. During this live recording at AdExchanger's Industry Preview, we give a rundown on ad tech's most sizzling topics.

Manuela: This is The Download from Sounds Profitable, the most important news from this week and why it matters to people in the business of podcasting. I'm Manuela Bedoya. Shreya: And I'm Shreya Sharma.This week: Podcasting a ‘bright spot' at SXM Media, Amplifi Media CEO counters ‘jarring headlines,' new Black Podcast Listener Report from SXM and Mindshare, and the state of Google in podcasting.Let's get started.Podcasting remains ‘a bright spot' at SXM MediaManuela: ‘Tis the season of quarterly earnings calls. It seems like we get a batch of these every three months! SiriusXM has published their Q4 and full-year results for 2022. Overall the company saw a 4% year over year increase in revenue, hitting 9 billion dollars. The company shouted out its agreements with, as the official copy puts it, “podcast powerhouses” like Crooked Media, Freakonomics, and a 24/7 original comedy channel captained by Conan O'Brien's Team Coco. Podcasting is on the mind at SXM. CEO Jennifer Witz spoke highly of the company's podcasting arm during the call. To quote from the transcript: “In a challenging ad market, podcasts continue to be a growth opportunity for us. This past quarter, we expanded our podcast offerings while doubling down on the shows that have proven most successful with five of the top 20 shows in Edison Research's top 50 podcast rankings, the most of any network.” Witz went on to say podcasting was a bright spot for the industry overall and SXM in particular, driving their 34% increase in off-platform business in 2022. We've said it before and will say it again: it's a good day to hear good news in podcasting. Podcasting is doing fine; thank youShreya: Last week an opinion piece from Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein was published on RainNews, built to assuage fears over recent doom-and-gloom media coverage. A quote from Goldstein's opening: “If you are reading the headlines about podcasting, you might be a little nervous. There has been a lot of confusing and contradictory chatter about what the drop in new podcasts in 2022 means. Has the podcast bubble burst? Are podcasts on the way out? Not likely.”The piece puts to bed the air of uncertainty as recent reports show a decrease in active podcasts. Goldstein points to the marked increase in podcast production at the beginning of the pandemic, along with air fryer sales, used car sales, and views for cooking videos on YouTube. Now the Field of Dreams era of podcasting is over. Companies can no longer invest with the philosophy of “if you build it, they will come.” Which leads to Goldstein's conclusion. Quote: “Just like all media, the podcast space is dynamic, exciting and rapidly evolving. It's full of possibility and wonder. We just need a little more rigor and a little less throwing spaghetti against the wall. The next generation of podcasts will likely have greater research, focus and muscle behind them. Companies that produce and promote fewer high-quality podcasts will be better positioned for optimal growth. So, let's get past the jarring headlines.“SXM Media and Mindshare publish Black Podcast Listener Report 2.0Manuela: SXM Media is back with the second edition of their Black Podcast Listener Report. The study is the result of over 2,500 online interviews with Black and/or African American adults in the United States during September of last year. According to SXM's footnotes, the data was weighted for age, sex, census region of the US, and the Edison's Infinite Dial 2022 podcasting listening statistics. Among the findings are some promising results for advertisers. From the SXM blog post: “The best way to win over Black podcast listeners is to run ads on shows that represent their voice, culture, and point of view. Black audiences who have listened to a podcast with a Black host in the last month are more likely to take action than those who've never listened to a podcast hosted by Black talent.”82% of respondents would consider a brand if they heard their ad on a podcast with a Black host, as well as 78% saying they would purchase said brand. The recap article ends by encouraging brands who set aside ad budget to target Black audiences during February for Black History month to continue that spend throughout the year. From the article: “Like so much of the population, Black audiences are listening to podcasts—and, as you've learned, they're leaned-in and here for ads that support the shows they love.” The State of Google and PodcastingShreya: Continuing the trend of earnings calls, let's talk Google. It was a mixed bag in this year's Q4 earnings report. Parent company Alphabet reported a 0.7 billion increase year over year in total revenue for Q4 2022. According to Insider Intelligence writer Daniel Konstantinovic, this 1% increase falls short of the anticipated revenue by nearly half a billion dollars. James Hercher, writing for AdExchanger, breaks down the more Google-relevant numbers: “YouTube advertising was down from $8.6 billion to $7.9 billion, while the Google Display Network decreased by almost $1 billion YoY. Net income (which is to say, profit) dropped even more steeply, from $20.6 billion in Q4 2021 to $13.6 billion.” Alongside the earnings, there has been discussion of Google and YouTube's investment into podcasting as the search engine giant retools podcast searching. Since 2018 Google has displayed individual podcast episodes and a play button whenever searching for a specific podcast. As of mid-January the feature was removed. James Cridland's coverage in Podnews at the time also noted the Google Podcasts app had not received any feature updates in eighteen months.Now even the carousel of Google Podcast links in searches for podcasts is going away, but will be replaced with a new feature called What to Podcast. In a YouTube Short by Transistor Podcasting, the new feature appears to add a new section to the top of search results that shows podcasts relating to the search term. While not as easy as a play button and episode list, it does serve as a funnel to direct foot traffic into podcast apps. Meanwhile, earlier this month, YouTube launched ad monetization for YouTube Shorts. Previously, the program had operated on a TikTok-esque fund divvied between creators who met certain engagement goals. Now any account with over 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views in the previous 90 days can earn ad revenue at a split of 45% to them and 55% to Google. Digiday's Krystal Scanlon notes this is not as attractive a revenue split as similar programs at Facebook and TikTok, but the YouTube Shorts equivalent has a lower barrier to entry for newer accounts. In this week's earnings call, Google Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler spoke on CTV, YouTube being at the top of Nielsen's measurement of US streaming watch time, and content integration. Tuesday's issue of Ben Thompson's Stratechery points out it's clear YouTube is dreaming of becoming a media streaming aggregate with the implementation of Primetime Channels on top of existing offerings like YouTube Music and NFL Sunday Ticket. From Stratechery: “The idealized future is one where YouTube is the front-door of all video period, whether that be streaming, linear, or user-generated.” With all their investments in YouTube and gentle downgrade of podcast presentation in the search engine, it feels like Google is becoming gently insistent podcasting's round peg will be expected to conform to the square hole of their media platform. Podcasting likely isn't going to come to YouTube as we know it, podcasters are simply incentivized to become YouTubers.Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week: Media Briefing: The case for and against monthly and annual subscriptions in the battle for retention by Kayleigh Barber for Digiday. An excellent breakdown of the current debate between annual vs. monthly subscriptions, how they affect churn, and detailed pros and cons for both options. Edison Research's Weekly Insight: Of all people aged 13-34 in the US, one third listen to podcasts every day. Manuela: And that was The Download, brought to you by Sounds Profitable! Today's episode was built using Spooler and hosted on Triton Digital's Omny Studio. Find out more at Spooler.fm and Art19.comI know we went through today's stories fast, so be sure to check out the links to every article mentioned, right in your podcast listening app, or on SoundsProfitable.com/TheDownload. And thank you for sticking with us as we bring you the top stories you might have missed from the past week. I'm Manuela Bedoya.Shreya : And I'm Shreya Sharma. Our producers are Bryan Barletta, Gavin Gaddis, and Tom Webster. Our editors are Reece Carman and Ron Tendick. Special thanks to Art19 for hosting The Download. And thanks to you for joining us.

This week: Spotify layoffs, TikTok Podcasts feature spotted in the wild, exclusivity deals seem to be  losing luster, and Buzzsprout launches premium subscriptions. Spotify lays off six percent of workforce.  Manuela: We start today on a dour note, but it's the largest story to happen this week and bears covering. This Monday Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced the company is downsizing six percent of its workforce. Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer Dawn Ostroff is also leaving the company. Todd Spangler's coverage of the announcement for Variety does the math on what six percent actually means.“The layoffs will eliminate nearly 600 jobs; Spotify most recently reported having 9,800 full-time employees worldwide as of Sept. 30. The company estimated that it will incur approximately €35 million-€45 million in severance-related charges.” In the Tuesday issue of Podnews, editor James Cridland notes that in addition to the layoff announcement, Spotify's job website has removed all open full job positions. As of this writing the site only has 23 open positions, all of which are internships. From Spangler's article:  “Employees who are getting laid off will on average receive about five months' salary in severance payments, per Ek's memo. In addition, all unused vacation time will be paid out to any departing employee, and all terminated employees will be eligible for outplacement services for two months.” Ostroff was a big name behind a lot of Spotify's big-ticket podcasting acquisitions. Between her departure and the overall downsizing, this news seems to signal Spotify is down-shifting into treating podcasts like it has treated music. It's not necessarily the end of Spotify expanding into podcasting, but they likely will be focusing on expansion without owning content.  New TikTok Podcast feature appears Arielle: Last Wednesday Sydney Bradley and Dan Whateley of Business Insider published new details in the months-long windup to TikTok officially getting into podcasting. As covered as far back as the October 10th episode of The Download, there has been a breadcrumb trail of evidence the social media platform has intentions of launching some form of podcast listening application. In December of 2021 TikTok users were prompted to complete a survey gauging user interest in both listening to podcasts and creating podcasts. In May a trademark was filed for an application called TikTok Music, which listed podcasts as a form of audio that could be played in-app.  Then, this last October, Podnews got word bots associated with TikTok's parent company were spotted scraping publicly-available RSS feeds. Clearly TikTok was up to something. Now, Business Insider has discovered an unannounced feature has been added to some TikTok accounts allowing users to play video hosted on TikTok as a podcast, a distinction which allows users to browse other apps or lock their phone while the audio continues to play. This is a similar functionality to one YouTube has had for Premium subscribers for years and last year was testing enabling it for all users to promote podcasting listening in certain markets. As Bradley and Whateley's reporting suggests, once podcasts are implemented, TikTok could be primed to become a serious Spotify competitor.  Exclusivity deals lose appeal Manuela: Last Friday Tyler Aquilina , writing for Variety, published a piece that became somewhat prescient in hindsight: Circling back to the topic of podcast companies expanding by acquiring podcasts: Podcast Exclusivity Is Quickly Becoming an Outdated Strategy. From the intro of the article: “If it's still too early to declare platform-exclusive podcast deals dead as we move into 2023, it's becoming ever clearer that this business model is likely not long for this world.” Aquilina's piece presents several data points suggesting the exclusive podcast strategy, most typified by Spotify acquisitions in recent years, is falling out of favor. The article cites reported frustrations from producers who signed big-name deals and went exclusive, including the Obamas choosing not to renew their exclusivity deal with Spotify last year.  One interesting data point is that of the Rogan Twitter Bump, the short-term engagement boost relatively smaller guests on The Joe Rogan Experience get in the week after appearing on the podcast. According to data collected from Social Blade by The Verge, JRE guests with fewer than 500,000 Twitter followers started to experience far smaller influxes of new followers starting December 2020, the month JRE went Spotify-exclusive. Conversely, podcasts that leave exclusivity to wide release are reporting more success in open podcasting. Aquilina reports he was given data from Acast that shows Spanish-language podcast Se Regalan Dudas has seen its listens increase 56% over their first year after leaving Spotify exclusivity. From the end of Aquilina piece: “Podcasting remains a growth business, even if that growth is decelerating. But as in any maturing market, business practices must shift with the times — and in this case, that means the walled gardens are going to start opening up soon.” Buzzsprout to implement premium subscriptions Arielle: Back on January 12th we reported on Apple launching Delegated Delivery, a feature from which several podcast hosting providers can allow their users to upload content to their Apple premium podcast from the dashboard of said host.  The initial rollout included  Blubrry, Libsyn, Triton Digital's Omny Studio, and RSS.com, with Acast, ART19 and Buzzsprout named as the next in line to get the feature in the coming months.  In a surprise twist, this week Buzzsprout announced their own premium podcast subscription offering. Dubbed Buzzsprout Subscription, the feature allows podcasts hosted on the platform to process payments from subscribers. Currently, users can choose between a Patreon-style pricing structure that gives audience members custom incentives, such as a shoutout in an episode, to a more Apple-like paywalled feed.  Revenue collected from the subscriptions can be applied to pay for Buzzsprout hosting fees or converted to cash via a Paypal transaction. As it stands, Apple Podcast Subscriptions pay out 70% of their revenue for new subscribers, with the revenue share going up to 85% payout for subscribers who have stuck around for a full year. According to Tuesday's Podnews, Buzzsprout Subscriptions is a flat 85% payout. With this new feature implementation, as well as the availability of Buzzsprout Ads, it's becoming far more difficult to think of a reason why someone hosting on Buzzsprout would need to leave their dashboard to accomplish something for their podcast elsewhere online.  Quick Hits Arielle: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week:  AdTheorent Is Using Machine Learning To Predict Effective Inventory by Allison Schiff for AdExchanger. In which Schiff breaks down a new application that uses machine learning to score programmatic inventory based on probability the impression will lead to a desired outcome. Application of this tool to podcasting, or any media, would be incredibly interesting.  Here are the brands starting 2023 with new CMOs by Minda Smiley for MarketingBrew.  While there are no directly podcasting-related companies getting new CMOs in this article, new CMOs often mean new perspectives and interest in new channels. Don't be surprised if your kids are listening to a Chuck E Cheese branded podcast by this time next year.  P&G looks to replicate $65m success after taking media planning, buying in-house in fabric care by Julia Cannon for Digiday. A piece covering Procter & Gamble's in-house media planning and buying strategy saving millions over a year. Brands bringing things in-house means fresh eyes and direct access. More contacts overall, but direct to the people that it matters to. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: Spotify layoffs, TikTok Podcasts feature spotted in the wild, exclusivity deals seem to be  losing luster, and Buzzsprout launches premium subscriptions. Spotify lays off six percent of workforce.  Manuela: We start today on a dour note, but it's the largest story to happen this week and bears covering. This Monday Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced the company is downsizing six percent of its workforce. Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer Dawn Ostroff is also leaving the company. Todd Spangler's coverage of the announcement for Variety does the math on what six percent actually means.“The layoffs will eliminate nearly 600 jobs; Spotify most recently reported having 9,800 full-time employees worldwide as of Sept. 30. The company estimated that it will incur approximately €35 million-€45 million in severance-related charges.” In the Tuesday issue of Podnews, editor James Cridland notes that in addition to the layoff announcement, Spotify's job website has removed all open full job positions. As of this writing the site only has 23 open positions, all of which are internships. From Spangler's article:  “Employees who are getting laid off will on average receive about five months' salary in severance payments, per Ek's memo. In addition, all unused vacation time will be paid out to any departing employee, and all terminated employees will be eligible for outplacement services for two months.” Ostroff was a big name behind a lot of Spotify's big-ticket podcasting acquisitions. Between her departure and the overall downsizing, this news seems to signal Spotify is down-shifting into treating podcasts like it has treated music. It's not necessarily the end of Spotify expanding into podcasting, but they likely will be focusing on expansion without owning content.  New TikTok Podcast feature appears Arielle: Last Wednesday Sydney Bradley and Dan Whateley of Business Insider published new details in the months-long windup to TikTok officially getting into podcasting. As covered as far back as the October 10th episode of The Download, there has been a breadcrumb trail of evidence the social media platform has intentions of launching some form of podcast listening application. In December of 2021 TikTok users were prompted to complete a survey gauging user interest in both listening to podcasts and creating podcasts. In May a trademark was filed for an application called TikTok Music, which listed podcasts as a form of audio that could be played in-app.  Then, this last October, Podnews got word bots associated with TikTok's parent company were spotted scraping publicly-available RSS feeds. Clearly TikTok was up to something. Now, Business Insider has discovered an unannounced feature has been added to some TikTok accounts allowing users to play video hosted on TikTok as a podcast, a distinction which allows users to browse other apps or lock their phone while the audio continues to play. This is a similar functionality to one YouTube has had for Premium subscribers for years and last year was testing enabling it for all users to promote podcasting listening in certain markets. As Bradley and Whateley's reporting suggests, once podcasts are implemented, TikTok could be primed to become a serious Spotify competitor.  Exclusivity deals lose appeal Manuela: Last Friday Tyler Aquilina , writing for Variety, published a piece that became somewhat prescient in hindsight: Circling back to the topic of podcast companies expanding by acquiring podcasts: Podcast Exclusivity Is Quickly Becoming an Outdated Strategy. From the intro of the article: “If it's still too early to declare platform-exclusive podcast deals dead as we move into 2023, it's becoming ever clearer that this business model is likely not long for this world.” Aquilina's piece presents several data points suggesting the exclusive podcast strategy, most typified by Spotify acquisitions in recent years, is falling out of favor. The article cites reported frustrations from producers who signed big-name deals and went exclusive, including the Obamas choosing not to renew their exclusivity deal with Spotify last year.  One interesting data point is that of the Rogan Twitter Bump, the short-term engagement boost relatively smaller guests on The Joe Rogan Experience get in the week after appearing on the podcast. According to data collected from Social Blade by The Verge, JRE guests with fewer than 500,000 Twitter followers started to experience far smaller influxes of new followers starting December 2020, the month JRE went Spotify-exclusive. Conversely, podcasts that leave exclusivity to wide release are reporting more success in open podcasting. Aquilina reports he was given data from Acast that shows Spanish-language podcast Se Regalan Dudas has seen its listens increase 56% over their first year after leaving Spotify exclusivity. From the end of Aquilina piece: “Podcasting remains a growth business, even if that growth is decelerating. But as in any maturing market, business practices must shift with the times — and in this case, that means the walled gardens are going to start opening up soon.” Buzzsprout to implement premium subscriptions Arielle: Back on January 12th we reported on Apple launching Delegated Delivery, a feature from which several podcast hosting providers can allow their users to upload content to their Apple premium podcast from the dashboard of said host.  The initial rollout included  Blubrry, Libsyn, Triton Digital's Omny Studio, and RSS.com, with Acast, ART19 and Buzzsprout named as the next in line to get the feature in the coming months.  In a surprise twist, this week Buzzsprout announced their own premium podcast subscription offering. Dubbed Buzzsprout Subscription, the feature allows podcasts hosted on the platform to process payments from subscribers. Currently, users can choose between a Patreon-style pricing structure that gives audience members custom incentives, such as a shoutout in an episode, to a more Apple-like paywalled feed.  Revenue collected from the subscriptions can be applied to pay for Buzzsprout hosting fees or converted to cash via a Paypal transaction. As it stands, Apple Podcast Subscriptions pay out 70% of their revenue for new subscribers, with the revenue share going up to 85% payout for subscribers who have stuck around for a full year. According to Tuesday's Podnews, Buzzsprout Subscriptions is a flat 85% payout. With this new feature implementation, as well as the availability of Buzzsprout Ads, it's becoming far more difficult to think of a reason why someone hosting on Buzzsprout would need to leave their dashboard to accomplish something for their podcast elsewhere online.  Quick Hits Arielle: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week:  AdTheorent Is Using Machine Learning To Predict Effective Inventory by Allison Schiff for AdExchanger. In which Schiff breaks down a new application that uses machine learning to score programmatic inventory based on probability the impression will lead to a desired outcome. Application of this tool to podcasting, or any media, would be incredibly interesting.  Here are the brands starting 2023 with new CMOs by Minda Smiley for MarketingBrew.  While there are no directly podcasting-related companies getting new CMOs in this article, new CMOs often mean new perspectives and interest in new channels. Don't be surprised if your kids are listening to a Chuck E Cheese branded podcast by this time next year.  P&G looks to replicate $65m success after taking media planning, buying in-house in fabric care by Julia Cannon for Digiday. A piece covering Procter & Gamble's in-house media planning and buying strategy saving millions over a year. Brands bringing things in-house means fresh eyes and direct access. More contacts overall, but direct to the people that it matters to. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: Sounds Profitable publishes brand safety and suitability study, Edison publishes top podcast networks by reach, Libsyn unveils November 2022 podcast advertising rates, Spotify unveils its top five podcasts in Wrapped, and GroupM and Magna predict a ‘durable' ad market next year.  Sounds Profitable publishes brand safety and suitability study Safe and Sound Manuela: We begin today's show with something close to home. Yesterday Sounds Profitable debuted its latest research project, Safe and Sound. The first-ever study of brand safety and suitability from the listener's perspective.  “Safe and Sound surveyed a representative sample of 1093 podcast listeners to find out what they consider ‘offensive,' what they are tolerant of, and how they view the brands that support podcast content when it pushes their boundaries.”  The study delivers a wide range of findings, ranging from bombshells like the idea political ads are unpopular with audiences - regardless of political party - to taking the temperature of what audiences consider most offensive. Spoiler alert: people dislike racist language.  That said, it looks like offensive content might not be as toxic to a podcast's overall image as initially assumed. When asked how they felt about brands that advertise or sponsor a podcast where a guest or host said something offensive or uncomfortable, an average of 30% of respondents said their feelings about the brands had not been changed.  When presented with the situation of a podcast someone regularly enjoys having an uncomfortable or offensive episode, 49% of respondents said they would stop listening to that particular episode but continue listening in general, while 31% said they'd continue listening to the outlier episode regardless.  The data suggests podcast-listening audiences take a more holistic approach to offensive content on podcasts they already have a relationship with. In general, listeners appear to not hold a single out-of-character episode against a podcast they're familiar with.  Edison Top Podcast Networks Shreya: This Tuesday Edison Research published the Q3 edition of U.S. Top Podcast Networks, by Reach. Listeners of The Download might remember Spotify took the lead back in Q2, just edging out SiriusXM Media. This last quarter SiriusXM has overtaken Spotify and returned to the top, leaving the top five at SiriusXM Media, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audioboom, and NPR, with Wondery eyeing the top five from sixth place. From the Edison blog post: “Within the top ten, the biggest jump in rank goes to Wondery/Audible/Amazon Music, up two rank positions, propelled in part by their acquisitions of major shows like Morbid and My Favorite Murder. Bubbling below the top ten, WarnerMedia gained three levels in rank, now up to 14th.“ Once more SiriusXM takes the top spot, but not without Spotify having broken their streak of having been at the top since Edison first started publishing top network by reach reports.  Libsyn Unveils November 2022 Podcast Advertising Rates Manuela: Continuing our unplanned theme of discussing data, let's take a moment to talk about CPM.  Last Thursday Libsyn published the November edition of their monthly CPM rate roundup from AdvertiseCast.  “The Company releases the figures to empower the podcaster and advertiser communities to readily monitor market pricing and provide greater insight into podcasting advertising as a monetization vehicle. The data is derived from actual sales data across AdvertiseCast's network of over 3,000 shows, including more than 225 exclusive podcasts.” Rates are continuing to increase, little by little. Last month the average CPM rate was $24.75 for a sixty-second ad spot, up 78 cents from the October average and a 6% year-over-year increase from November 2021. The report notes that the lower end of the spectrum contains fiction, television, and news content, averaging in the low twenties. On the high side, however, a familiar face for listeners of The Download. We've covered the meteoric rise of Kids & Family podcast content multiple times and its popularity continues into this November. The top four highest-earning categories in November are:  Technology and Health & Fitness, tied for third place at $26. Science at $27. And at the top of the leaderboard, Kids & Family at $28, over three dollars higher than industry average.  Spotify Wrapped is here, including its top podcasts Shreya: Some of you might have noticed a deluge of vibrant colors and boasting about listening habits last Wednesday, as the annual Spotify Wrapped dropped. Kimeko McCoy, writing for Digiday last Thursday, explains how big this yearly infodump has become: “It's an awareness campaign that utilizes user data to serve up users' favorite songs, albums and podcasts to be shared across social media platforms via the app, engaging more than 120 million users last year, according to Spotify. This year, Spotify has launched its Wrapped presence in Roblox, with the goal of tapping into an even bigger audience.” What originally started as a year-end recap in 2015 has grown to a marketing event large enough to necessitate a custom presence in one of the most popular online games. Since entering the podcast space, Spotify has also begun publishing a Podcast Wrapped.According to Ariel Shapiro in last week's issue of Hot Pod, the top five podcasts on Spotify this year are, in descending order: The Joe Rogan ExperienceCall Her DaddyAnything Goes with Emma ChamberlainCaso 63 (in all languages)And, finally, Crime Junkie.  This year only two of the top five podcasts aren't Spotify exclusives, though one of those two is set to become an exclusive early next year. Only the highly successful Crime Junkie breaks through the blockade of podcasts with strong Spotify ties. Shapiro attributes this to Spotify's ability to promote in-ecosystem properties like Caso 63 and its English adaptation Case 63, while podcasts that release on multiple platforms have to deal with divided metrics. Anything Goes performs well on Spotify, but it doesn't necessarily translate to similar performance on Apple Podcasts. While it got third place on Spotify for the year, Shapiro notes Chamberlain didn't make it into Edison Research's top fifty most-listened-to podcasts report for Q2. From the newsletter: “The list, therefore, tells us more about Spotify's strategy than it does about the overall market.”  GroupM and Magna's Global Ad Forecasts Predict A Durable Ad Market Manuela: For our final story today we bring up a bit of good news  n the face of a recession that we're either already in, or about to enter (depending on who you ask). Hana Yoo, writing for AdExchanger, covered reports from both GroupM and Magna this Monday.  “Global advertising revenue grew 6.5% in 2022 and is projected to grow 5.9% in 2023, according to GroupM's global year-end industry growth forecast. Meanwhile, Magna's December global ad forecast predicts 4.8% growth in 2023 after 6.6% growth in 2022.” Yoo notes that these projections are lower than earlier forecasts. Revised versions to meet current numbers, such as Magna's earlier prediction of a 6.3% growth for next year. Still, as Yoo reports GroupM's official line is they're looking at 2023 with ‘conservative optimism.' From the article: “And Magna is on the same page. Although we'll likely see “a slight slowdown in advertising revenue growth in an uncertain economic environment,” said Luke Stillman, Magna's SVP and group director of global market intelligence, growth should reaccelerate during the second half of the year.” In addition to forecasting overall growth, GroupM also anticipates retail media to grow from 101 billion to 110.7 billion in revenue next year. They also note CTV's particular resilience during COVID and its upward trends, even while paid TV subscriptions slip.  Forecasts for next year aren't cloudless skies, but they're also not trending towards thunderstorms just yet. Quick Hits Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week:  What's going on in audio advertising? Spotify grows, podcasts go global, and radio is a safe bet, by Shreya Feger for Insider Intelligence. A brief three-point breakdown of insights into the state of audio advertising and predictions for next year. Rephonic analyzed its podcast database to share opportunities for podcasters on Patreon, from last Thursday's issue of Inside Podcasting. A brief breakdown of Rephonic's blog post detailing their findings regarding podcasting on Patreon.Magellan AI Taps Experian to Improve Attribution by Magellan AI. A brief press release explaining their new partnership with Experian to use the Experian Identity Graph to power Attribution by Magellan AI. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: Sounds Profitable publishes brand safety and suitability study, Edison publishes top podcast networks by reach, Libsyn unveils November 2022 podcast advertising rates, Spotify unveils its top five podcasts in Wrapped, and GroupM and Magna predict a ‘durable' ad market next year.  Sounds Profitable publishes brand safety and suitability study Safe and Sound Manuela: We begin today's show with something close to home. Yesterday Sounds Profitable debuted its latest research project, Safe and Sound. The first-ever study of brand safety and suitability from the listener's perspective.  “Safe and Sound surveyed a representative sample of 1093 podcast listeners to find out what they consider ‘offensive,' what they are tolerant of, and how they view the brands that support podcast content when it pushes their boundaries.”  The study delivers a wide range of findings, ranging from bombshells like the idea political ads are unpopular with audiences - regardless of political party - to taking the temperature of what audiences consider most offensive. Spoiler alert: people dislike racist language.  That said, it looks like offensive content might not be as toxic to a podcast's overall image as initially assumed. When asked how they felt about brands that advertise or sponsor a podcast where a guest or host said something offensive or uncomfortable, an average of 30% of respondents said their feelings about the brands had not been changed.  When presented with the situation of a podcast someone regularly enjoys having an uncomfortable or offensive episode, 49% of respondents said they would stop listening to that particular episode but continue listening in general, while 31% said they'd continue listening to the outlier episode regardless.  The data suggests podcast-listening audiences take a more holistic approach to offensive content on podcasts they already have a relationship with. In general, listeners appear to not hold a single out-of-character episode against a podcast they're familiar with.  Edison Top Podcast Networks Shreya: This Tuesday Edison Research published the Q3 edition of U.S. Top Podcast Networks, by Reach. Listeners of The Download might remember Spotify took the lead back in Q2, just edging out SiriusXM Media. This last quarter SiriusXM has overtaken Spotify and returned to the top, leaving the top five at SiriusXM Media, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audioboom, and NPR, with Wondery eyeing the top five from sixth place. From the Edison blog post: “Within the top ten, the biggest jump in rank goes to Wondery/Audible/Amazon Music, up two rank positions, propelled in part by their acquisitions of major shows like Morbid and My Favorite Murder. Bubbling below the top ten, WarnerMedia gained three levels in rank, now up to 14th.“ Once more SiriusXM takes the top spot, but not without Spotify having broken their streak of having been at the top since Edison first started publishing top network by reach reports.  Libsyn Unveils November 2022 Podcast Advertising Rates Manuela: Continuing our unplanned theme of discussing data, let's take a moment to talk about CPM.  Last Thursday Libsyn published the November edition of their monthly CPM rate roundup from AdvertiseCast.  “The Company releases the figures to empower the podcaster and advertiser communities to readily monitor market pricing and provide greater insight into podcasting advertising as a monetization vehicle. The data is derived from actual sales data across AdvertiseCast's network of over 3,000 shows, including more than 225 exclusive podcasts.” Rates are continuing to increase, little by little. Last month the average CPM rate was $24.75 for a sixty-second ad spot, up 78 cents from the October average and a 6% year-over-year increase from November 2021. The report notes that the lower end of the spectrum contains fiction, television, and news content, averaging in the low twenties. On the high side, however, a familiar face for listeners of The Download. We've covered the meteoric rise of Kids & Family podcast content multiple times and its popularity continues into this November. The top four highest-earning categories in November are:  Technology and Health & Fitness, tied for third place at $26. Science at $27. And at the top of the leaderboard, Kids & Family at $28, over three dollars higher than industry average.  Spotify Wrapped is here, including its top podcasts Shreya: Some of you might have noticed a deluge of vibrant colors and boasting about listening habits last Wednesday, as the annual Spotify Wrapped dropped. Kimeko McCoy, writing for Digiday last Thursday, explains how big this yearly infodump has become: “It's an awareness campaign that utilizes user data to serve up users' favorite songs, albums and podcasts to be shared across social media platforms via the app, engaging more than 120 million users last year, according to Spotify. This year, Spotify has launched its Wrapped presence in Roblox, with the goal of tapping into an even bigger audience.” What originally started as a year-end recap in 2015 has grown to a marketing event large enough to necessitate a custom presence in one of the most popular online games. Since entering the podcast space, Spotify has also begun publishing a Podcast Wrapped.According to Ariel Shapiro in last week's issue of Hot Pod, the top five podcasts on Spotify this year are, in descending order: The Joe Rogan ExperienceCall Her DaddyAnything Goes with Emma ChamberlainCaso 63 (in all languages)And, finally, Crime Junkie.  This year only two of the top five podcasts aren't Spotify exclusives, though one of those two is set to become an exclusive early next year. Only the highly successful Crime Junkie breaks through the blockade of podcasts with strong Spotify ties. Shapiro attributes this to Spotify's ability to promote in-ecosystem properties like Caso 63 and its English adaptation Case 63, while podcasts that release on multiple platforms have to deal with divided metrics. Anything Goes performs well on Spotify, but it doesn't necessarily translate to similar performance on Apple Podcasts. While it got third place on Spotify for the year, Shapiro notes Chamberlain didn't make it into Edison Research's top fifty most-listened-to podcasts report for Q2. From the newsletter: “The list, therefore, tells us more about Spotify's strategy than it does about the overall market.”  GroupM and Magna's Global Ad Forecasts Predict A Durable Ad Market Manuela: For our final story today we bring up a bit of good news  n the face of a recession that we're either already in, or about to enter (depending on who you ask). Hana Yoo, writing for AdExchanger, covered reports from both GroupM and Magna this Monday.  “Global advertising revenue grew 6.5% in 2022 and is projected to grow 5.9% in 2023, according to GroupM's global year-end industry growth forecast. Meanwhile, Magna's December global ad forecast predicts 4.8% growth in 2023 after 6.6% growth in 2022.” Yoo notes that these projections are lower than earlier forecasts. Revised versions to meet current numbers, such as Magna's earlier prediction of a 6.3% growth for next year. Still, as Yoo reports GroupM's official line is they're looking at 2023 with ‘conservative optimism.' From the article: “And Magna is on the same page. Although we'll likely see “a slight slowdown in advertising revenue growth in an uncertain economic environment,” said Luke Stillman, Magna's SVP and group director of global market intelligence, growth should reaccelerate during the second half of the year.” In addition to forecasting overall growth, GroupM also anticipates retail media to grow from 101 billion to 110.7 billion in revenue next year. They also note CTV's particular resilience during COVID and its upward trends, even while paid TV subscriptions slip.  Forecasts for next year aren't cloudless skies, but they're also not trending towards thunderstorms just yet. Quick Hits Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week:  What's going on in audio advertising? Spotify grows, podcasts go global, and radio is a safe bet, by Shreya Feger for Insider Intelligence. A brief three-point breakdown of insights into the state of audio advertising and predictions for next year. Rephonic analyzed its podcast database to share opportunities for podcasters on Patreon, from last Thursday's issue of Inside Podcasting. A brief breakdown of Rephonic's blog post detailing their findings regarding podcasting on Patreon.Magellan AI Taps Experian to Improve Attribution by Magellan AI. A brief press release explaining their new partnership with Experian to use the Experian Identity Graph to power Attribution by Magellan AI. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: Samsung Free app issue causes spike in downloads, Transistor joins email spam prevention movement, How streaming TV is bracing for the recession, and Spreaker debuts two new offerings, one of which sounds like a cool robot.  New auto-playing Samsung app spikes downloads. Manuela: Our top story this week, fitting for a holiday weekend, is one of collaboration and teamwork against all odds. Last week Samsung launched the Listen tab on Samsung Free, a media streaming app pre-installed on every Samsung Galaxy smartphone.  When clicked on, the Listen tab would open a full-screen player with a three second timer. If not manually stopped within the three seconds, the app would begin to auto-play segments of featured podcast episodes, with each episode in the queue pre-downloaded for instant play. This auto-downloading and auto-listening lead to podcasters seeing a sudden spike of listens coming from the Dalvik user agent.    Like something out of a heartwarming holiday special, the podcasting community came together on a long weekend to work together and solve the problem. In the Sounds Profitable Partners Slack channels, employees of Audioboom, Triton, Spreaker, and others jumped into threads to discuss how to handle the issue.  James Cridland's Monday edition of the Podnews segment The Tech Stuff details why a download spike from Dalvik isn't necessarily an easy fix. Cridland says: “Some podcast hosting companies have blocked the “Dalvik” useragent entirely. However, blocking Dalvik - even with the Samsung model numbers - will also block, among other things, Google News's audio player, which uses an identical audio useragent. At least one app powered by Podcast Index also uses this generic Dalvik useragent along with PodcastAddict, and Indian podcast app Gaana also retains Dalvik in its useragent.” Luckily, there's a happy ending to this Thanksgiving story. Multiple employees on a holiday weekend managed to get the attention of Samsung, a company only just now entering podcasting, and get the problem fully solved. According to Podnews reporting, Samsung Free content partner Acast has since demonetized any traffic from the Dalvik user agent, and a fix to the app to prevent any future download spikes is set to be published soon.  What could have been a massive headache for many people was quickly resolved fully without any half-measure bandage fixes, all on a holiday weekend, thanks to the cohesiveness of the community. That we can certainly be thankful for.  Transistor joins email spam prevention movement. Shreya: Back on November 3rd we covered Buzzsprout's announcement that they were removing email addressed from podcast RSS feeds. Presented as the company ‘fighting back against email spam,' Buzzsprout only inserts a podcaster's email address into the feed on request to verify the feed with other services and platforms.   On August 22nd Apple Podcasts announced updates to RSS feed requirements in 2023, including the end of support for the ‘owner' tag. “The owner tag and its contact information, including email, will no longer be recommended.”  In addition to Buzzsprout embracing the email-free future, Podbean and - most recently -  Transistor have joined the cause. From their blog post this monday:  “Unfortunately, because podcast feeds are public, spammers can scrape these email addresses and use them to send unwanted emails (like pitches for guests to appear on your show).” Meanwhile, yesterday's Podnews published an alternate take on this move to prevent email spam. The Canadian Podcast Awards told Podnews they neither agree with nor support the removal of email addresses from RSS feeds. From yesterday's issue:  “We do not have any plans at the moment to support feeds without contact information.” Email spam has become a growing problem in podcasting. Back in July, James Cridland published the results of an email spam-trap he'd created in the Podnews RSS feed. Over the course of three months his experiment received 240 unsolicited commercial emails.   Similarly to Buzzsprout, Transistor has removed email addresses from the feed by default, but include a tool to manually reveal it for verification purposes. In addition, they now have a verification code entry field designed to work with Apple Podcast's new code-based verification system.  A new verification method that, hopefully, will help ease the concerns of objecting organizations like the Canadian Podcast Awards. How streaming TV is bracing for a recession Manuela: Depending on who you ask, the next recession is either here already or fast approaching. On November 17th Maia Vines, writing for AdAge, published a piece detailing how streaming television is battening down the hatches. From the article: “Brands have already started to re-prioritize where they are placing their ad dollars, said Lisa Herdman, senior VP and executive director of strategic investments at RPA.”  Heather Stewart, General Motors' general director of global media and marketing services presents a contrasting opinion: she expressed concern advertisers might be talking themselves into a recession with reactions to false indicators.  After over a decade of consumers demanding the death of the traditional model of cable television bundling providers together, the a la carte model has begun to slip as multiple platforms come under control of media conglomerates. Currently Paramount, Warner Bros. Discover, and Disney either already group multiple services into one bundle or are planning on offering one in future.  A proposed path to soothe worries during economic downturn is commerce-enabled TV and interactive ads. Netflix VP of advertising sales Peter Laylor told AdAge: “One thing that I think is a great opportunity is maybe a dual-screen experience, and people have experimented there, but the research shows that the vast majority of people have their phone with them when they're consuming TV streaming content.” Even with new tactics and status-quo breaking experiments like bringing one-click-buy options to streaming TV in US markets, there's a consistent throughline to how streamers are prepping for a recession: they're making things simple for the consumer.  A task podcast advertisers have been refining since the format required listeners to manually copy an MP3 file to an iPod.  Spreaker debuts first-party data audience segments, MAGDA brand safety tech. Shreya: Time for a special Spreaker segment, as the platform has made two large announcements while we were gone on holiday break and it's time to get you up to speed.  Starting on the 17th, they announced a new first-party data for high-impact audience segmentation and targeting solution that is now available for both programmatic and direct sales on the Spreaker network. Martín Haro, Data and Insights Lead at Spreaker says in the press release:  “Now with Spreaker's first-party data audience segments, our solution ingests data through AI and machine learning from real listeners' listening patterns, behaviors, and podcast content, which has enabled us to build specific audience segments that have proven to be 3X more accurate than third-party data.” Then, yesterday, the platform followed up with a brand new tech with a cool name: “Spreaker, the global leader in programmatic ad tech, today announced its first-to-market M.A.G.D.A technology to increase quality in programmatic advertising. This unprecedented technology is set to transform programmatic podcast advertising, adding a layer of control to protect content creators.”  In addition to sounding like a cool robot sidekick from an 80s movie, M.A.G.D.A bridges a gap in brand safety and suitability. Advertisers are well-covered on their end, now Spreaker can provide an extra layer of protection from the publisher side.  Blocking IAB categories to avoid certain kinds of advertisements works pretty well, at least until a campaign is mis-categorized. Spreaker has now solved for that. From the press release:  “M.A.G.D.A technology works by transcribing programmatic ads that go through the Spreaker ad marketplace in real-time. Spreaker has created machine-learning models to auto-categorize ads. In addition, the technology can also detect miscategorized ads. For example, if a political ad is miscategorized as fast food M.A.G.D.A will flag this for rectification.”  What does the M-A-G-D-A stand for? The name serves a dual purpose. First, it stands for Machine Augmented Guard for Dynamic Advertising. Spreaker explains:  “However, Magda is also a member of the Spreaker team. She was the first person to work on ad quality control for the company, and today Spreaker has an entire division dedicated to ad quality spearheaded by Magda herself—the company felt it fitting to name the technology after her.”  In addition to having a touching name dedication, M.A.G.D.A is a fascinating piece of tech that provides a much-needed bit of security in an industry very much concerned about brand safety and suitability.  Quick Hits Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week:  Can We Stop It With The Brand Safety Double Standard Already? By Allison Schiff for AdExchanger. An opinion piece that addresses a proposed double-standard advertisers have with brand safety concerns. Schiff points out the same brands skittish about serving ads on journalistic content featuring negative stories are prominently featured in between bouts of serial killer-crafted gore on her nightly watch-through of Criminal Minds on Hulu.  Google and iHeartMedia allegedly paid radio talent to promote the Pixel 4—without ever giving them the phone, according to the FTC, by Ryan Barwick for MarketingBrew. Barwick covers the details of a recently-settled case in which the FTC alleges iHeartMedia gave on-air talent scripts for testimonies about how much they loved using a Google Pixel phone they had never actually used.   The Cumulus Media & Signal Hill Insights Podcast Download Fall 2022 report is now available. This year features special focus on the growing prevalence of podcasts with video elements. This includes a finding that 28% of consumers prefer actively watching a podcast with a video component.  The Last Yard - the blog post that started it all, by Adam Curry, published to Podnews. Thought lost for years, a copy of Adam Curry's 2001 blog The Last Yard has been discovered on the Wayback Machine and duplicated by Podnews with permission. A piece of industry history, Curry's post lead to a meeting with Dave Winer that lead to the creation of podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: Samsung Free app issue causes spike in downloads, Transistor joins email spam prevention movement, How streaming TV is bracing for the recession, and Spreaker debuts two new offerings, one of which sounds like a cool robot.  New auto-playing Samsung app spikes downloads. Manuela: Our top story this week, fitting for a holiday weekend, is one of collaboration and teamwork against all odds. Last week Samsung launched the Listen tab on Samsung Free, a media streaming app pre-installed on every Samsung Galaxy smartphone.  When clicked on, the Listen tab would open a full-screen player with a three second timer. If not manually stopped within the three seconds, the app would begin to auto-play segments of featured podcast episodes, with each episode in the queue pre-downloaded for instant play. This auto-downloading and auto-listening lead to podcasters seeing a sudden spike of listens coming from the Dalvik user agent.    Like something out of a heartwarming holiday special, the podcasting community came together on a long weekend to work together and solve the problem. In the Sounds Profitable Partners Slack channels, employees of Audioboom, Triton, Spreaker, and others jumped into threads to discuss how to handle the issue.  James Cridland's Monday edition of the Podnews segment The Tech Stuff details why a download spike from Dalvik isn't necessarily an easy fix. Cridland says: “Some podcast hosting companies have blocked the “Dalvik” useragent entirely. However, blocking Dalvik - even with the Samsung model numbers - will also block, among other things, Google News's audio player, which uses an identical audio useragent. At least one app powered by Podcast Index also uses this generic Dalvik useragent along with PodcastAddict, and Indian podcast app Gaana also retains Dalvik in its useragent.” Luckily, there's a happy ending to this Thanksgiving story. Multiple employees on a holiday weekend managed to get the attention of Samsung, a company only just now entering podcasting, and get the problem fully solved. According to Podnews reporting, Samsung Free content partner Acast has since demonetized any traffic from the Dalvik user agent, and a fix to the app to prevent any future download spikes is set to be published soon.  What could have been a massive headache for many people was quickly resolved fully without any half-measure bandage fixes, all on a holiday weekend, thanks to the cohesiveness of the community. That we can certainly be thankful for.  Transistor joins email spam prevention movement. Shreya: Back on November 3rd we covered Buzzsprout's announcement that they were removing email addressed from podcast RSS feeds. Presented as the company ‘fighting back against email spam,' Buzzsprout only inserts a podcaster's email address into the feed on request to verify the feed with other services and platforms.   On August 22nd Apple Podcasts announced updates to RSS feed requirements in 2023, including the end of support for the ‘owner' tag. “The owner tag and its contact information, including email, will no longer be recommended.”  In addition to Buzzsprout embracing the email-free future, Podbean and - most recently -  Transistor have joined the cause. From their blog post this monday:  “Unfortunately, because podcast feeds are public, spammers can scrape these email addresses and use them to send unwanted emails (like pitches for guests to appear on your show).” Meanwhile, yesterday's Podnews published an alternate take on this move to prevent email spam. The Canadian Podcast Awards told Podnews they neither agree with nor support the removal of email addresses from RSS feeds. From yesterday's issue:  “We do not have any plans at the moment to support feeds without contact information.” Email spam has become a growing problem in podcasting. Back in July, James Cridland published the results of an email spam-trap he'd created in the Podnews RSS feed. Over the course of three months his experiment received 240 unsolicited commercial emails.   Similarly to Buzzsprout, Transistor has removed email addresses from the feed by default, but include a tool to manually reveal it for verification purposes. In addition, they now have a verification code entry field designed to work with Apple Podcast's new code-based verification system.  A new verification method that, hopefully, will help ease the concerns of objecting organizations like the Canadian Podcast Awards. How streaming TV is bracing for a recession Manuela: Depending on who you ask, the next recession is either here already or fast approaching. On November 17th Maia Vines, writing for AdAge, published a piece detailing how streaming television is battening down the hatches. From the article: “Brands have already started to re-prioritize where they are placing their ad dollars, said Lisa Herdman, senior VP and executive director of strategic investments at RPA.”  Heather Stewart, General Motors' general director of global media and marketing services presents a contrasting opinion: she expressed concern advertisers might be talking themselves into a recession with reactions to false indicators.  After over a decade of consumers demanding the death of the traditional model of cable television bundling providers together, the a la carte model has begun to slip as multiple platforms come under control of media conglomerates. Currently Paramount, Warner Bros. Discover, and Disney either already group multiple services into one bundle or are planning on offering one in future.  A proposed path to soothe worries during economic downturn is commerce-enabled TV and interactive ads. Netflix VP of advertising sales Peter Laylor told AdAge: “One thing that I think is a great opportunity is maybe a dual-screen experience, and people have experimented there, but the research shows that the vast majority of people have their phone with them when they're consuming TV streaming content.” Even with new tactics and status-quo breaking experiments like bringing one-click-buy options to streaming TV in US markets, there's a consistent throughline to how streamers are prepping for a recession: they're making things simple for the consumer.  A task podcast advertisers have been refining since the format required listeners to manually copy an MP3 file to an iPod.  Spreaker debuts first-party data audience segments, MAGDA brand safety tech. Shreya: Time for a special Spreaker segment, as the platform has made two large announcements while we were gone on holiday break and it's time to get you up to speed.  Starting on the 17th, they announced a new first-party data for high-impact audience segmentation and targeting solution that is now available for both programmatic and direct sales on the Spreaker network. Martín Haro, Data and Insights Lead at Spreaker says in the press release:  “Now with Spreaker's first-party data audience segments, our solution ingests data through AI and machine learning from real listeners' listening patterns, behaviors, and podcast content, which has enabled us to build specific audience segments that have proven to be 3X more accurate than third-party data.” Then, yesterday, the platform followed up with a brand new tech with a cool name: “Spreaker, the global leader in programmatic ad tech, today announced its first-to-market M.A.G.D.A technology to increase quality in programmatic advertising. This unprecedented technology is set to transform programmatic podcast advertising, adding a layer of control to protect content creators.”  In addition to sounding like a cool robot sidekick from an 80s movie, M.A.G.D.A bridges a gap in brand safety and suitability. Advertisers are well-covered on their end, now Spreaker can provide an extra layer of protection from the publisher side.  Blocking IAB categories to avoid certain kinds of advertisements works pretty well, at least until a campaign is mis-categorized. Spreaker has now solved for that. From the press release:  “M.A.G.D.A technology works by transcribing programmatic ads that go through the Spreaker ad marketplace in real-time. Spreaker has created machine-learning models to auto-categorize ads. In addition, the technology can also detect miscategorized ads. For example, if a political ad is miscategorized as fast food M.A.G.D.A will flag this for rectification.”  What does the M-A-G-D-A stand for? The name serves a dual purpose. First, it stands for Machine Augmented Guard for Dynamic Advertising. Spreaker explains:  “However, Magda is also a member of the Spreaker team. She was the first person to work on ad quality control for the company, and today Spreaker has an entire division dedicated to ad quality spearheaded by Magda herself—the company felt it fitting to name the technology after her.”  In addition to having a touching name dedication, M.A.G.D.A is a fascinating piece of tech that provides a much-needed bit of security in an industry very much concerned about brand safety and suitability.  Quick Hits Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week:  Can We Stop It With The Brand Safety Double Standard Already? By Allison Schiff for AdExchanger. An opinion piece that addresses a proposed double-standard advertisers have with brand safety concerns. Schiff points out the same brands skittish about serving ads on journalistic content featuring negative stories are prominently featured in between bouts of serial killer-crafted gore on her nightly watch-through of Criminal Minds on Hulu.  Google and iHeartMedia allegedly paid radio talent to promote the Pixel 4—without ever giving them the phone, according to the FTC, by Ryan Barwick for MarketingBrew. Barwick covers the details of a recently-settled case in which the FTC alleges iHeartMedia gave on-air talent scripts for testimonies about how much they loved using a Google Pixel phone they had never actually used.   The Cumulus Media & Signal Hill Insights Podcast Download Fall 2022 report is now available. This year features special focus on the growing prevalence of podcasts with video elements. This includes a finding that 28% of consumers prefer actively watching a podcast with a video component.  The Last Yard - the blog post that started it all, by Adam Curry, published to Podnews. Thought lost for years, a copy of Adam Curry's 2001 blog The Last Yard has been discovered on the Wayback Machine and duplicated by Podnews with permission. A piece of industry history, Curry's post lead to a meeting with Dave Winer that lead to the creation of podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we're sharing a recent episode of our sibling podcast, AdExchanger Talks. With a sharp but empathetic perspective on the responsibility that technology providers have to their users, this interview with The Markup's CEO, Nabiha Syed, is one you don't want to miss.

Kevin has a fun chat with Zach Rodgers, Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Marketecture Media, a new media venture that helps people navigate the world of marketing technology. Zach also ran AdExchanger's editorial operations and supported programming strategy for the company's Programmatic IO and Industry Preview Events. Zach and Kevin discuss editorial independence, how Marketecture can help assist vendor conversations, and how Marketecture's products and offerings can help both ad tech and marketing executives.   Takeaways: [3:31] Zach believes in editorial independence and that there are still many strong journalists out there. [10:50] How can AdvertisingWeek get better? [13:32] What exactly is an oligarchy? [14:32] As the economy turns down, unfortunately, the people that get fired first are often the ones with the creative and inventive thinker-type titles. [20:35] Okay, what does it mean to be the Jenny to the industry's Forrest Gump? [22:43] Zach talks about Marketecture and how it cuts through the BS while providing people a platform to be curious and have genuine interactions. Marketecture can also help take the hocus pocus and hand waving away from the process, and help people understand the complex world of technology to make better vendor decisions. [23:49] Zach breaks down the Marketecture pricing and the overall subscription model. [28:48] What's the plan for the future of the business?   Quotes: “There are still strong journalists out there.” — 4:33 Zach “Long live editorial independence. I believe it will continue.” — 10:38 Zach   Mentioned in This Episode: Marketecture Zach Rodgers Star Wars: Be More Boba Fett: Always Get the Job Done, by Joseph Jay Franco

This week: TikTok spotted scraping podcast feeds, YouTube launches audio ads and host-read ad service, Internet radio platform Live365 to distribute through TuneIn On Air, the Spoken Word Audio Report debuts next week, and Digiday research shows publishers are warming more to programmatic. Evidence suggests TikTok to explore podcasts. Manuela: TikTok is coming to podcasting, or at least it looks to be that way from the breadcrumb trail of hints the company has left behind over the past year. Most recently, in Monday's edition of Podnews, James Cridland reported podcast hosting company Audiomeans has spotted a“new bot that is scraping our feeds, starting October 11th.” The host also provided Podnews with details about the bot scraping their feeds that ties it back to TikTok.Back in May the social media giant registered a trademark for a new service titled TikTok Music, which happened to include a provision for podcast content. Further back still, in the last week of December 2021 all TikTok users got a notification prompting them to take the ‘TikTok Podcast experience survey' that collected listener-focused data, as well as audience metrics if the person filling it out identified as a producer. With questions like “if TikTok is going to launch a podcast feature, which of the following do you think will lead to a positive podcasting experience?,” it's no surprise we're seeing signs they're building something podcasting related almost a year later.  YouTube launches audio advertisements, service for host-read podcast spots. Arielle: This Monday YouTube announced a launch of audio-only ads, including ways to allow advertisers to specifically target podcasts, music, and those using connected TVs. This feature was beta-tested in 2020 but has now gone live globally. Sheila Dang covered the announcement for Reuters. “The streaming video platform said it will expand audio advertising globally to allow brands to market to people who use YouTube to listen to music or podcasts.”  It should be noted, as of this writing the YouTube podcasts homepage is still unavailable outside the US, though the announcement of global audio ads suggests this will change soon. Then on Tuesday MarketingBrew's Alyssa Meyers covered further development on the story as YouTube brought host-read ads into the mix. “YouTube BrandConnect, its branded-content platform that connects creators with advertisers, is piloting a program that offers video ads read by podcasters, signaling YouTube's continued interest in expanding its footprint in the podcast world.”  The BrandConnect system will allow brands testing the program to op into 60 or 90 second host-read ad segments that exclusively appear on the YouTube version of the podcast. The spots will either include video of the host reading the copy or a custom title card with audio overlay. BrandConnect managing director Lori Sobel mentioned skincare company Neutrogena has implemented the tool to run a campaign on the The Financial Confessions. In the future BrandConnect has intentions of using audience insights to pair brands with creators.  Live365 signs TuneIn On Air distribution deal. Manuela: Last Wednesday Soundstack's Live365 platform announced a distribution agreement with TuneIn. Broadcasters on Live365 premium subscriptions now have access to the TuneIn On Air, opening up access to the platform's 30 million US-based people using the TuneIn mobile app on over 200 connected devices, including integrations with automotive systems by Tesla and Volvo. A quote from TuneIn CEO Richard Stern: “This partnership with Live365 fits perfectly within our mission to reinvent radio for a connected world and democratize access to radio for broadcasters large and small. We believe great conversations are driven by the power of the human voice and we know our listeners rely on us to stay connected to the issues that matter to them most via our content catalog. We're thrilled to help more broadcasters reach TuneIn's expansive audience." This partnership comes at a time when traditional radio listenership is dropping. Last month Tom Webster, in an article for Sounds Profitable, wrote about the most recent Edison Research Share of Ear study. In recent years there has been a slow decline in Americans 13 and up listening to audio on AM/FM radios, while listening time on mobile devices has grown in almost direct correlation.  “I am certainly not the only person to write about this, but radio has as much of a hardware problem as it does a “software” issue. Other than your car, it is getting harder and harder to even buy a broadcast radio receiver. Some mobile phones do offer radio tuners, but Apple has famously rebuffed all attempts by radio lobbyists to include one in the iPhone. And so, as you might guess, AM/FM's Share of Ear on mobile devices is comparatively quite small, indeed--in fact, today that share is markedly smaller than the share allocated to podcast listening on mobile devices.”Bringing radio to those mobile devices eliminates the issue of limited access to hardware. TuneIn is a standout example of a service modernizing the radio listening experience and making it accessible from mobile devices. Thanks to their roster of connected devices including automotive systems like Tesla and Volvo, their version of portable radio even can take over one of the last bastions of AM/FM hardware.  The Spoken Word Audio Report 2022 Launches Next Week Arielle: Mark your calendars, NPR and Edison Research are set to release the 2022 version of the Spoken Word Audio Report on October 27th. The study will explore:“specific types of spoken word content, various spoken-word platforms, and devices used to consume spoken word content. With young people in the U.S. listening to spoken word audio more than ever, this year's study includes a special focus on Gen Z consumption.” Vice President of Edison Research Megan Lazovick and Lamar Johnson, VP of Sponsorship Marketing at National Public Media , will present the study via webinar at 2pm Eastern Standard Time. Registration for the webinar is live and a link is available on the Edison Research blog post announcing the event. Digiday+ Research: Direct-sold ads lose favor with publishers, while programmatic ads make gains Manuela: The tide appears to be shifting more in favor of programmatic advertising. This Monday, Digiday deputy managing editor Julia Tabisz covered a survey of 200 publisher professionals conducted by Digiday+ Research over the first and third quarters of 2022. Their findings show a growing difference between money made from direct-sold ads and programmatic.  “While programmatic ads still make up a smaller portion of publishers' revenues on the whole than direct-sold ads, publishers see potential in programmatic, Digiday's survey found, which could affect how publishers prioritize their businesses through the end of this year and into next. For instance, the percentage of publishers who said they will put a large or very large focus on building the programmatic part of their business in the next six months has risen from fewer than a third (32%) in Q1 to 43% in Q3.” The survey found the percentage of publishers who self-identified as getting a large or very large portion of their ad revenue from direct-sold ads fell from 59% in Q1 to 45% in Q3. On the flip side, publishers who got a large portion of ad revenue from programmatic ads only shrank from 32% to 30% from Q1 to Q2.  “Digging a bit deeper into how publishers manage their programmatic ads business, it turns out that the open market is the biggest source of publishers' programmatic revenue — and it's growing.”  Longtime listeners of The Download have heard this before: programmatic isn't a dirty word, and an excellent tool when used properly, and we love to see wider industries embracing it.  Quick Hits: Recommended Weekend Reading Arielle: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week: 5 Reasons Brands Shouldn't Sleep on Co-Listening by Melissa Paris for SXMMedia. SiriusXM, in collaboration with Carat and Edison Research, has published their second co-listening report as a follow-up to their 2018 study on co-listening. Announcing Independent Attribution by Amelia Coomber for Podscribe. Podscribe has launched their independent third-party attribution pixel for podcast advertising.  The Same People Who Listen To Podcasts Also Stream CTV by Allison Schiff for AdExchanger. Schiff covers the similarities podcast listeners share with connected TV audiences, including data from Acast, The Trade Desk, and Nielsen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: TikTok spotted scraping podcast feeds, YouTube launches audio ads and host-read ad service, Internet radio platform Live365 to distribute through TuneIn On Air, the Spoken Word Audio Report debuts next week, and Digiday research shows publishers are warming more to programmatic. Evidence suggests TikTok to explore podcasts. Manuela: TikTok is coming to podcasting, or at least it looks to be that way from the breadcrumb trail of hints the company has left behind over the past year. Most recently, in Monday's edition of Podnews, James Cridland reported podcast hosting company Audiomeans has spotted a“new bot that is scraping our feeds, starting October 11th.” The host also provided Podnews with details about the bot scraping their feeds that ties it back to TikTok.Back in May the social media giant registered a trademark for a new service titled TikTok Music, which happened to include a provision for podcast content. Further back still, in the last week of December 2021 all TikTok users got a notification prompting them to take the ‘TikTok Podcast experience survey' that collected listener-focused data, as well as audience metrics if the person filling it out identified as a producer. With questions like “if TikTok is going to launch a podcast feature, which of the following do you think will lead to a positive podcasting experience?,” it's no surprise we're seeing signs they're building something podcasting related almost a year later.  YouTube launches audio advertisements, service for host-read podcast spots. Arielle: This Monday YouTube announced a launch of audio-only ads, including ways to allow advertisers to specifically target podcasts, music, and those using connected TVs. This feature was beta-tested in 2020 but has now gone live globally. Sheila Dang covered the announcement for Reuters. “The streaming video platform said it will expand audio advertising globally to allow brands to market to people who use YouTube to listen to music or podcasts.”  It should be noted, as of this writing the YouTube podcasts homepage is still unavailable outside the US, though the announcement of global audio ads suggests this will change soon. Then on Tuesday MarketingBrew's Alyssa Meyers covered further development on the story as YouTube brought host-read ads into the mix. “YouTube BrandConnect, its branded-content platform that connects creators with advertisers, is piloting a program that offers video ads read by podcasters, signaling YouTube's continued interest in expanding its footprint in the podcast world.”  The BrandConnect system will allow brands testing the program to op into 60 or 90 second host-read ad segments that exclusively appear on the YouTube version of the podcast. The spots will either include video of the host reading the copy or a custom title card with audio overlay. BrandConnect managing director Lori Sobel mentioned skincare company Neutrogena has implemented the tool to run a campaign on the The Financial Confessions. In the future BrandConnect has intentions of using audience insights to pair brands with creators.  Live365 signs TuneIn On Air distribution deal. Manuela: Last Wednesday Soundstack's Live365 platform announced a distribution agreement with TuneIn. Broadcasters on Live365 premium subscriptions now have access to the TuneIn On Air, opening up access to the platform's 30 million US-based people using the TuneIn mobile app on over 200 connected devices, including integrations with automotive systems by Tesla and Volvo. A quote from TuneIn CEO Richard Stern: “This partnership with Live365 fits perfectly within our mission to reinvent radio for a connected world and democratize access to radio for broadcasters large and small. We believe great conversations are driven by the power of the human voice and we know our listeners rely on us to stay connected to the issues that matter to them most via our content catalog. We're thrilled to help more broadcasters reach TuneIn's expansive audience." This partnership comes at a time when traditional radio listenership is dropping. Last month Tom Webster, in an article for Sounds Profitable, wrote about the most recent Edison Research Share of Ear study. In recent years there has been a slow decline in Americans 13 and up listening to audio on AM/FM radios, while listening time on mobile devices has grown in almost direct correlation.  “I am certainly not the only person to write about this, but radio has as much of a hardware problem as it does a “software” issue. Other than your car, it is getting harder and harder to even buy a broadcast radio receiver. Some mobile phones do offer radio tuners, but Apple has famously rebuffed all attempts by radio lobbyists to include one in the iPhone. And so, as you might guess, AM/FM's Share of Ear on mobile devices is comparatively quite small, indeed--in fact, today that share is markedly smaller than the share allocated to podcast listening on mobile devices.”Bringing radio to those mobile devices eliminates the issue of limited access to hardware. TuneIn is a standout example of a service modernizing the radio listening experience and making it accessible from mobile devices. Thanks to their roster of connected devices including automotive systems like Tesla and Volvo, their version of portable radio even can take over one of the last bastions of AM/FM hardware.  The Spoken Word Audio Report 2022 Launches Next Week Arielle: Mark your calendars, NPR and Edison Research are set to release the 2022 version of the Spoken Word Audio Report on October 27th. The study will explore:“specific types of spoken word content, various spoken-word platforms, and devices used to consume spoken word content. With young people in the U.S. listening to spoken word audio more than ever, this year's study includes a special focus on Gen Z consumption.” Vice President of Edison Research Megan Lazovick and Lamar Johnson, VP of Sponsorship Marketing at National Public Media , will present the study via webinar at 2pm Eastern Standard Time. Registration for the webinar is live and a link is available on the Edison Research blog post announcing the event. Digiday+ Research: Direct-sold ads lose favor with publishers, while programmatic ads make gains Manuela: The tide appears to be shifting more in favor of programmatic advertising. This Monday, Digiday deputy managing editor Julia Tabisz covered a survey of 200 publisher professionals conducted by Digiday+ Research over the first and third quarters of 2022. Their findings show a growing difference between money made from direct-sold ads and programmatic.  “While programmatic ads still make up a smaller portion of publishers' revenues on the whole than direct-sold ads, publishers see potential in programmatic, Digiday's survey found, which could affect how publishers prioritize their businesses through the end of this year and into next. For instance, the percentage of publishers who said they will put a large or very large focus on building the programmatic part of their business in the next six months has risen from fewer than a third (32%) in Q1 to 43% in Q3.” The survey found the percentage of publishers who self-identified as getting a large or very large portion of their ad revenue from direct-sold ads fell from 59% in Q1 to 45% in Q3. On the flip side, publishers who got a large portion of ad revenue from programmatic ads only shrank from 32% to 30% from Q1 to Q2.  “Digging a bit deeper into how publishers manage their programmatic ads business, it turns out that the open market is the biggest source of publishers' programmatic revenue — and it's growing.”  Longtime listeners of The Download have heard this before: programmatic isn't a dirty word, and an excellent tool when used properly, and we love to see wider industries embracing it.  Quick Hits: Recommended Weekend Reading Arielle: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week: 5 Reasons Brands Shouldn't Sleep on Co-Listening by Melissa Paris for SXMMedia. SiriusXM, in collaboration with Carat and Edison Research, has published their second co-listening report as a follow-up to their 2018 study on co-listening. Announcing Independent Attribution by Amelia Coomber for Podscribe. Podscribe has launched their independent third-party attribution pixel for podcast advertising.  The Same People Who Listen To Podcasts Also Stream CTV by Allison Schiff for AdExchanger. Schiff covers the similarities podcast listeners share with connected TV audiences, including data from Acast, The Trade Desk, and Nielsen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: Serial and the importance of content curation, Spotify launches audiobooks, Spanish-language TV is surging,  why Wonder Media Network won't use programmatic, and SirusXM is no longer the biggest podcast network by reach. Let's get started. Serial and the importance of content curation.  Manuela: Last week news broke that prosecution would petition for the release of Adnan Syed, whose case was the subject of the first season of Serial. Since then Syed has been officially released. In the interim conversation regarding the case and the part Serial played in popularizing it reached a boiling point on social media. On Friday the 16th attorney Rabia O'Chaudry, host of Undisclosed and the person who originally brought Syed's case to the attention of Sarah Koenig, tweeted an analogy for how Serial fit into the narrative of Syed's release: “Imagine you ask someone to help renovate your house. Instead they set fire to it. The story about the fire brings thousands to your aid that rebuild your house.” Media critic and true crime aficionado Rebecca Lavoie quote-tweeted O'Chaudry to start a thread with an important lesson to be learned from Serial. “I have previously heralded Serial as a seminal piece of media and even made a podcast originally based on reviewing it. But given the facts of the case, Rabia's analogy is precise. Serial doesn't hold up. And its biggest crime is its abandonment of its own reporting.”Lavoie details several sections of the popular podcast that contain outdated or inaccurate knowledge with seven years of hindsight that, due to the podcast's popularity, are still being discovered by brand new podcast listeners with. No warnings or amendments have been placed on the original season of Serial.  “I am not saying that Sarah Koenig et al have an obligation to report this story forever. But…the owners of the Serial feed (now [The New York Times]) have an absolute obligation to point news consumers to the latest… news.”Lavoie points to dynamic ad insertion tech and how it could be used to retroactively place a warning giving context without having to manually update each episode's file. Given last year's scandal with Caliphate, the NYT is no stranger to retroactively adding disclaimers to its own in-house reporting. Lavoie argues they have the same level of responsibility to maintain legacy feeds. Even the most popular true crime podcast in the industry is not above poor reporting or claims that were later disproven by new evidence. Despite being seven years old, Serial's popularity means statistically it's still someone's first podcast in 2022. Spotify Offers Audiobook Service with 300,000 Titles  Shreya: This Tuesday Spotify announced the launch of their audiobook platform. “Starting today, Spotify listeners in the U.S. will be able to purchase and listen to more than 300,000 audiobook titles—making our platform a true all-in-one destination for everyone's listening needs. And we're excited to launch audiobooks with a brand-new user interface that's geared specifically for listening to audiobooks and fits them seamlessly alongside the music and podcasts you already listen to and love.” The new audiobook interface includes an in-app purchase screen to buy each individual audiobook. Most popular audiobook platforms, like Audible or Libro.fm,  use a monthly subscription system that gives users a set amount of credits to exchange for audiobooks at a rate that costs less than purchasing them retail. Spotify's model requires a Premium Spotify membership for the ability to purchase audiobooks.Press materials include a series of four screenshots depicting the purchase of Colleen Hoover's novel It Ends with Us for $13.99, on sale from a normal listing of $17.99. This pricing is in lockstep with the average retail cost of the same book at popular audiobook providers Google Play, Kobo, and Audible if the user is not a subscriber. With this addition Spotify is now a one-stop shop for the casual user. While it might not attract many users specifically for the audiobook functionality, any user who listens to music or podcasts with Premium has the ability to buy audiobooks and listen without leaving the app they're already paying for. Spanish-Language TV viewership surges despite mishandled metrics, lackluster representation.  Manuela: As is becoming common on The Download, this segment will discuss two articles that are closely related. First off: Spanish-language TV Viewership is Surging by Kelsey Sutton for MarketingBrew. The headline leads into a subheader explaining the surge is accompanied by poor measurement leading to under-investing. Now things are turning around. “We're sure you've heard it about a million times: linear TV viewership is, on average, not looking good. But there's one segment of old-fashioned TV whose outlook seems downright rosy.  Spanish-language TV networks, including mainstays like Univision and Telemundo, are on the upswing, growing daily audience reach even as many other major networks are seeing steady declines.” Dan Reiss, EVP and chief growth office at TelevisaUnivision told MarketingBrew Univision has seen an increase of brands on-air of more than 200 over the past two years. One of the benefits of podcasting being a younger industry than other media is it can learn from their mistakes and adjust earlier on when it's easier to do so. Just last month Edison Research's Latino Podcast Listener Report dropped, revealing 59% of the U.S. Latino population have listened to podcasts. Podcasting is a diverse field and should be treated as such from the ground up. To that note the final quote from an AdExchanger piece featuring Orci CEO Marina Filippelli: ““Gen Z can smell bullshit from a mile away – they know whether or not creative was produced by somebody like them,” Filippelli said. “Representation needs to take place not just in front of the camera, but behind the scenes.” Why Wonder Media Network won't sell its podcast ad inventory programmatically Shreya: This Tuesday Kayleigh Barber published a piece distilling an interview on the Digiday Podcast into article form. The interview features Wonder Media Network co-founder and CRO Shira Atkins enthusiastically explaining why the network refuses to carry programmatically-served ads, instead choosing a more bespoke approach. Not only are ads produced in-network, they're permanently baked-in.  “But on the latest episode of the Digiday Podcast, Atkins said she still believes that programmatic is “a tragedy for the podcasting ecosystem at large.” Her team does not sell any of its ad space programmatically. Instead, the podcast network uses its branded content studio to make bespoke audio ads, which Atkins said creates memorable ads that listeners are less likely to skip over.” It's worth noting the difference between content provided by programmatic methods and the tool of programmatic advertising itself. High quality memorably ads like those produced by Wonder Media Network for baked-in use can be served programmatically through direct deals that operationalize and improve the process for both buyers and sellers.  NPR, for example, does this currently with great success. Programmatic distribution is a tool, not a particular flavor of advertisement.  “We don't [carry programmatic-sold ads] because the reason that we're able to demand such high CPM [or sell flat rate deads] is that we're selling embedded ads in perpetuity. It makes me feel like an old lady whenever people ask me about this, because they're like, ‘I can't believe you don't do dynamic ad insertion.' But it works for us.” Host reads, baked-in, and dynamic ad insertion are all excellent tools that podcast audiences are receptive to, and companies like Wonder Media Network are an excellent example of how the power of the podcasting industry can allow individual facets of the industry to exist and thrive on their own.  Sounds Profitable's first research study - After These Messages - has the data to back up the efficacy of host-read ads. The study shows the audience preference for host-read ads over generic announcer-read ads, which Atkins conflates with programmatic, is much smaller than one would expect.  Spotify hits the top of Edison Manuela: For our final story I don't have to summarize the info, as they do it for me. “This week Edison Research publicly announced the ranking of the biggest podcasting networks through the second quarter of 2022, based on Edison Podcast Metrics survey of over 8,000 weekly podcast listeners age 18 and older.” For the three years Edison Research has done this report on podcast metrics, SiriusXM Media has held the top spot of the U.S. Top Podcast Networks, By Reach report. This last quarter the top contender was unseated by the relative newcomer. As of Q2 of this year Spotify is the #1 network by reach. They've gradually risen up the charts over years, using a combination of acquisitions, licensing deals, original content, and a fertile walled garden to grow the platform. As of this last quarter the top five now reads Spotify, SiriusXM Media, iHeartRadio, Audioboom, and NPR.  Quick Hits: Recommended Weekend Reading Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week:  Athletic Greens gives us the scoop on its podcast advertising strategy by Alyssa Meyers of Marketing Brew.The article features company CRO Jonathan Corne explaining their strategy of carefully selecting podcasts to sponsor with intent of establishing a long-term relationship.  ‘Gaming is very much here to stay': Why Axe body spray is taking a bigger swing at esports marketing by Kimeko McCoy of Digiday. Axe isn't a stranger to sponsoring esports outside the US, but the company is renewing its efforts at home and getting into TikTok. Which is to say influencer marketing, a thing podcasting is very good at.  On that same note: Roblox will be one of the first major platform to launch in-game ads by Daniel Konstantinovic of InsiderIntelligence. For anyone without a kid: Roblox is a big deal. Arguably bigger than Minecraft. Allowing outside advertising without locking it to the game's internal currency is a big step.  RIP Broadcast TV? Legacy Broadcast Execs Say Not Just Yet by Alyssa Boyle of AdExchanger. A breakdown of the new trend of broadcast TV getting into streaming media by simulating traditional always-running broadcasts.  The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: Serial and the importance of content curation, Spotify launches audiobooks, Spanish-language TV is surging,  why Wonder Media Network won't use programmatic, and SirusXM is no longer the biggest podcast network by reach. Let's get started. Serial and the importance of content curation.  Manuela: Last week news broke that prosecution would petition for the release of Adnan Syed, whose case was the subject of the first season of Serial. Since then Syed has been officially released. In the interim conversation regarding the case and the part Serial played in popularizing it reached a boiling point on social media. On Friday the 16th attorney Rabia O'Chaudry, host of Undisclosed and the person who originally brought Syed's case to the attention of Sarah Koenig, tweeted an analogy for how Serial fit into the narrative of Syed's release: “Imagine you ask someone to help renovate your house. Instead they set fire to it. The story about the fire brings thousands to your aid that rebuild your house.” Media critic and true crime aficionado Rebecca Lavoie quote-tweeted O'Chaudry to start a thread with an important lesson to be learned from Serial. “I have previously heralded Serial as a seminal piece of media and even made a podcast originally based on reviewing it. But given the facts of the case, Rabia's analogy is precise. Serial doesn't hold up. And its biggest crime is its abandonment of its own reporting.”Lavoie details several sections of the popular podcast that contain outdated or inaccurate knowledge with seven years of hindsight that, due to the podcast's popularity, are still being discovered by brand new podcast listeners with. No warnings or amendments have been placed on the original season of Serial.  “I am not saying that Sarah Koenig et al have an obligation to report this story forever. But…the owners of the Serial feed (now [The New York Times]) have an absolute obligation to point news consumers to the latest… news.”Lavoie points to dynamic ad insertion tech and how it could be used to retroactively place a warning giving context without having to manually update each episode's file. Given last year's scandal with Caliphate, the NYT is no stranger to retroactively adding disclaimers to its own in-house reporting. Lavoie argues they have the same level of responsibility to maintain legacy feeds. Even the most popular true crime podcast in the industry is not above poor reporting or claims that were later disproven by new evidence. Despite being seven years old, Serial's popularity means statistically it's still someone's first podcast in 2022. Spotify Offers Audiobook Service with 300,000 Titles  Shreya: This Tuesday Spotify announced the launch of their audiobook platform. “Starting today, Spotify listeners in the U.S. will be able to purchase and listen to more than 300,000 audiobook titles—making our platform a true all-in-one destination for everyone's listening needs. And we're excited to launch audiobooks with a brand-new user interface that's geared specifically for listening to audiobooks and fits them seamlessly alongside the music and podcasts you already listen to and love.” The new audiobook interface includes an in-app purchase screen to buy each individual audiobook. Most popular audiobook platforms, like Audible or Libro.fm,  use a monthly subscription system that gives users a set amount of credits to exchange for audiobooks at a rate that costs less than purchasing them retail. Spotify's model requires a Premium Spotify membership for the ability to purchase audiobooks.Press materials include a series of four screenshots depicting the purchase of Colleen Hoover's novel It Ends with Us for $13.99, on sale from a normal listing of $17.99. This pricing is in lockstep with the average retail cost of the same book at popular audiobook providers Google Play, Kobo, and Audible if the user is not a subscriber. With this addition Spotify is now a one-stop shop for the casual user. While it might not attract many users specifically for the audiobook functionality, any user who listens to music or podcasts with Premium has the ability to buy audiobooks and listen without leaving the app they're already paying for. Spanish-Language TV viewership surges despite mishandled metrics, lackluster representation.  Manuela: As is becoming common on The Download, this segment will discuss two articles that are closely related. First off: Spanish-language TV Viewership is Surging by Kelsey Sutton for MarketingBrew. The headline leads into a subheader explaining the surge is accompanied by poor measurement leading to under-investing. Now things are turning around. “We're sure you've heard it about a million times: linear TV viewership is, on average, not looking good. But there's one segment of old-fashioned TV whose outlook seems downright rosy.  Spanish-language TV networks, including mainstays like Univision and Telemundo, are on the upswing, growing daily audience reach even as many other major networks are seeing steady declines.” Dan Reiss, EVP and chief growth office at TelevisaUnivision told MarketingBrew Univision has seen an increase of brands on-air of more than 200 over the past two years. One of the benefits of podcasting being a younger industry than other media is it can learn from their mistakes and adjust earlier on when it's easier to do so. Just last month Edison Research's Latino Podcast Listener Report dropped, revealing 59% of the U.S. Latino population have listened to podcasts. Podcasting is a diverse field and should be treated as such from the ground up. To that note the final quote from an AdExchanger piece featuring Orci CEO Marina Filippelli: ““Gen Z can smell bullshit from a mile away – they know whether or not creative was produced by somebody like them,” Filippelli said. “Representation needs to take place not just in front of the camera, but behind the scenes.” Why Wonder Media Network won't sell its podcast ad inventory programmatically Shreya: This Tuesday Kayleigh Barber published a piece distilling an interview on the Digiday Podcast into article form. The interview features Wonder Media Network co-founder and CRO Shira Atkins enthusiastically explaining why the network refuses to carry programmatically-served ads, instead choosing a more bespoke approach. Not only are ads produced in-network, they're permanently baked-in.  “But on the latest episode of the Digiday Podcast, Atkins said she still believes that programmatic is “a tragedy for the podcasting ecosystem at large.” Her team does not sell any of its ad space programmatically. Instead, the podcast network uses its branded content studio to make bespoke audio ads, which Atkins said creates memorable ads that listeners are less likely to skip over.” It's worth noting the difference between content provided by programmatic methods and the tool of programmatic advertising itself. High quality memorably ads like those produced by Wonder Media Network for baked-in use can be served programmatically through direct deals that operationalize and improve the process for both buyers and sellers.  NPR, for example, does this currently with great success. Programmatic distribution is a tool, not a particular flavor of advertisement.  “We don't [carry programmatic-sold ads] because the reason that we're able to demand such high CPM [or sell flat rate deads] is that we're selling embedded ads in perpetuity. It makes me feel like an old lady whenever people ask me about this, because they're like, ‘I can't believe you don't do dynamic ad insertion.' But it works for us.” Host reads, baked-in, and dynamic ad insertion are all excellent tools that podcast audiences are receptive to, and companies like Wonder Media Network are an excellent example of how the power of the podcasting industry can allow individual facets of the industry to exist and thrive on their own.  Sounds Profitable's first research study - After These Messages - has the data to back up the efficacy of host-read ads. The study shows the audience preference for host-read ads over generic announcer-read ads, which Atkins conflates with programmatic, is much smaller than one would expect.  Spotify hits the top of Edison Manuela: For our final story I don't have to summarize the info, as they do it for me. “This week Edison Research publicly announced the ranking of the biggest podcasting networks through the second quarter of 2022, based on Edison Podcast Metrics survey of over 8,000 weekly podcast listeners age 18 and older.” For the three years Edison Research has done this report on podcast metrics, SiriusXM Media has held the top spot of the U.S. Top Podcast Networks, By Reach report. This last quarter the top contender was unseated by the relative newcomer. As of Q2 of this year Spotify is the #1 network by reach. They've gradually risen up the charts over years, using a combination of acquisitions, licensing deals, original content, and a fertile walled garden to grow the platform. As of this last quarter the top five now reads Spotify, SiriusXM Media, iHeartRadio, Audioboom, and NPR.  Quick Hits: Recommended Weekend Reading Shreya: Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week:  Athletic Greens gives us the scoop on its podcast advertising strategy by Alyssa Meyers of Marketing Brew.The article features company CRO Jonathan Corne explaining their strategy of carefully selecting podcasts to sponsor with intent of establishing a long-term relationship.  ‘Gaming is very much here to stay': Why Axe body spray is taking a bigger swing at esports marketing by Kimeko McCoy of Digiday. Axe isn't a stranger to sponsoring esports outside the US, but the company is renewing its efforts at home and getting into TikTok. Which is to say influencer marketing, a thing podcasting is very good at.  On that same note: Roblox will be one of the first major platform to launch in-game ads by Daniel Konstantinovic of InsiderIntelligence. For anyone without a kid: Roblox is a big deal. Arguably bigger than Minecraft. Allowing outside advertising without locking it to the game's internal currency is a big step.  RIP Broadcast TV? Legacy Broadcast Execs Say Not Just Yet by Alyssa Boyle of AdExchanger. A breakdown of the new trend of broadcast TV getting into streaming media by simulating traditional always-running broadcasts.  The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andre Swanston is a proven leader and entrepreneur with a wide range of experience in marketing, finance, and starting and growing companies. As CEO and co-founder of Tru Optik, he has led the company's business development, product innovation, go-to-market strategy and its October 2020 acquisition by TransUnion. Under Andre's leadership, Tru Optik has become the most relied upon DaaS (data as a service) partner across OTT, streaming audio and gaming. Tru Optik clients and partners include many of the largest publishers, ad tech platforms and advance media. Swanston is a frequent guest on Bloomberg and CNBC and often quoted in AdWeek and AdExchanger as an expert in streaming media and advanced advertising. Before founding Tru Optik, he served as a Vice President of Investments at JPMorgan Chase and also led the Media and Entertainment division at a boutique investment bank in New York City.More shows at : www.livelifedriven.com

This week on The Download: Premium Podcasting on Apple just got easier, Media Monitors slips up on methodology, and Podfest Africa’s annual study is here. Publishing content to a premium subscription feed on Apple Podcasts is about to become far less painful. This Tuesday Techcrunch’s Sarah Perez summarized the new Apple Podcasts Delegated Delivery system in a rundown of Apple’s new announcements. Quoting the article: “Starting this fall, a select number of hosting providers will support the Delegated Delivery system, including Acast, ART19, Blubrry, Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Omny Studio and RSS.com. Apple says these providers represent around 80% of listening for premium content on Apple Podcasts, and more services will be added over time.” Additionally: “The feature will be available at no additional cost to all creators through Apple Podcasts Connect and creators won’t need a membership to the Apple Podcasts Program to publish their free shows — only to publish premium content.” Prior to the introduction of the delegated delivery offerings, uploading a premium file to Apple for one’s monthly subscribers was an arduous and time-consuming process. Now the process will be smoother, at least for those on hosting platforms included in Apple’s rollout. On Twitter, Ashley Carman noted the divide possibly forming between providers when comparing who supports the new Apple feature and who is partnered with Spotify’s similar premium service. The tweet read: “Spotify works with third parties to support its subscription offering, too. The only overlap is Acast, at least according to the initial partner list. [I’m] curious if this means there's now additional stratification in [the] podcast world: team Spotify or team Apple.” In what is pleasantly becoming a weekly segment on The Download, we bring news of podcasting flourishing on a global scale. Last month Podfest Africa published the 79 page report titled “Discovery Tour, Data Edition: Mapping out the present & future of African audio storytelling.” The study is built off research collected in part with in-depth interviews with podcast producers and industry stakeholders, reviewing existing literature on relevant topics, and a survey of 370 podcast listeners across the study’s target areas of Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Unsurprisingly, podcasting seems to be doing well. “These results build on existing evidence of the rapid growth of podcast usage in allt hree countries and the evidence that South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria are the most developed podcasting markets on the African continent.” A quick rundown of some interesting statistics provided: on average over 50% of respondents were women. With all results aggregated the idea podcast episode length across the three represented countries is 30 to 40 minutes. Spotify has a significant advantage over its competitors for distribution in the three countries studied for apps most used to listen to podcasts, clocking in at 35.1%. Apple comes in at a close second with 18.1% of the market share. Google Podcasts, YouTube, Anchor, and Afripods make up the rest of the top contenders. In its key takeaway section, the study makes a point of stressing that their findings suggest - unsurprisingly - audiences want content influenced by local creators and local companies. “A key growth opportunity identified is educating media companies to not rely on Western expertise for guidance on podcast production but instead to generate key insights through research from the African continent.” Continuing the trend of podcast news favoring Tuesdays, for some reason, Alyssa Meyers of Marketing Brew published “Here’s What You Missed at the 2022 IAB Podcast Upfront.” Quoting the article: “If you couldn’t make it last week (or if you were already burnt out from NewFronts), we tuned in and rounded up some of the most important announcements and themes of this year’s event, which positioned pods as ‘mainstream, prominent, and influential.’” Meyer’s reporting condenses a substantial amount of IAB content down to three main points plus a bonus regarding Disney - ever a fan of conglomerating - consolidating podcasting brands under one banner. The three common topics focused on diverse hosts and audiences, statistical dumps in the form of podcast trend reports, and quite a few mentions of brand safety. That last point might perk up the ears of long-time Download listeners, as brand safety is a recurring topic in more places than the IAB UpFront. Even last week’s episode included coverage of a story involving ethics in adtech and its impact on brand safety. This Monday Media Monitors published the results of a listeners survey conducted over two weeks in March, all bundled with the enticing headline “NPR Slips as Smaller Publisher Capitalize.” The findings begin with a ranking of the top ten publishers from the top 200 podcasts for the first quarter of 2022. The iHeartPodcast network comes in first place, followed by Spotify in second with Amazon Music and SiriusXM tied for third. NPR doesn’t place in the top ten publishers. Editor James Cridland adds vital context in Monday’s issue of Podnews: “To suggest that NPR isn’t in the top ten of US podcast publishers is obviously untrue; but helpful narrative for its competitor iHeartMedia. Coincidentally, iHeartMedia owns Media Monitors, a fact not disclosed.” Accountability is key when presenting data like this.Media Monitors analyzed the top 200 podcasts mentioned by respondents in their survey, that conveniently shuffled the deck so their parent company place first while a legacy competitor was shuffled off the list entirely. It was then followed on Tuesday by Edison Research’s Q1 breakdown of US Top Podcast Networks By Reach. Edison’s findings show a fair difference in ranking, with SXM Media coming in first, Spotify in second, and iHeartRadio placing third. NPR rejoins the group and places fourth. In the interest of full disclosure, the following quote from the press release is from Director of Research at Edison Research Gabriel Soto, who is also be co-host of The Download’s Spanish sibling show La Descarga. “Edison Podcast Metrics is the only dataset that covers the entire U.S. podcast space. By surveying listeners and measuring their actual consumption, the data doesn’t depend on opt-ins from networks and isn’t subject to the various issues with counting downloads. These top networks offer a diverse range of shows that appeal broadly to listeners.” Methodology matters. Who owns the ranking company matters. Opt-in will always be incomplete and the techniques used to fill those gaps matter. Another Tuesday article joins the episode with James Hercher’s AdExchanger piece on changing attribution tech and brand reactions. New models of attribution are coming for all of advertising, challenging the incumbent Multi Touch Attribution. Companies like Measured, Triple Whale, and Northbeam are all taking new approaches as old ones fail to deliver. The following quote contains a nested quote from Parachute’s VP of Growth Ian Yung. “One social media platform stuck out as an early win for Measured, according to Yung. Parachute was spending in the low six figures per month on the platform. “And they were obviously giving us reporting that it was very profitable.” Upon closer inspection, Measured found Parachute’s spending on the unnamed platform could be cut to zero and show no impact on sales. An all-too familiar adtech story. Quoting the article again: “Podcast advertising is another category that Parachute rethought once it had a measurement testing regime in place. Podcast attribution often banks on listeners redeeming a particular code, which under-credits the channel. “Podcasting is one [rarer] example where we have to take the reporting and increase what it has on our end to capture the true value,” Yung said.” Companies outside of podcasting are coming into the adtech space, and fast. It just so happens the podcasting industry has been operating steadily without widespread MTA adoption in the first place. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Evo Terra edited today's episode. Special thanks to our media host, Omny Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Download: Premium Podcasting on Apple just got easier, Media Monitors slips up on methodology, and Podfest Africa’s annual study is here. Publishing content to a premium subscription feed on Apple Podcasts is about to become far less painful. This Tuesday Techcrunch’s Sarah Perez summarized the new Apple Podcasts Delegated Delivery system in a rundown of Apple’s new announcements. Quoting the article: “Starting this fall, a select number of hosting providers will support the Delegated Delivery system, including Acast, ART19, Blubrry, Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Omny Studio and RSS.com. Apple says these providers represent around 80% of listening for premium content on Apple Podcasts, and more services will be added over time.” Additionally: “The feature will be available at no additional cost to all creators through Apple Podcasts Connect and creators won’t need a membership to the Apple Podcasts Program to publish their free shows — only to publish premium content.” Prior to the introduction of the delegated delivery offerings, uploading a premium file to Apple for one’s monthly subscribers was an arduous and time-consuming process. Now the process will be smoother, at least for those on hosting platforms included in Apple’s rollout. On Twitter, Ashley Carman noted the divide possibly forming between providers when comparing who supports the new Apple feature and who is partnered with Spotify’s similar premium service. The tweet read: “Spotify works with third parties to support its subscription offering, too. The only overlap is Acast, at least according to the initial partner list. [I’m] curious if this means there's now additional stratification in [the] podcast world: team Spotify or team Apple.” In what is pleasantly becoming a weekly segment on The Download, we bring news of podcasting flourishing on a global scale. Last month Podfest Africa published the 79 page report titled “Discovery Tour, Data Edition: Mapping out the present & future of African audio storytelling.” The study is built off research collected in part with in-depth interviews with podcast producers and industry stakeholders, reviewing existing literature on relevant topics, and a survey of 370 podcast listeners across the study’s target areas of Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Unsurprisingly, podcasting seems to be doing well. “These results build on existing evidence of the rapid growth of podcast usage in allt hree countries and the evidence that South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria are the most developed podcasting markets on the African continent.” A quick rundown of some interesting statistics provided: on average over 50% of respondents were women. With all results aggregated the idea podcast episode length across the three represented countries is 30 to 40 minutes. Spotify has a significant advantage over its competitors for distribution in the three countries studied for apps most used to listen to podcasts, clocking in at 35.1%. Apple comes in at a close second with 18.1% of the market share. Google Podcasts, YouTube, Anchor, and Afripods make up the rest of the top contenders. In its key takeaway section, the study makes a point of stressing that their findings suggest - unsurprisingly - audiences want content influenced by local creators and local companies. “A key growth opportunity identified is educating media companies to not rely on Western expertise for guidance on podcast production but instead to generate key insights through research from the African continent.” Continuing the trend of podcast news favoring Tuesdays, for some reason, Alyssa Meyers of Marketing Brew published “Here’s What You Missed at the 2022 IAB Podcast Upfront.” Quoting the article: “If you couldn’t make it last week (or if you were already burnt out from NewFronts), we tuned in and rounded up some of the most important announcements and themes of this year’s event, which positioned pods as ‘mainstream, prominent, and influential.’” Meyer’s reporting condenses a substantial amount of IAB content down to three main points plus a bonus regarding Disney - ever a fan of conglomerating - consolidating podcasting brands under one banner. The three common topics focused on diverse hosts and audiences, statistical dumps in the form of podcast trend reports, and quite a few mentions of brand safety. That last point might perk up the ears of long-time Download listeners, as brand safety is a recurring topic in more places than the IAB UpFront. Even last week’s episode included coverage of a story involving ethics in adtech and its impact on brand safety. This Monday Media Monitors published the results of a listeners survey conducted over two weeks in March, all bundled with the enticing headline “NPR Slips as Smaller Publisher Capitalize.” The findings begin with a ranking of the top ten publishers from the top 200 podcasts for the first quarter of 2022. The iHeartPodcast network comes in first place, followed by Spotify in second with Amazon Music and SiriusXM tied for third. NPR doesn’t place in the top ten publishers. Editor James Cridland adds vital context in Monday’s issue of Podnews: “To suggest that NPR isn’t in the top ten of US podcast publishers is obviously untrue; but helpful narrative for its competitor iHeartMedia. Coincidentally, iHeartMedia owns Media Monitors, a fact not disclosed.” Accountability is key when presenting data like this.Media Monitors analyzed the top 200 podcasts mentioned by respondents in their survey, that conveniently shuffled the deck so their parent company place first while a legacy competitor was shuffled off the list entirely. It was then followed on Tuesday by Edison Research’s Q1 breakdown of US Top Podcast Networks By Reach. Edison’s findings show a fair difference in ranking, with SXM Media coming in first, Spotify in second, and iHeartRadio placing third. NPR rejoins the group and places fourth. In the interest of full disclosure, the following quote from the press release is from Director of Research at Edison Research Gabriel Soto, who is also be co-host of The Download’s Spanish sibling show La Descarga. “Edison Podcast Metrics is the only dataset that covers the entire U.S. podcast space. By surveying listeners and measuring their actual consumption, the data doesn’t depend on opt-ins from networks and isn’t subject to the various issues with counting downloads. These top networks offer a diverse range of shows that appeal broadly to listeners.” Methodology matters. Who owns the ranking company matters. Opt-in will always be incomplete and the techniques used to fill those gaps matter. Another Tuesday article joins the episode with James Hercher’s AdExchanger piece on changing attribution tech and brand reactions. New models of attribution are coming for all of advertising, challenging the incumbent Multi Touch Attribution. Companies like Measured, Triple Whale, and Northbeam are all taking new approaches as old ones fail to deliver. The following quote contains a nested quote from Parachute’s VP of Growth Ian Yung. “One social media platform stuck out as an early win for Measured, according to Yung. Parachute was spending in the low six figures per month on the platform. “And they were obviously giving us reporting that it was very profitable.” Upon closer inspection, Measured found Parachute’s spending on the unnamed platform could be cut to zero and show no impact on sales. An all-too familiar adtech story. Quoting the article again: “Podcast advertising is another category that Parachute rethought once it had a measurement testing regime in place. Podcast attribution often banks on listeners redeeming a particular code, which under-credits the channel. “Podcasting is one [rarer] example where we have to take the reporting and increase what it has on our end to capture the true value,” Yung said.” Companies outside of podcasting are coming into the adtech space, and fast. It just so happens the podcasting industry has been operating steadily without widespread MTA adoption in the first place. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Evo Terra edited today's episode. Special thanks to our media host, Omny Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Download: US podcasting revenue is up, Google launches new way to collect data, and a new partnership aims to bring ethics to advertising. One of many podcasting social media staples is sharing platitudes about how the industry is always growing, always doing better. This Monday offered a wonderful moment where one gets empirical data to back them up. The United States podcast ad revenue market hit a billion dollars for the first time in 2021 and shows no sign of slowing down. Anthony Vargas writes for AdExchanger: “At $1.4 billion – up 72% from roughly $840 million in 2020 – podcasting is now one of the fastest-growing digital media channels, and it’s growing twice as fast as the internet advertising market as a whole, according to a report on podcast ad revenue released by the IAB and PricewaterhouseCoopers on Monday.” Growth has developed so quickly just the US market’s 2021 revenue matched podcasting’s global 2020 revenue. Vargas attributes a bulk of this growth to the increase of dynamic ad insertion leading to better ad placement. Regardless, things are looking good on the business side of podcasting. This Tuesday Rain News’ Brad Hill reported on the Q1 earnings call of audio distribution platform Audacy. CEO David Field cited strong growth in digital revenue but as far as The Download is concerned, we’re interested in their reported 37% podcast revenue increase Audacy’s apps offer a generational divide-bridging service, offering a place to access both terrestrial radio stations and on-demand audio in the form of podcasts in the same place. And it appears Audacy is aiming to take advantage of their broad audience. Brad Hill reports from the earnings call: “A key forward-looking emphasis of the call was the Audacy Digital Audience Network, a scale-and-reach initiative which was launched during the quarter. Field described it as ‘an addressable and aggregate of over 60 million listeners across our app, streaming content and podcast lineup, enabling precision targeting at scale, coupled with real-time optimization and reporting.’” Up next: a bit of nostalgia looking back at the world that allowed podcasting to exist. Last Thursday Ben Thompson of Stratechery posted an interview with Tony Fadell, the designer known as the father of the iPod. On the off chance there are members of The Download’s audience who aren’t old enough to rent a car: the very word podcast is a portmanteau of iPod and broadcast, originally created specifically as a way to share spoken word to Apple’s wildly successful MP3 player via their iTunes digital media platform. With Wednesday’s announcement that Apple has officially discontinued the iPod Touch, a vestigial remnant of the iPod brand, it’s a good time to be nostalgic for the early days of the industry and reflect on how much has changed. Thompson’s interview with Fadell gleefully partakes of nostalgia, rehashing key moments from both Fadell’s career and that of the iPod’s development. Steve Jobs’ leadership style from Apple’s 2005 flash memory gambit, the interview evokes memories of a time when touch screens were still exotic futuristic technology. Last Thursday Olivia Morley, writing for Adweek, covered the announcement of Havas Media Group partnering with the Institute of Advertising Ethics. According to Havas, they intend to offer an advertising ethics certification course to over 9,000 clients and employees. A quote from the founding COO of IAE, as reported by Morley: “‘Our industry, astoundingly, is virtually the only professional industry—unlike law, medicine, architecture, engineering, et cetera—that doesn’t have any sort of industry code of ethics or certification for ethics,’ said Andrew Susman, noting that this will now change.” As Susman said, the IAE has identified a marked lack of training and focus on ethics in advertising. This has a trickle-down effect on the podcasting industry, as we’ve seen before with various sticky situations companies and creatives alike create with brand safety or unintentional side effects of unethical systems. “Ethics, according to Downing, can extend to many things. Some include issues of brand safety and ensuring that clients are not using discriminatory ad filters that impact minority creators. For example, putting “LGBTQ+” on a blocklist.” One needs only look at the tech industry’s laundry list of issues with their army of engineers with no ethical training creating wildly unethical digital ecosystems. A more ethical advertising industry, if it takes advantage of the IAE and whatever competitors might arise, is a better one. Speaking of weird ethics: The Download is going to take a brief moment to report on someone reporting on our mothership Sounds Profitable. Tom Webster is leaving Edison Research to join Sounds Profitable as a partner. Webster goes into detail on his motivations and goals for the new position in Tuesday’s edition of his newsletter I Hear Things. Quoting Tom: “On June 1st, I am joining Sounds Profitable as Partner, teaming up with Bryan Barletta to help build something to make the podcasting space better for everyone. As a part of that, I Hear Things and its companion podcast will then be under the umbrella of Sounds Profitable, where I’ll be a regular contributor.” Webster aims to pursue his and Sounds Profitable founder Bryan Barletta’s common goal of making podcasting better. Being a veteran of research and presentations, he’s broken it down into an easily-digestible four pillars: insightful content, industry-leading research, unmissable events, and peerless advisory services. Welcome aboard, Tom. This Wednesday Google announced a new service titled My Ad Center during their annual I/O event. Greg Finn covered the announcement for Search Engine Land. "All Google users will now have the ability to choose the brands and topics most germane to them that they want to see. This is much different than the Topics targeting within the Privacy Sandbox now being tested, as the inputs are dictated directly by the user.” At launch My Ad Center will only be compatible with Google’s search results, YouTube, and Google Discover. On its surface the service promises better transparency with users receiving more granular information as to why they’re being served a particular ad, and giving them the ability to fine-tune what topics they would prefer Google cater to. Of course, that’s the corporate line. One of the recurring stories that’s changing the industry and keeps appearing on The Download is that of advertisers adjusting to stronger privacy on mobile devices and desktop browsers. People serving ads simply don’t have access to the hyper-specific data they once did, and conveniently Google has now put out a product designed to get users to give them similarly hyper-specific data points for free under the premise it’ll make their online existence better. The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Evo Terra edited today's episode. Special thanks to our media host, Omny Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have a very special episode lined up for you today. We invited some amazing women and asked each some questions about how they faced obstacles while shattering glass ceilings, and paved the way for more women to follow suit. We hope this episode helps women who may be facing challenges in their field of work. And with women leaders comprising nearly half of our guests on the show in 2021, we hope to keep The Mobile User Show Acquisition Show an inclusive and diverse show with actionable and tactical insights for everyone.In today's episode, our guests are,Allison Schiff, Managing Editor at AdExchanger, known for her insightful writing in the ad tech space.Aurora Klaeboe Berg, COO at Medal TV, who was formerly a key leader that drove the growth of the game series Fun Run that took the world by storm a few years ago.Colette Nataf, CEO & Co-Founder at Lightning AI, who also dons the hat of Head of Growth at Mile IQ.Faith Price, Head of Paid UA, who has worked on more app launches than most of us.Mireia Rivero, Innovation and Growth Marketer at Social Point, who is at the bleeding edge of all new initiatives and innovations in marketing.Paula Neves, Senior Product Manager at Square Enix, who is one of the most insightful folks we know when it comes to drawing out qualitative insights about games, and using them for growth. AndPeggy Anne Salz, Analyst & Founder at Mobile Groove who is an accomplished writer at Forbes. **Check out the show notes here:https://mobileuseracquisitionshow.com/episode/shattering-ceilings-the-many-paths-to-leadership-taken-by-women-leaders-in-mobile-marketing-with-allison-schiff-adexchange-aurora-klaeboe-berg-medal-tv-collete-nataf-mile-iq-lightning-ai-faith-price-d/**Note: We've had two BIG launches last month!1. The Mobile Growth Handbook 2022 is packed with incredible insights along with tried and tested strategies, this book is the perfect tool to learn from and hone your growth plans for this year. We feature hand-selected insights from the smartest mobile growth marketers.We have over 100 pages of insights that can be accessed at all times (as soon as you sign up). Download the book now and get a head start on your growth strategies. https://mobileuseracquisitionshow.com/mobile-growth-handbook-2022/2. The Mobile Growth Slack: A community that was a part of our workshop series – The Mobile Growth Lab, is now open to the general public. Join over 150 mobile marketers to discuss challenges and share your expertise. More details are available here: https://mobileuseracquisitionshow.com/slack/If you're ready to join the growing community, fill this form: https://forms.gle/cRCYM4gT1tdXgg6u5