PodMov Daily: Wednesday, April 21

Episode 412: Your Midweek Update

A Creator’s Guide to the Updated Apple Podcasts

Subscriptions are coming to Apple Podcasts in May, bringing major changes even for creators who don’t participate. The updated Connect dashboard now includes performance metrics and a slew of visualization and management tools. Apple Podcasts for Creators, a broad 101-type resource, launched yesterday.

It appears that creators of any size will be able to offer ad-free episodes, bonus content, early access, and free trials. Subscription content has to be uploaded through Apple’s backend, but regular podcast feeds can still operate through RSS. The new tools don’t force creators to adjust how they use the service.

Creators set up subscriptions through the Podcasters Program, which costs $24 annually. Set-your-own pricing starts at 49 cents a month. The company will keep 30% of revenue generated in a creator’s first year, and 15% after that. Patreon only takes up to 12%, meaning the existing model has a fighting chance.

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Big Picture: Subscriptions for the Industry and Listeners

Starting in May, listeners in more than 170 markets will have access to premium content at publisher-set rates. The Apple Podcasts redesign launches with iOS 14.5, expected next week. Headline coverage by Peter Kafka of Recode: “Apple will let podcasters sell subscriptions and keep a cut for itself.”

It looks like Apple won’t have to invest much in original programming after all. Major outfits have signed on already, including NPR, The Athletic, The Washington Post, The LA Times, and Pushkin Industries. Listeners will absorb it all with new grouped ‘channels,’ enhanced search and navigation, and free trials.

Joshua Benton of Neiman Lab considers whether Apple can become a creator-powered profit center while keeping its “benevolent overlord” status. Once Google and Amazon wade in, “Will there be any market share left to share for the Pocket Casts, Outcasts, Castros, and other indie or third-party podcast apps?”

Claritas and Audacy Set the Stage for Digital Audio Success

In streaming audio and podcasting, publishers and measurement partners can now attribute any media-driven conversions to exposures. Why settle for attributing less than 100% of conversions from your campaigns? Claritas and Audacy (formerly Entercom) have the solution: “Industry Trends in Streaming Audio & Podcast Performance.”

This all-new guide provides insights on evaluating the most critical metrics, allowing advertisers to make better-informed decisions about investing in these new channel resources. Key information includes averages, insights and analyses for streaming audio and podcast performance by industry, and industry benchmarks. 

Elevating your brand starts with optimizing ROI. When you know how to pick the right metrics for analyzing ad effectiveness, insights reveal a campaign’s true impact more accurately than ever.  Ready to make your podcast advertising dollars work smarter? Download the guide to learn how.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Be everywhere: Specialized podcast directories attract millions of listeners, especially to smaller shows. Buzzsprout’s 2021 directory list goes beyond the top nine, with links to get started on Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Castbox, Acast, Learn Out Loud, and more. 

• Layer cake: Which instances of crosstalk in podcast recordings should be edited out? For The Podcast Host, Stephanie Fuccio explains what to keep, what to remove, and why. Her list of case-by-case questions will clarify decisions based on conversational flow, voice tone, and waveforms.

• Ballot box: Public voting for the 25th annual Webby Awards is open until May 6. Podcasts are up for 40 individual awards, including ‘Featured’ (e.g., Best Live Recording, Best Original Score), limited series and individual episodes. PS: Navigate to ‘Podcasts’ under ‘Best Use of Video.’

• Fresh prints: What makes a podcast suitable for a book adaptation? Frank Racioppi takes a look at some examples, as well as the reverse: rare book-to-podcast successes like Freakonomics. For a wider range of genres, check out Book Riot’s selection of novels based on podcasts.