PodMov Daily: Friday, May 21

Episode 435: Week Download Complete

Apple’s Affiliate Program for Podcast Subscriptions

Apple has expanded its affiliate marketing program — which currently helps market other services like Apple TV, Apple News, and Apple Books — to podcast subscriptions. “Apple Services Performance Partner Program for Apple Podcasts (whew!)” will be open to anyone, reports Sarah Perez of TechCrunch. 

Apple provides ‘partners’ with a unique token, then added to their Apple Podcasts links. When someone clicks through a link and subscribes to a show, “the partner will receive a one-time commission at 50% of the podcast subscription price, after the subscriber accumulates their first month of paid service.”

Like the Apple Podcasts subscription model itself, the affiliate program will be of most use to those with multiple active marketing channels. (Apple’s rundown refers to a “30-day cookie window,” which is surely less fun than it sounds.) Podcasters can apply for registration passcodes as of yesterday.

When Should You Turn Down a Podcasting Opportunity?

As interest in podcasting ramps up, so do opportunities for creators. “So, of course, you should get your fair share by saying YES quite a lot!,” writes Evo Terra in Podcast Pontifications. “But as you, your podcast, and the podcasting space itself continue to mature, it's equally important to know when to say NO.”

Terra explains why to step back, think, and consider if a certain guest or advertiser will truly work in your favor. The Apple Podcasts affiliate program, above, is a solid example of an opportunity that simply won’t work for everyone. Hype is a misleading phenomenon when there’s money to be made.

“As podcasting ad campaign budgets continue to increase, a slew of companies are starting to test the waters of podcast advertising to see if all the hype they’re hearing is true,” Terra points out. The same goes for potential guests that see your show as a marketing tool. A polite pass may be your best bet.

HubSpot Podcast Network: Listen. Learn. Grow.

HubSpot was built on a simple truth about business: Growth is powered by bringing value to your audience. Now, HubSpot Podcast Network is giving creators who deliver outsized value to their audiences a platform to amplify their voices. This brand-new audio destination brings together best-in-class business shows that educate and inspire — all in one place. 

On HubSpot Podcast Network, your show could join top-performing shows like Entrepreneurs on Fire, MarTech Podcast, and My First Million to reach millions of business leaders.

Business podcasters are growth-oriented, and so are their audiences. HubSpot Podcast Network’s primary objective is to grow each show so that more people can benefit from its content. It’s time to harness your ambitions and help listeners do the same. Ready to explore?

Here's what else is going on:

• Quick draw: iHeartMedia’s Latinx podcast network will push out 30 originals in its first year, reports Sarah Guaglione of Digiday. My Cultura is set to launch in July with an initial slate of six shows, featuring major names like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Eva Longoria, and Gloria Estefan.

• Inside out: The Outlier Podcast Festival is coming up next week, May 27-28. Led by OutlierHQ, the free virtual event will focus on podcasting and creative storytelling from large-scale and indie perspectives. Attendees will be able to collaborate and ask questions during live panels.

• Library card: Spotify has announced a partnership with audiobooks platform Storytel, reports Sarah Perez of TechCrunch. The integration will go live later this year, allowing Storytel’s 1.6 million subscribers to stream their audiobooks through Spotify by linking their accounts. 

• Real talk: The indie podcast company Lemonada Media has mastered the “blueprint for creating feel-good stories about feel-bad issues.” Alexis Soloski of The New York Times explores the latest, No One Is Coming to Save Us, hosted by former ABC News correspondent Gloria Riviera.