PodMov Daily: Tuesday, April 27

Episode 416: Testing, One Two-sday

Coming Soon: Facebook’s Own In-App Podcast Player 

Independent of the Spotify integration, Facebook is building its own in-app podcast player. Ashley Carman of The Verge confirmed the company’s plans yesterday. Details are unclear, though “It’s possible this will operate through RSS or that creators will have a backend way to upload their content to Facebook.”

Podcasters will opt in to distribute their shows through their Facebook pages. “Facebook could gather data about shows and listeners and target its own ads against them, possibly giving creators a cut,” Carman speculates. “It could also offer creators a way to put them behind a subscription paywall.”

Now it’s really time to build that email list — distribution through Facebook is expected within the next few months. This will mark another turning major point after Apple’s subscription launch. As Carman points out, Facebook’s formal rollout “would mean nearly all the tech giants run their own podcast products.”

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Roman Mars Sells 99% Invisible Inc. to SiriusXM

Roman Mars is selling his company, 99% Invisible Inc., to SiriusXM. “Giving up his company’s independence is a major professional and philosophical pivot,” writes Reggie Ugwu of The New York Times, who spoke with him last week. This means leaving Radiotopia, the indie network Mars co-founded with PRX.

The company consists of the iconic 10-year-old podcast, spinoffs including Articles of Interest, and a book, The 99% Invisible City. The show will not change in any way and will remain free on all ad-supported platforms. Before the company sold, Mars signed Articles of Interest over to its host, Avery Trufelman.

On Twitter, Mars emphasizes that his decision had little to do with the acquisition wave: “You’ll never notice the sound of anything different, except I get to be involved more in the stories. So much of my job had become running a business and not making a podcast. I desperately needed that to change.”

Ramsey Call of the Day: 10 Minutes with Money Experts

For nearly 30 years, money expert and national radio host Dave Ramsey has delivered life-changing advice to listeners. With the new podcast Ramsey Call of the Day, 10 minutes is all you need to get quality, common-sense guidance when you need it the most.  

Every weekday, you’ll hear from experts like Dave Ramsey, Ken Coleman, Rachel Cruze, Anthony ONeal and Dr. John Delony. Callers into the show have challenges just like yours — tune in for timely solutions you can trust.

Whether it’s knocking out debt or dealing with loss of income, Dave’s team inspires real people to overcome real concerns. Ready to build a more confident future in 10 minutes a day? Subscribe to Ramsey Call of the Day wherever you get your podcasts.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Traffic jam: Having issues with Apple Podcasts Connect? Join the club. Transistor is maintaining a current list of bugs and problems like disappearing shows and the inability to log in. Their support team agrees with Podnews: “We would recommend NOT logging in at this time.”

• House blend: The Spotify miniplayer is live on Facebook, allowing users to stream music and podcasts without leaving the app. The player is ‘sticky’ and will follow listeners as they scroll around. A Spotify account is required, and ads will come directly from Spotify for free users. 

• Learning curve: Pineapple Street Studios is offering two remote, paid, four-month training positions. Both the apprentice and intern will improve their podcast research, story editing, and tape-cutting skills. Roles will run from June 7 to October 8. Applications are due next Friday, May 7.

• Studio time: Tomorrow at 12:00 pm CT, Hindenburg will host “How to Create Immersive Podcast Audio.” The three-hour workshop takes a deep dive into “non-verbal” soundscapes. A group practice session follows the lesson. Free student materials and registration required.