PodMov Daily: Tuesday, August 11

Episode 261: Testing, One Two-sday

Just 21% of Top-Charting Podcasts Have a Female Host

According to analysis by Samson Amore of The Wrap, it’s a “podcast boys' club.” Inside Radio kindly shares the highlights of the paywalled article, which include that only 21% of top-charting podcasts have a female host. While the numbers have risen over time, the work of women-led podcasting is more important than ever.

Amore took stock of the last month’s top-charting shows on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. “It [was] calculated that 79% of the shows were either hosted or co-hosted by men,” says Inside Radio. “Overall, women hosted just 23 of the 109 podcasts that appeared on any of the four charts.” 

Edison Research confirms that, on average, women listen to more podcasts per week than men. Women spend more time on them as well, listening 20% longer than men. As networks like Earios, Lemonada Media, and She Podcasts grow, the representation gap for female and nonbinary creators is narrowing for universal benefit.

A Dedicated Fan, a Hit Podcast, and Unexpected Joy

It’s time for some purely positive news, is it not? We say yes. “Never doubt the dedication of a My Brother, My Brother and Me fan,” writes Taylor Stuck of The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia. A man from Seattle will be making the approximately 2,500-mile trip to the hit podcast’s hometown to pick up something special.

Brothers Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy began their comedy show over 10 years ago, which has amassed a cult following. The item in question? A 7-by-4-foot steel sign adorned with “My Brother, My Brother and Me,” used on the set of the spinoff television show that aired on NBC’s Seeso streaming platform. 

Dr. Sydnee McElroy, the wife of co-host Justin McElroy, requested an auction after its anonymous donation to the small city's Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Most of Wade Atkinson’s winning bid of $3,200 will be used to build houses in the area. When he arrives, Justin will personally present the memorabilia. Now that feels good.

Speaker submissions for PM Virtual will be open until Wednesday, August 19. This is your chance to make your voice heard at the world's largest ever virtual podcasting event!

Choose from six unique tracks to gear your pitch toward its ideal audience. Spots are limited, so get those ideas ready to compete. We can't wait to see your best.

Here's what else is going on:

• Work smarter: Tomorrow at 12:00 pm ET, The Podcast Academy will host and record the webinar “No More Headaches: Mixing and Managing Your Audio.” Production experts Michael Raphael and Rob Byers will cover a variety of podcast topics followed by a Q&A.

• Rocket ship: According to Joe Rogan, the “Texas JRE studio set up has begun!” The host shared an Instagram shot of the rounded, geometric podcasting bunker-in-progress. Step 1: Land a $100 million Spotify deal. Step 2: Custom-build the studio of your audiovisual dreams.

• Access road: “For the first time, Google is letting publishers offer their digital audio ad inventory through its Ad Manager sell-side platform.” Robert Williams of Mobile Marketer explains the expanded services for dynamic ad insertion and how they’ll impact podcast advertising.

• Money talks: This Thursday through Saturday, the virtual Elevate Influencer conference will host interactive sessions about the unique financial challenges faced by individuals of color. Sponsorship from The Motley Fool grants free attendance for the first day of the event.