PodMov Daily: Friday, April 9

Episode 404: Week Download Complete

On Air Fest: Saturday’s Free Podcast Session Lineup

Today through tomorrow, Brooklyn’s On Air Fest will continue to stream free. (Take a quick look at today’s events here, second story.) Registration is à la carte, and streams begin one hour after each session starts. Saturday’s stages will be hosted by Eric Eddings and Brittany Luse, co-creators and hosts of The Nod.

Podcast-specific programming starts with “Code Switch: How We Talk About Race.” Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby, the hosts of Apple Podcasts’ first-ever Show of the Year, will dig into how they built it. An acclaimed podcast since 2016, NPR’s Code Switch project launched exactly eight years ago on Wednesday.

Later on, Object of Sound host Hanif Abdurraqib will take the stage for a discussion on listening. He’ll be joined by Hrishikesh Hirway, host and creator of Song Exploder, to question how who we are shapes what we hear. Check the full lineup for Unladylike, Stony Island Audio, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, and more.

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“Hey Spotify”: Ad Targeting Powered by Voice Data

Spotify’s new voice command feature is live. What the app hears is essentially a new data set for ad targeting, explains Shoshana Wodinsky of Gizmodo. By enabling these controls, “You’re not only enabling the ‘Hey Spotify’ feature but others as well — even potentially ‘interacting with some advertisements’ using your voice.”

Voice features have been in the works since 2019, when the company ran voice-enabled ads for several of its podcasts. (The new wake phrase began testing about a year ago.) Per policy, when this current feature is turned on, the app continuously “listens in short snippets” to be deleted if “Hey Spotify” is not detected.

Meanwhile, a digital rights nonprofit is leading an initiative against a voice-analysis patent secured by Spotify. Granted in January, the underlying technology would enable the app to pinpoint “intonation, stress, and rhythm” in users’ voices, a means to recommend music based on the “emotional state of a speaker.”

Toyota Untold: The Journeys Behind an Icon

Toyota Untold goes beyond cars and into the journeys behind them, from garages to showrooms past, present, and future — featuring experts, drivers, engineers, and more.

Come for stories like Trey McDaniel’s, a medic who survived a deadly 133-car pile-up only to then help other drivers escape danger. He talks about the FJ Cruiser that saved his life and Toyota’s gift, a new 4Runner TRD Pro.

Stay for the heavy nostalgia, with throwbacks like the Toyota MR2 sports car. How did it earn such a die-hard community of fans? Toyota Untold asks three MR2 project builders in a lively roundtable celebrating the mighty mid-engine.

On a road trip, commute, or around the house — tune in to Toyota Untold wherever you get your podcasts.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Social hour: Tomorrow is Podcast Share Day by Podcasts in Color. From 11:00 am to noon CT, Berry will be resharing POC shows that post details on Twitter and Instagram. The result will boost discovery across Twitter: “So searching #PodsInColor + keywords, you find poc podcasts.”

• Big questions: What can we learn from The Daily about the art and craft of interviewing? The New York Times’ teaching series dives deep into studying (and implementing) techniques. These exercises aren’t just for students — even advanced podcasters will find new perspective.

• Laundry day: Shure has released a new cleaning guide for its audio equipment. Four extremely detailed articles will help podcasters keep their gear (of any brand) fresh. Step-by-step instructions and videos show how to safely clean wired, wireless handheld, lavalier, and headset mics.

• Boom, science: According to published study results from USC and the Australian National University, “High-quality audio will make people think you’re clever, that what you’re saying is important, and that their communication with you is a good experience. They’ll even like you more.”