PodMov Daily: Wednesday, March 23

Episode 614: Your Midweek Update

PM Evolutions Begins Today With The Infinite Dial

The first morning of Podcast Movement Evolutions kicks off with podcasting’s ‘annual state of the union.’ The Infinite Dial 2022 from Edison Research, Wondery, and ART19 will be presented live and streaming free at 11:00 am PT. Every creator is encouraged to listen in for invaluable insights about American listeners. 

Badge pickup will begin at 3:00, and we hear there will be drink tickets for the earliest birds. The rest of the evening is for partying, networking, and reconnecting before sessions start tomorrow. If custom podcast-themed cocktails are your thing, join Acast and the PM team at 6:00 pm – details are all in the app. 

Virtual attendees, you’re one step ahead with bonus content: All 23 Virtual Only sessions are now live, featuring experts on discovery algorithms, sound design, subscriptions, audio drama production, advanced branding, and more.

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Spotify’s Greenroom App is Rebranding and Scaling Down

Spotify will rebrand its social audio app as Spotify Live, reports Ashley Carman of Bloomberg. Spotify Greenroom launched last June, at the peak of social audio hype. (Clubhouse downloads had peaked in February, and Twitter Spaces opened to all users in May.) Like many similar apps, it’s struggled to take off.

Spotify Live will be integrated into the main app in the second quarter of 2022, according to Carman’s sources. It’s meant to be a hub “where content creators can organize conversations” that subscribers can listen to. The change was also seen in a beta version of Spotify’s iPhone app by developer Steve Moser.

Greenroom was Spotify’s “first real attempt at creating a social media platform,” Carman wrote in The Verge when the app launched. Despite its shelf life, the experiment was successful: “Some of its core functionality, a person close to the situation says, will eventually make its way to the actual Spotify app.”

Podcastle for iOS: Pro-Quality Podcasting On the Go

Podcastle is an AI-powered, collaborative platform that helps podcasters of all levels create, edit, and distribute studio-quality podcasts in seconds. Podcastle’s iOS app is your ultimate mobile studio, bringing HD recording and powerful features to creators on the go.

Named one of Fast Company’s Best New Apps for March, Podcastle is the world’s first professional-quality audio recorder for iPhone. It combines local audio recording and uploading for up to 10 participants, giving you studio sound and advanced production tools – all in your pocket.

Podcastle has welcomed over 200,000 creators in its first year alone, and it’s easy to see why. It’s simply the smartest way to bring your stories to life, no matter where and how you podcast. Ready to see your studio in action? Download the free app and start recording.

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Here's what else is going on:

• A toast: Cheers to 9/12, named Podcast of the Year (also Best Reporting and Best Original Score) at the second annual Ambies. Last night’s ceremony in Los Angeles celebrated audio excellence across dozens of categories. Special shoutout to Best Entertainment Podcast winner Back Issue.

• Fast lane: Since SiriusXM bought Stitcher, more than a quarter of Stitcher’s employees have left. Ashley Carman’s last investigative piece for The Verge is a deep dive into that “bungled” acquisition: How it went, where it went sideways, and how it speaks to podcasting’s shift toward consolidation.

• Center field: PRX has announced a third round of the Google Podcasts creator program. This next 20-week intensive training accelerator will be open to “mid-career podcasters seeking to level up their productions.” Applications open on Monday, March 29 and will be accepted until Sunday, April 24.

• Real talk: Of those who leave public radio for podcasting, a number don’t last long in their new positions. Eric Nuzum sees a few clear reasons behind the pattern. The Magnificent Noise co-founder dispels myths and half-truths about compensation, stability, and the promise of creative freedom.