PodMov Daily: Friday, March 12

Episode 389: Week Download Complete

The Infinite Dial: Podcasting’s Strong, Steady Growth

Presented yesterday, The Infinite Dial 2021 from Edison Research and Triton Digital showed significant growth in podcasting in the US. Tom Webster (Senior Vice President, Edison Research) and John Rosso (President of Market Development, Triton Digital) delivered many encouraging numbers.

Weekly listening was the star statistic: 28% of the total US population — 80 million people — listen weekly, compared with 24% this time last year. Those listeners averaged eight podcast episodes in the last week, coming from an average of 5.1 different shows. Listener demographics continue to shift as well.

Podcast consumers now very nearly reflect the diversity of the US population. White listeners have lowered by 11% in the last 10 years, and the composition of female listeners is at an all time high. More good news: Overall familiarity with podcasting has risen to an estimated 78% of people over 12.

Union Bargaining at Gimlet Matters. Here’s Why.

Gimlet Media, owned by Spotify, has been in contract negotiations with employees for almost two years. They’re in “marathon bargaining sessions” this week to secure minimum salaries, action on a diversity proposal, and a big one: derivative rights. Will creators win any control over their shows?

Sarah Jaffe of The American Prospect speaks with Gimlet producer Meg Driscoll, a member of the bargaining team, about the right to derivative works: “It’s the idea that people might get to […] not own their work, but have a say in when something is made from their work or get some of the earnings from that.” 

One employee, a longtime worker in radio and podcasting, told Jaffe, “I’m recognizing that so much of what we’re doing, the idea is to change things for people coming into this industry and for people starting their careers.” A deal should emerge soon, and other podcast companies will be watching.

BrandStoryCasting: B2B Podcasting Made Simple

Your business has a story to tell. Effective content marketing starts with bringing that story to life. With BrandStoryCasting, all you need for a professional-quality B2B podcast is a computer and microphone. From voiceover to audio editing, expert producers take care of the rest. 

BrandStoryCasting manages every step of creating and distributing your podcast series. Each package includes a prep session, custom intro and outro, music, and a fully guided, private recording session for you and two guests — no technical experience needed.

As you build brand awareness and generate leads, the sound of your message matters. BrandStoryCasting delivers high-quality podcasts you’ll be proud to share with your network and beyond. Not sure if you’re ready to commit to a series? Take a single-episode test drive at a special introductory rate.

Here's what else is going on:

• Love song: Google Podcasts is working on letting you fine-tune episode recommendations, reports Abner Li of 9to5Mac. Decompiled files hint at a potential update: “Google plans to [add] a ‘heart’ icon that tells Podcasts to show you ‘more episodes like this in your recommendations.’”

• Promo code: Thanks to podcast marketing consultant Jeremy Helton for this helpful thread on cross-promotion. We asked what works, and he replied with a range of strategies for scheduling and measurement, plus three expert articles on the topic. (Credit to Bryan Barletta for the callout.)

• Front flip: Do DAWs think differently? When switching from one to the other, it’s important to know what distinguishes Hindenburg, Reaper, Logic Pro, and Adobe Audition. Stephanie Fuccio collected editors’ DAW switching stories about compatibility, cost, customization, and more.

• Over time: Third Coast has gathered 20 winning audio pieces, one from each year of the Competition, to honor the legacy of founding donor Richard H. Driehaus. We recommend “An Interior Life” by Laurence Grissell (2010) and “My Parents' Extreme Tango Makeover” by Yowei Shaw (2012).