PodMov Daily: Thursday, October 3

Episode 57: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Voxnest on the U.S. and Europe: Top-Earning Podcast Categories

Voxnest’s new insight report reveals the top 5 money-making podcast categories in their analytics’ two largest markets, the U.S. and Europe. The most lucrative category in both areas turns out to be Sports, where advertising revenue is highest at 7:00am (U.S.) and 9:00am (Europe).

“With ad revenue being at its highest in the morning as well as the U.S., it’s likely that podcasts that recap and release the morning after a game or match would find the most revenue success,” writes Ivey Amburgey. The report concludes, “We believe there’s a good chance that podcasters and ad networks will start varying their pricing based on the time of ad delivery.”

Data from the company’s Audience Network also includes the top-spending advertisers within each category. Household names Progressive and Uber topped the U.S. Sports chart. Dynamic ads appear to be in a “testing period for many of the big brands,” casting a wide net before narrowing focus.

Atlanta's Jeff and Callie Dauler on the Upside of Starting Fresh

Radio producer Jeff Dauler has worked all over the United States, settling in Atlanta in 2001. He spoke with Radio Ink about how podcasting took his audio career in an unexpected direction. In 2016 he took a co-hosting job at Star 94.1 as part of a program called Jeff and Jenn. When he was let go due to ratings, he decided to become a podcaster.

“I have had a great and loyal following [in Atlanta.] They were excited to hear me somewhere else,” says Dauler. Jeff and his wife Callie have found a new calling with their daily show The Upside, themed around gratitude. “You could have creative control and do all the things that you’ve wanted to do but were limited by radio,” says Callie, whose social media business led her to the microphone.

The Upside is informal but structured, a discussion with a positive spin. “The advantage I have with working in radio so long is it is definitely planned out,” says Jeff. “It’s balanced.” That balance led to a position at #7 on the Apple podcast chart for three days, which is most certainly an upside.

Getting the Gig: 7 Women Leaders in Digital Media

Mandy Hofmockel, deputy editor of news for Newsday.com, knows firsthand the pain of hunting for journalism positions. Wanting to give back once her career was in order, she began tracking openings for a journalism jobs newsletter.

“The most exciting digital media roles I’ve seen generally fall into three categories: storytelling and content creation; audience growth and digital strategy; and product, engineering or project management,” she observes. Hofmockel’s piece for Poynter profiles 7 outstanding digital women leaders, including Ethar El-Katatney, The Wall Street Journal’s young audiences editor.

They each describe their career journeys and how they landed their roles, offering valuable advice to any media professional. Hofmockel reminds readers “going through a rocky moment” to “look back at everything you’ve accomplished and look forward to everything you’ve yet to do.”

WNYC Goes to LA for the Werk It Festival

Happy Thursday, readers. May you channel the confidence and recording tips of Keisha “TK” Dutes at WNYC’S Werk It Festival. We hear Dutes’ audio equipment presentation was the bee’s knees.

Cheers,

Team PM

Here's what else is going on:

• The purge: Podnews reports that Apple Podcasts “remove[s] podcasts from their directory with technical problems, that violate rules or manipulate charts.” According to Chartable, 23,460 podcasts have been removed in the last 90 days: that’s 260 per day.
• Ice, ice, baby: The Locked On Podcast Network, #1 for daily local sports, has rolled out coverage of the NHL. The hockey lineup joins shows about NBA, NFL, MLB and College teams. Hockey fans “underserved by mainstream sports outlets” can access daily, in-depth reporting.
• Group chat: Recording with a USB microphone is a really simple, intuitive way to podcast. It’s possible to add a second one, “but it’s never an optimal setup.” Not to worry — The Podcast Host has alternative solutions including best options for recording 2 or more people.
• Emotion sensor: Have you considered the narrative consequences of emotional sounds in podcasting? Rob Rosenthal, teacher, producer, and host of Howsound, reflects on the delicate power of crying in audio storytelling. Read or listen to “Interviewing for Emotions” on Transom.