PodMov Daily: Tuesday, December 3

Episode 98: Testing, One Two-sday

The LA Times on Podcast Firms and the Union ‘Wave'

Anousha Sakoui of the LA Times reports on the development of union organization within the podcasting industry. “The move to unionize podcasting firms is part of a broader drive to bring higher wages, benefits and improved working conditions to digital media ventures,” explains Sakoui.

This past summer, the employees of The Ringer “formed a 66-member union” with the Writers Guild of America East. The Ringer’s sports-focused pop culture site and podcast network was founded in 2016 by former ESPN host Bill Simmons. The needs of its workforce had grown along with the franchise’s rapid expansion.

​​Contract negotiations are underway. Lowell Peterson, executive director of the WGA East, expressed that ‘bringing union benefits to podcasting startups and other digital media firms is a high priority.’

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Commentary from Forbes: Precocious End-of-Year Podcast Lists

By way of asking, “When is it too early?” Forbes presents a collection of this year’s declarative sprouts. It’s worth acknowledging that “podcasts aren’t even close to congealing into a mass goop of monoculture where everyone unanimously picks the same things again and again.”

Joshua Dudley considers selections from the AV Club’s Podmass, which we noted last week for its conscious documentary approach. Shows named by Time, Uproxx, and Paste round out somewhat expected overlap.

Dudley’s observation outweighs the lists themselves: “What these lists prove is that podcasts are the tip of the iceberg of the splintering of pop culture into specific niches for everyone.”

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Part of It: Journalists and Detectives Casually Podcast on TV

With each new podcasting-focused TV premise, it’s clearer that the verb has hit the mainstream. Following October’s release of the Facebook Watch adaptation Limetown, Apple TV+ will debut Truth Be Told on December 6. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer leads the crime drama as an investigative journalist who revisits a haunting case from her past, podcasting as evidence unfolds.

“Well-acted and compelling as the show is, it doesn’t have a ton of light to shed on podcasting as a medium or a phenomenon, aside from making clear that the podcast-within-the-show is very similar to Serial,” writes Stephen Silver for AppleInsider. Formula aside, we’re witnessing a distinct cultural and linguistic transition. May as well ring it in with a “compelling murder mystery.”

Get Smart: Podcorn Launches Industry-First Native Ad Platform

Your podcast and its audience have a good thing going — they’re a perfect fit. Ready to monetize without compromising the flow? Keep your standards high and your revenue higher.

Podcorn has just launched the first self-service platform to deliver the next generation of native podcast advertising. Streamlined compatibility is everything: Each podcaster has a unique sponsorship graph that evolves as you grow.

The platform’s algorithm uses machine learning to adapt and improve. “We built the infrastructure to connect the dots to gain more context about each podcaster’s identity, their content, and what our brands are looking for,” says Co-Founder David Kierzkowski.

Gaming, fitness, fashion, B2B, food, and entertainment brands have already signed up to run smarter, more efficient ad campaigns. Your expertly matched partnership is ready to roll, and the ball’s in your court.

85% of podcasters aren’t monetizing, and Podcorn aims to close the gap. Your show’s revenue stream should be as unique as you are, so why settle? See what’s possible with Podcorn.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Crowd source: In early beta, Listen aims to be “the first social podcast app that connects creators and listeners using the voice.” Its newest feature is a community-curated podcast resource directory. Collections of products and services include Music Licensing and Workflow Management.

• Mighty useful: Running your site and publishing should be quick. Need a guide to the best podcasting plugins for WordPress? Whether you’re new or already a user of tools like Simple Podcast Press and Captivate Sync, The Podcast Host’s Matthew McLean has you covered.

• Here together: Doree Shafrir’s essay “I Don’t Regret Podcasting About My Infertility” is a story of connection in The New York Times‘ Parenting publication. An audience helped process pain: “It turns out that podcasting is the perfect intimate medium for discussing infertility.”

• Personal touch: Gautam Raj Anand, founder of Delhi-based podcasting app Hubhopper, spoke at the Forbes Under 30 Summit Europe about empathizing with consumer needs. Anand advocates for a “molecular level” approach to the daily lives of India’s listeners