We’re almost there. 2022. These are occasions of deep uncertainty, so I’m glad I can give you one thing you’ll be able to rely on: a Scorching Pod problem. I do what I can. At present, we have now a light-weight information roundup and a few bullet factors on tendencies to recollect in regards to the year. Each Aria and I revealed columns a few particular throughline from the year. Mine is about how all of the funding in audio over the previous 12 months was in service of capturing our ears’ unaccounted for consideration, and Aria wrote in regards to the year in which podcasters have been extremely represented on TV. You’ll be able to learn Aria’s here and mine here. Now, let’s get to the remainder.
First, the information, which we’re going to get by way of rapidly, so you’ll be able to savor that candy, candy end-of-year content material.
iHeart shares year-end numbers across the Black Impact Community
Let’s time journey again to September 2021. At the moment, iHeartMedia teamed up with Charlamagne Tha God to launch the Black Impact Community, a community run by Black leaders with the purpose of reaching Black audiences. At present, the iHeart Digital Audio Group completely shared particulars on the community’s previous year or so with Scorching Pod, in addition to on its Latinx-focused community My Cultura, which launched in Might.
Among the many particulars: iHeart says 23 % of its month-to-month podcast listeners, throughout all networks, are Black, up from 19 % the year prior, and 21 % are Hispanic, up from 18 % in 2020. (The demographic information comes from Triton, the crew says.) Extra particularly across the Black Impact Community, the crew says 39 % of all Black listeners to the iHeartPodcast Community hearken to reveals from the offshoot, which now contains 27 titles. Conal Byrne, CEO at iHeart Digital Audio Group, says the community accounts for greater than 15 million downloads per 30 days, as outlined by the IAB.
“We spent an excessive amount of funding and vitality final year” on these two new networks, Byrne says, and the ensuing numbers are “validation” the efforts are worthwhile. “I believe what modified for us in regards to the Black Impact was creating this environment of longer tail creators having the ability to bounce into podcasting, so not essentially, quote unquote, simply Questlove or Jada Pinkett Smith, but in addition individuals like Jess Hilarious.”
I do know all of y’all studying this have a lot of feeling about information, so have at it and let me know what you assume. I’m at all times pleased to see extra illustration in podcasting, and if it helps introduce a extra various viewers to the medium? That’s nice, too. A beautiful be aware to wrap this one up.
Sorry, however I simply need to level out Spotify’s “Pod Metropolis”
The Los Angeles Occasions covered Spotify’s new, sprawling campus and casually dropped what’s seemingly its inside title: “Pod Metropolis.” This isn’t a joke! Pod Metropolis includes just one part of the brand new campus, which helps 600 workers, has 18 podcast studios, a theater, an indoor stage, and “locations for musicians to tinker with classic devices.” All proper!
Nick profiles How Lengthy Gone
One other shoutout for our buddy Nick Quah over at Vulture (and one with a Spotify angle). He profiled How Lengthy Gone, a present y’all know I’m additionally snacking on. For the numbers-oriented people, hosts Chris Black and Jason Stewart say the present averages 30,000 downloads per episode. (They’re additionally primarily sponsored by Spotify’s Anchor.) The Monetary Occasions profiled them, too, final week, below the angle of “podcasts capitalizing on friendships.” I believe we will formally pronounce How Lengthy Gone mainstream. Completed!
International, which operates advert alternate DAX, acquires internet hosting platform Captivate
International, a media and leisure group, announced its acquisition of the internet hosting platform Captivate yesterday. The launch says Captivate hosts 14,000 reveals and that the platform will straight combine with International’s DAX advert alternate. The concept clearly will likely be to make a much bigger play for programmatic podcast advertisements by permitting these hosted reveals to tug from that alternate for monetization. Programmatic retains on comin’.
And now, on to our year-end content material and a reminder that we’ll be again Tuesday with our predictions for 2022. We’ve to see the place we went earlier than we all know the place we’re going, nevertheless.
Notable issues from this year, from each myself and Aria:
That’s it! You made it. Thanks for studying. We’re skipping Scorching Pod Insider this week due to the vacation, however in case you haven’t subscribed to that now, it could be time. I’d recommend you give it as a present, however actually, I can’t see the entire prolonged fam being thrilled to search out in-depth audio trade scoops in their inbox each week. Nonetheless, you ought to deal with your self. Provide chain woe-free. Have vacation and speak subsequent week!