Libsyn launches free podcast platform; buys PAR

4.9 mins to read · Your daily briefing for podcasting and on-demand, with 21,960 subscribers; issue #1238 · Subscribe to Podnews free; and join your peers in supporting us · Share on the web

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Libsyn has launched Libsyn Studio Beta, “an all-in-one free platform for new and casual creators to plan, launch, and distribute their podcasts”. Here’s a how-to video showing how it works. It publishes shows directly to Libsyn - here’s a test show we made - and contains a midroll ad and postroll credit. Libsyn Studio builds on the company’s acquisition of Auxbus a year ago.
Also announced today, Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast is to buy PAR, Podcast Ad Reps. Podcast Ad Reps was founded in 2019 by Rick Selah and Anthony Savelli, who will join AdvertiseCast’s leadership team; the deal adds 120 shows to AdvertiseCast. Terms weren’t disclosed.
Responding to Spotify purchasing Podsights and Chartable, Bryan Barletta writes this week in Sounds Profitable that “Grading your own homework isn’t third-party measurement,” adding “it’ll be a hard case to make to continue using Podsights when your actions in aggregate benefit a tool that is most beneficial to Spotify and their direct clients.” You should subscribe to learn why he thinks we need to take collaborative action.

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Spotify is adding auto-downloads for podcasts, according to this screenshot. We’ve reached out to Spotify to ask more - asking if this is just a test, does Spotify stop downloading if you stop listening and are auto-downloads pass-through. However, after more than 24 hours, the company hasn’t responded. /thnx Chris Messina
Acast has been been “spamming podcasters”, says competitor Buzzsprout, which has published an unsolicited email from Acast sent to many of Buzzsprout’s customers; we’re aware they’ve also been sent to Anchor users too. While legal in most countries, it’s seen by many as bad behaviour, and this proposal could remove email addresses from RSS feeds altogether. We asked for statements:

“Over the past few days, we’ve fielded dozens of questions from customers about these emails. We first reached out to Acast about this privately, but when they didn’t respond, we felt we needed to address it publicly. It’s a spammy marketing tactic that has no place in podcasting, especially from one of the most respected brands in the industry.” — Alban Brooke, Head of Marketing, Buzzsprout
“Email marketing is one part of our marketing strategy as we look to bring even more great creators to Acast, and we’re focused on providing the best possible tools and services to help them reach their potential.” — Ross Adams, CEO, Acast

Spreaker has worked with Meta to produce a new, simplified way to add your podcast to Facebook. It uses a new API. Currently, podcasts on Facebook are only available within the US and on mobile.
The David J. Sencer CDC Museum has selected four episodes of This Podcast Will Kill You ▸ - a podcast on the Exactly Right network - for inclusion in its COVID-19 Collection Web Archive. This online archive focuses on the experiences of people across the U.S. from coast to coast during the pandemic.
In London, Acast is to use “experiential agency” The Park as its partner at The Podcast Show.
In Australia, The owner of the iHeartPodcast Network Australia, HT&E’s ARN “plans to invest heavily in podcasting”, according to their 2021 results, which were released today. Meanwhile, SCA’s LiSTNR is to invest in audio fiction.
In Germany, MA Podcast is a new podcast ranking tool for advertisers. Similar to Triton Digital’s podcast rankers in other countries, it uses logfile analysis to produce a consistent measurement. It uses the existing IAB v2.1 standard. ) /thnx Steffen
Finally, a new podcast by Google has launched (see below). Google’s press release says it’s “available on Apple, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.” The first episode looks at team culture: imagine the team culture at Google Podcasts after even Google has forgotten it exists.

Moves and hires

Emily Maitlis and John Sopel have joined Global to front a new podcast, including a show on Global’s LBC. Maitlis was a BBC journalist and host of Newsnight who most recently interviewed a non-sweaty Prince Andrew; Sopel was BBC News’s North America Editor. Matt Deegan writes more.
Wayne Cheong, the founder of PodFest Asia, has died. He was 44. His memorial service will be held this weekend.

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Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! ▸ has launched a new show - Everyone & Their Mom. It’s a short-form comedy show, launching today in the Wait Wait feed. It’s hosted by Emma Eun-joo Choi, and offers the chance to spend more time with Wait Wait panelists and meet new comedians. Wait Wait host Peter Sagal said: “The only thing my career at NPR has lacked is a vicious backstabbing fight for dominance with a much younger, more talented rival.” - read more

Nightmare in Chowchilla: The School Bus Kidnapping ▸ is the newest title from FOX News, looking at a 1976 kidnapping. It’s hosted by FOX News Channel’s senior correspondent Claudia Cowan.

Push Your Peak ▸ is a new podcast presented by former BBC presenter Louise Minchin. She sits down with superhumans who have done extraordinary things to learn what it takes to push beyond mental and physical boundaries and to give listeners inspiration and confidence to do the same. It launches today. - read more

Google is podcasting again - Scale Ups and Downs ▸ will explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of startups - presented by Marta Krupinska, Head of Google for Startups UK. Launching today, the first show looks at team culture. - read more

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