A smörgåsbord of good news in Acast’s Q2/22

• Acast has released the company’s Q2/22 financial report. The Swedish company now hosts 66,000 podcasts (a record growth last quarter); the number of listens in the quarter increased 41% year-on-year. The company lost $11m in the quarter, though now expects to make EBITDA profit in 2024, earlier than previously expected. “The heavy investment phase is now over”, says CEO Ross Adams, noting that there has been a cooling of the advertising market globally.

• Publisher and broadcaster Audacy has bought podcast app Moonbeam, according to Moonbeam’s founder, Paul English. Moonbeam includes an AI machine-learning system for enhanced discoverability. Terms weren’t given; indeed, Audacy has yet to announce the purchase.

• Popular podcast app Pocket Casts has launched a new feature, folders, in their latest update. A paid feature for Pocket Casts Plus subscribers, it allows you to have, for example, folders full of news podcasts or comedy podcasts.

• Is the future “sensory non-music audio”? LiSTNR seems to think so: the Australian audio platform has worked with an AI company to produce a brown noise audio soundtrack designed to help you focus, and an ambient noise to help sleep.

• Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast reports that the average CPM for their marketplace for July was $23.60, up slightly from a year ago. The highest CPM category was technology, at $28.

• Podhustlr seems to be a brand new podcast host.

Tips and tricks

• Blubrry suggest how to find podcast advertisers you like (and will like you back).

• Brianna Ansaldo writes a helpful guide on how to really annoy your podcast listeners.

Moves and hires

• Christiana Brenton has been named Director of Sales and Brand Partnerships for Acast in the US. Formerly in sales for Australia’s NOVA Entertainment, she’s been with Acast in the UK and US for over three years, and will lead the US sales team.
• Elli Dimitroulakos has been promoted to Global Head of Ad Innovation for Acast. She was previously Head of Automation for the Americas.
• Jeremy Weiner is now Acast’s US Agency Partnerships Director. He joined Acast last November from Megaphone.

Podcast News

Father Wants Us Dead has partnered with True Native Media. The true crime series is from NJ Advance Media and NJ.​com: Heather Osgood, founder of True Native Media, said that the company “is delighted to bring this engaged audience to our advertising partners.”

Seaman Says, from former England and Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman, has signed to be part of the Sport Social Podcast Network. Seaman Says is produced by Manchester based Listening Dog Media, an audio production company behind other chart-topping shows including The Last Word, a podcast hosted by Stan Collymore.