Apple’s “Best So Far” podcasts: in every country

• Apple Podcasts released its list of “Best So Far” shows - which “recognizes some of the best podcast shows and seasons since the beginning of the year.” The lists are localised for some countries - so Podnews today carries a list of all the countries we could find with a “best-of” list. It shows the focus of Apple - listeners in mainland Europe, most of Latin America and much of Asia don’t get a list, while Brazil is the only country we can find that lists non-English language podcasts in its Best So Far.

• GuestMatch.Pro has launched in beta - from Blubrry, it’s designed to connect content creators, specialists, and agencies for interview opportunities. For the first 90 days, it’s 100% free for everyone (and will remain free for Blubrry customers). You’ll find our Editor there already!

• Spotify is to cease support for comments for podcasts in Nigeria. We’ve asked Spotify for comment: it may be related to proposed laws in Nigeria for social media platforms.

• Wondercraft was to launch a new product called Wonda today. Instead, for what the company claims are technical reasons, it’s to launch on Aug 19. Wait - that’s the opening day of Podcast Movement… 🤔

• Spotify launched Audiobooks+ in the US. It’s a top-up plan that unlocks an additional fifteen hours of audiobooks for $11.99 a month.

• A new curated, multilingual programmatic marketplace, Ozen.fm, has launched - which aims to connect advertisers with podcasters. The platform has a focus on multicultural and multilingual content.

• In Australia, Acast has renewed with Equity Mates, a finance podcast network. Its flagship show, Equity Mates Investing, is released in audio and video format with more than 15 million total downloads.

• Patreon released new figures, claiming that Patreon creators have now earned over $10bn since the platform was first launched in 2013. The company is now paying creators more than $2bn annually; and there are now more than 25 million paid memberships on the platform.

• Cumulus Media has announced a joint strategic partnership with video-sharing platform Rumble that “recognizes the evolution of podcasting and video in today’s media landscape”.

• The 20th Annual People’s Choice Podcast Awards has announced this year’s slate of nominees. 25,000 random weighted listeners and 500 random podcasters will be invited to join the final voting pool.

• In Australia, SCA launched LiSTNR Precision+, which it claims is the company’s most advanced adtech yet. LiSTNR is the company’s radio and podcast app.

• Amazon have asked us to clarify details about the new team looking after ads and monetisation for Wondery and Amazon Music, sending us the internal memo explaining it all. We said yesterday that the existing Wondery advertising unit would “merge with” Amazon Music’s advertising unit - but for clarification, these teams are both creating an entirely new business unit. By merging together, yes, but it’s a new business unit, reporting straight to Steve Boom, and we’re happy to make that clear.

Moves and hires

• Imran Ismail has been hired as AdResultsMedia (ARM)’s first Managing Director. Based in New York, Ismail is charged with deepening ARM’s client relationships and expanding the agency’s leadership in the audio-first creator economy by supporting clients across full-funnel audio. He joins from Crossmedia.

• Frankie White, a former sales executive for ARN and SCA in Australia, has launched audio advertising agency White Media, focused on premium podcast advertising.

Tips and tricks - with Podcast Movement

• How do YouTube stats work for podcasters? It’s not totally straightforward how all this works, so we wrote an article.

Podcast News - with Airwave

New on Airwave: Rule Breaker Investing from David Gardner, co-founder of The Motley Fool. As a best-selling author, hugely successful stock picker, and financial authority, David has led The Motley Fool’s growth into a worldwide investment and financial advisory services company. Each week David shares his insights into today’s most innovative and disruptive publicly traded companies -- and how to profit from them.

The Sports Gossip Show has joined The Athletic Podcast Network. It’s a twice-weekly podcast giving listeners a courtside seat to the latest drama and biggest stories about athletes, leagues and teams.

Love, Happiness and Success with Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby has joined the YAP Media Podcast Network. The show claims over 100,000 monthly downloads, and helps listeners create meaningful change in their relationships, careers, and emotional well-being.

The Wednesday Season 2 Official Woecast is launched today by Netflix. Hosted by the frightfully funny Caitlin Reilly, this show takes fans behind the scenes of the making of Wednesday Season 2. Prepare for interviews with Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Catherine Zeta Jones, Fred Armisen, Joanna Lumley, and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar. The show is also in video.

The Generation Gapcast features a grumpy, bitter, no-nonsense dad in his fifties and his curious, sharp-witted, inquisitive teenage son - exploring the world through the fresh eyes of youth and the seasoned wisdom of age. From pop culture to poignant life lessons, confusion about social media, they bridge the generation gap between their different perspectives, one episode at a time.

In Season 15 of A Vietnam Podcast, you’ll feel like you’re right there in Vietnam — hearing unfiltered stories with Niall Mackay from locals, expats, and trailblazers shaping the country today. From hidden gems in Vietnam to cultural shifts and Vietnam’s future, each episode offers a fresh perspective on life in Vietnam that goes way beyond the travel guides.