The BBC start commissioning new podcasts

The BBC have started an open-ended commissioning round for podcasts (for BBC Sounds, their new app); there are four briefs open to existing suppliers, and further down this page, a surprisingly useful set of 11 rules marked “what makes podcasts distinct from radio”. Item #1: “A podcast is not a radio programme even if radio programmes are consumed as podcasts.”

Spotify now let you embed their podcast player on your website. We’ve added instructions and an example, and highlight why you shouldn’t. Thanks to James from My Spotify Ideas for the initial heads-up.

What is really the top hosting service? After feedback, Chartable have re-examined their numbers in an illuminating blog post. Of note: just 2.8% of podcasts are measured by Podtrac; Libsyn is hosting 28.2% of top podcasts, and Anchor is easily the most popular host over the last six months - even limiting it to podcasts with more than ten episodes.

Podchaser have launched their Podchaser Creator pages, billing them as “pages that allow listeners to follow, share, and learn about the podcast creators who build the podcasts they love”. Registering early also gets you a free t-shirt from TeePublic branded with your own podcast artwork.

Anchor has announced new editing tools on mobile: “the first audio editing tools built specifically for podcasting”, using a standard waveform interface.

• Almost exactly a year ago, Anchor argued that “a standard waveform carries nearly zero relevant information to creators” and described a waveform based interface as “a non-starter”.

The Word from Mouth features School of Podcasting’s Dave Jackson, in a far-reaching conversation about the state and future of discovery mechanisms in podcasting, the challenges of growing adoption into podcasting, the need for trial podcast content, and what it will take to make podcasts a household habit across the country.

Nick Quah’s Hot Pod newsletter is now no longer just Nick Quah. UK-based Caroline Crampton, formerly of Podmail, has joined as a writer, says Nick and says Caroline. (They both highlight how you can support their newsletter in their announcements - so here’s how you can support Podnews).

Blue Yeti have released a new, smaller, microphone - the Blue Yeti Nano.

Messy·fm’s Molly Back writes how to choose music for your podcast.

MarTech Today writes about podcasting for marketers with some useful stats, and argues that podcasting should be included in any media mix.

T-Online have published a beginner’s guide to podcasting on their website.

Event: Sound Education, at Harvard University in Cambridge MA USA, is November 2-3. It’s about educational podcasting, and the organisers say that many universities are thinking about the role of podcasting as a way to achieve their mission, and the event will help clarify how the medium fits into the project of scholarly communication.

Jonathan asked what tools Podnews uses. Here’s a list.