Is “brand safety” locking up podcast revenue?

• Exclusive: Do keyword-based brand suitability tools mean news podcasts aren’t getting the ad revenue they deserve? Writing for Podnews today, Seekr’s Pat LaCroix shares ten popular news podcasts which are flagged by blunt keyword-based tools as being a risk to advertisers - yet gain high ‘civility’ scores. There’s more at Oxford Road’s annual CAO Summit today.

• Blubrry is teasing the release of an AI clip generator, which will produce video clip highlights of podcasts. It’ll be part of the company’s Podcast AI Assistant feature.

• Podfest has announced a “substantial strategic investment” from two partners. Nick Pavlidis joins as CEO, and Dr. Glenn Vo will work on sponsorships and strategic relationships. Chris Krimitsos will remain with the team, focusing on marketing and community building.

• Did Apple train its AI on your YouTube videos? That’s a suggestion made by Proof and WIRED today. Nvidia, Salesforce, Bloomberg, Anthropic and Databricks also helped themselves to the data, suggests the story.

• What is an IAB Certified Download? Bumper’s Stephen Hallgren says “a lot of industry professionals who should know, don’t” - and, that the word “download” (and, indeed, “listener”) don’t really describe what they represent.

• Audacity, an audio editor, has released v3.6. It includes new effects and a master channel, to allow effects to be applied to the full mix.

Unlock Your Podcast Potential at Brazen Studios in London Bridge

Paid content

Discover Brazen Studios, your premier recording destination near London Bridge!

Our new state-of-the-art studio features premium equipment, including a multi-screen backdrop wall, full studio lighting rig, Neumann TLM103 microphones, and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4k cameras. Perfect for podcasts, audio production, and video shoots.

The space is fully customisable and can host up to four guests in a seated, round table setting, a cosy armchair set-up or in stand-up presenter style. Top-notch acoustic treatment ensures high quality sound and a flawless final product. Studio amenities include a comfortable viewing control room, A/C, a private courtyard, and a kitchenette.

As a special offer, Podnews subscribers will get an exclusive 15% discount on their next studio hire.

Visit us at Brazen Studios.

Stories are how we understand the world. Make yours impossible to ignore. Tell it with Brazen Studios.

Tips and tricks - with Memberful

• Simon Owens posts How Gary Arndt built Everything Everywhere, a podcast with 1.5 million monthly downloads.

Podcast News

FTS: Friends Talking Shop has just hit 100,000 downloads, and have published epsisode 73 today. The podcast features three long time friends who get together to vigorously debate and solve life’s most insignificant, yet irritating, problems.

The Baldwin 100 was released earlier this week from Penguin Random House and Vintage Books - an eight part series celebrating the life and works of James Baldwin, the legendary writer and civil rights icon. Special guests include Billy Dee Williams, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Kevin Young, Roxane Gay, and more. It would have been his 100th birthday on Aug 2.

Bistec is a new bi-lingual historical fiction podcast series - a universal, cautionary story of faith, patriotic fanaticism, and surveillance in dystopian Cuba. Set during the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution in 2009, the show unveils the contemporary world of Cuba’s enigmatic surveillance and snitches system, all within the framework of a compelling, emotional narrative filled with unexpected twists.

Rage Against The Menopause is new today from ARN’s iHeart. The host is Pats Jones, who created this podcast to tackle the often-taboo topic head-on. Her mission is to change the narrative around menopause through humour, honesty, and much need valuable information, aiming to normalise these conversations for women.