Castbox republished unauthorised, altered RSS feeds for your podcast; plus a new YouTube network and Aussie true crime

• Castbox, the podcast startup that has so far raised $29m since launching in 2016, has until today been republishing unauthorised and altered versions of podcast RSS feeds. We examined what they’re doing; and five hours after we started asking questions… they stopped. The company still deliberately removes links to podcasters’ websites “for safety measures”.

• Last week, we reported on Ramble, a YouTube talent-led podcast network. Today, YouTube network Studio71 has formed a podcast division producing shows with YouTube stars; the deal is with Castbox, who jointly sell ads for the network.

• A true crime podcast in Australia, The Teacher’s Pet, has achieved more than one million downloads. The podcast has been heavily promoted by The Australian newspaper, and is hosted with Whooshkaa.

  
  Aug 3 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• Also in Australia, and also a true crime podcast, the team behind Blood on the Tracks, a series within the ABC’s Unravel, have posted details of their investigation. It was also the focus of a two-part television program and was accompanied by additional digital content.

• Marketplace have launched their first Amazon Echo smart-speaker skill. Make me smart from Marketplace “helps make users smart on the economy, pop culture, tech and current events with exclusive on-demand voice content”.

• Podcast advertising platform AdvertiseCast have announced an ad sales partnership with Taylor Strecker’s Taste of Taylor podcast. Meanwhile, Canadian podcast network TPX has signed a deal to represent Corus Entertainment’s podcasts in Canada and the US.

  
  Aug 3 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• From New York NY, USA, Daddy-Less Issues is a 'hilariously dark’ podcast which tackles the difficult issue of discussing parental loss in a 'brilliantly comedic way’, and publishes a new episode on Tuesday. (Griefcast, a podcast covering a similar subject, won the British Podcast Awards earlier this year).

• Notes from a podcasting conference in Utah.

• Podcasting now has scale and growth according to Cathy O’Connor, CEO of Australian podcast and radio company NOVA Entertainment. She was speaking at a radio industry conference in Singapore.

  
  Aug 3 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• A case study for a branded podcast from RateIt, an Australian customer service website. “We see this as a long-term play in building both the relationship with the broader community but also how we think about our brand and what it is that we want to be about.”

• Digital audio editor Hindenburg Journalist has had a bugfix update. “Check for updates” is your friend.

Thank you to 133 new subscribers over the past week, including fine folk from Acast, ESPN, Gimlet Media, Corus, CBC, TED, Ad Results Media, Swedish Radio, Québecor, 7digital, Mamamia, Cadence13, Sky and many others. Your support is very much appreciated.

Podnews is in Bavaria, Germany - in Nuremberg on Tuesday August 3rd, and in Munich on Wednesday August 4th. Fancy a chat, coffee, or beer? Hit reply.