The podcast paywall that’s working great

• One year after putting (almost) all its podcasts behind a paywall, The Economist claims it has retained 80% of its listeners. Director of Podcasts John Shields speaks to Esther Kezia Thorpe about how the company hit 30,000 paid subscriptions in six months.

• Audacy has signed a sales representation and distribution deal for Max Cutler’s PAVE Studios.

• Headliner has added video support for podcasters. Creators can now quickly repurpose video episodes to maximise reach and engagement across social media and YouTube.

• Dovetail, PRX’s podcast hosting system, has been given a grant from CPB to enable free access to the tool by 30 public media stations. The tools are already used by PBS, GBH, KERA, WUNC, WAMU, WWNO, and more three and four letter acronyms.

• Just in time for the closure of Chartable, Magellan AI has posted a case study of an advertiser using Magellan’s attribution and performance tracking tools. The data suggests Magellan’s tracker was 32.9% more accurate.

• AIR, a community of independent audio producers, has launched its annual survey (and there’s a discount for AIR membership, too).

• A new company, Audio Monuments, has been launched to create bespoke audio documentaries that weave together personal interviews, custom scoring, and dynamic sound design to tell the story of your loved ones and notable life events.

• Amazon’s Wondery has launched a set of toys from Wondery Kids shows, including Wow In The World. You can buy them from - where else? - Amazon. Select toys are also available at specialty in store retailers including Learning Express, Barnes & Noble, Nordstrom, Indigo, and Mastermind Toys.

• German media company Der Spiegel has launched a daily podcast (in both audio and video). The show features discussions with journalists about one news topic a day, similar to The Daily.

• Audible has celebrated its fourth anniversary in Spain. The release contains some data about Spanish podcast consumption: 55% discover new podcasts from social media.

• Podfest has published the event’s schedule. It’s in January in Orlando FL, USA.

• Got your tickets for the Resonate Podcast Festival yet? Well, tough, you’re too late: it sold out in less than 48 hours. But, as a sponsor, The Podglomerate has a ticket to give away over on their LinkedIn.

Earn It: Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers

Paid content

Steve Pratt, the cofounder of Pacific Content, has a new book called Earn It: Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers. If you’re creating podcasts for a brand, a network, or on your own, Earn It is designed to help you develop, produce, and market shows that stand out from the crowd and earn lots of attention.

If you’re curious, Podnews editor James Cridland has written a review. Plus, social proof that Steve is not a bozo:

“Earn It! is like Seth Godin meets Steven Pressfield.“ –Dan Heath, bestselling co-author of Made To Stick

“Steve’s approach, rooted in commitment, hard work, and creative bravery, led us to create award-winning content that resonated deeply with our audience. Highly recommended!” –JC Gama, VP of Marketing, Dell Technologies

“Steve is an absolute wizard at creating delightful content that dazzles and inspires users. He was instrumental in our content strategy at Slack and providing content fuel for our rocketship growth” – Bill Macaitis, former CMO of Slack, Zendesk, Saas Marketing advisor

Learn more and buy it!

People News

• Jim Lally has been appointed as Head of Business Development at PodcastOne. He moves from Libsyn Ads.

• Kristen Abramo has been hired as Chief Operating Officer at Ad Results Media. She reports directly to the company’s new CEO, Jordan Fox. She was MD of full-service media agency Anagram.

Tips and tricks - with Memberful

• It’s important to make sure that your podcast isn’t too quiet, or too loud. LUFS is the way to do that.

• How long should a podcast be? There’s plenty of thoughts about how long - we share some of the data and thinking behind your ideal podcast length.

Podcast News

And That’s Why We Drink has partnered with QCODE for ad sales and distribution. The move marks a new chapter for the wildly popular show that blends true crime with the paranormal.

Mind of a Serial Killer is new from Crime House, part of PAVE Studios, this week. This gripping new series takes listeners deep into the minds of history’s most notorious serial killers, from Jeffrey Dahmer to Ted Bundy, combining compelling storytelling with expert psychological analysis to answer the haunting question: What makes a serial killer?

The Love Seat is new today from Lauren Speed-Hamilton and Cameron Hamilton from Love is Blind Season 1. Based on their successful YouTube mini-series of the same name, is a bi-weekly podcast where Lauren and Cameron explore love and relationships, in addition to the journey of personal growth, mental wellness, and self-love.

What radical solutions would you put in place if you had unlimited political and financial power? If You Were In Charge is brand new today, hosted by renowned global peace strategist Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. The first episode features Abigail Disney, heiress to the Disney empire, discussing wealth inequality and offering radical ideas to challenge the billionaire class.

Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith is new today from Salem Media Group. The podcast features inspiring and uplifting conversations with individuals from all walks of life.

Elon’s Spies is new this week - a three-part podcast series exploring Elon Musk’s use of private investigators. The three-part podcast, released on the Tortoise Investigates feed, is a deep-dive into how one of the most powerful men in the world, and free-speech absolutist, utilises covert tactics to control information for both personal and professional gain.