Gimlet launches a new scripted LGBTQ+ series

• Gimlet are launching a new scripted LGBTQ+ series, called The Two Princes. All episodes will be released on June 4th, “on Spotify and wherever podcasts are available”; it’s sponsored by a mail-order dog food brand. (Of note - Gimlet also has a new logo.)

• Grab a free t-shirt from TeePublic - Podchaser have launched user profiles, and if you are one of the first 500 people to add your favourite podcasts to your profile, you get a free t-shirt. Here are all the details

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Aug 13 2023

• Billboard covers the plans from major record labels to launch their own podcasts.

• SoundCloud have bought Repost Network, a “leading rights management and distribution company”. The company works with independent artists to support them, including distribution to 25+ stores and content protection.

• Castos, developer of a podcast hosting WordPress plugin, Seriously Simple Podcasting, is joining TinySeed - a remote first startup accelerator. “We’re very excited about what it means to our company to be a part of such an elite group of startups, and what the future holds for the business from this point forward,” founder Craig Hewitt tells us.

  
  Aug 13 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• Spreaker has launched a mobile podcast editing tool within their Spreaker Studio app.

  
  Aug 13 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• The RØDEcaster Pro has a new firmware update, v1.2.1, which is a bugfix and stability release.

  
  Aug 13 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• The Allusionist has made it to Australia, and is running a series of live shows in the capital city of every state and territory (if you forget about Tasmania). Tickets are over here.

  
  Aug 13 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• PodUK, the fan-focused podcast convention, is returning to Birmingham, UK, next February. They’ve already signed up The Amelia Project for a live episode, which was nominated in the British Podcast Awards.

• Paranormal podcast hosts Katina and Kim Kyle are putting on AlienXPO, an event all about extraterrestrial phenomena. The event is in Knoxville TN, USA, in mid August. (You could get there directly after Podcast Movement.)

• Samantha Henig, currently editorial director of audio at the New York Times, is leaving at the end of the month. She doesn’t appear to have anything lined up, noting that she’s “free for coffee/lunch/daytime drinking”.

• The number of voice searches is - naturally - increasing substantially. Here’s a nice graph and some stats.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Aug 13 2023

Podcasts

The Shrink Next Door is Wondery’s newest “event miniseries”. They tell us the first two episodes have already done better than Dirty John, Dr Death and Gladiator. It tells a story of power, control and turning to the wrong person for help: and is #1 in the Apple Podcast trending Charts in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. (Wondery / ART19)

Postcard Academy this week features Podnews’s world HQ in Brisbane, Australia - and interviews our editor about what he learnt when he moved here. (Libsyn)

This Land is a new podcast from Crooked Media to explore the dramatic history of Oklahoma tribal land rights, revolving around two seemingly unrelated Oklahoma murders that occurred over 150 years apart. (Crooked Media / Megaphone)

Sbaglio strada e cambio vita is the first branded content podcast in Italy (and, apparently, Italy’s first comedy podcast). Pacific Content’s Steve Pratt sat down with them to find out more. (Spreaker)

Benched features “extraordinary stories from extraordinary humans" from the world of sport. The latest episode features the story of Winter Olympic athlete Kwame Acheampong on the stigma he faced as a black skier in an overwhelmingly white sport. (Message Heard / Acast)

My stuttering life follows husband, father, USAF Gulf War Veteran, and entrepreneur Pedro Pena on life with all its trials and tribulations as a person who stutters. (We do too, so good luck!) (Anchor)