Reach half of US weekly podcast consumers by buying just 5 networks

• If you buy the top 5 US podcast networks, you reach 50% of weekly podcast consumers, according to new data from Edison Research’s Podcast Consumer Tracker. “Achieving that kind of reach 10 years ago would have meant buying thousands of individual podcasts, but as these reach numbers continue to change, buying podcasts at scale is more feasible than ever,” says Tom Webster. The networks aren’t named.

• Spotify is apparently testing profile pages for hosts, limited to Gimlet’s talent. We don’t see these tests as yet; we did though see a couple of full-page promos for podcasts (like this for Song Exploder) on hitting the home button. (We have an ad-free, premium subscription).

• Sasha Twining, a BBC Radio presenter, has posted her home studio setup. Of note: a lack of ugly foam tiles on the wall.

• Pitch is the latest podcast host to offer “free and unlimited podcast hosting”. We gave it a quick go: much of the service isn’t yet ready; and our test feed lacks any iTunes categories.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Aug 23 2023

Changing times, changing consumption

• AdResultsMedia tell Nick Quah in HotPod that “overall download trends are flat”, adding “the relatively unaffected consumption of podcasts is encouraging. For such a nascent medium, it can be difficult to keep your audience during times of large change. Seeing downloads remaining flat is actually promising at this time.”

• Internal company podcasts are surging says Storyboard Podcasts, a private podcast company. The top three types of content in these are: key updates from executives, training and knowledge development in podcast format, and guidance on working from home.

Podcast News

Canada’s Sportsnet has launched Sports on Pause, focusing on the intersection between sports and COVID-19. The latest episode features IOC member Dick Pound on the postponement of Tokyo 2020 and tennis journalist Jon Wertheim looking at Wimbledon’s pandemic insurance policy.

In these uncertain times, it’s hard to know who you can trust to get reliable, up-to-date information. The Chaser Report makes it even harder. The popular satirical team, who produce books, magazines, newspapers and have had their own ABC shows, have been signed up by NOVA Entertainment for a weekly podcast: it starts on Friday.