Anchor gets a new look

• Spotify’s consumer podcast host, Anchor, has had a redesign. A new 'wave’ logo, a new typeface (Maax), and a new direction in photography: “less about podcasting, more about podcasters”. And yes, there’s a podcast, Branding Out Loud, to hear more.

  • Anna Sian, Head of Marketing at Anchor, will be on the Podland podcast in early February.

• Spotify has added “classic audiobooks” to its service. The nine books are all public-domain, but have been recorded for Spotify. Sitting with The Classics is a podcast covering the series.

• Libsyn has added the namespace for Podcast Index and Google Podcasts by default in their feeds “in preparation for productisation”. This work now allows advanced podcasters to hand-code additional tags into feeds at their own risk - “picture a big flashing neon proceed-with-caution light”, said Rob Walch in The Feed episode 185 (47'04").

• Backtracks has unveiled a new 'floating player’, with direct integration for iOS and macOS.

• Shuffle, an iOS podcast player, has redesigned its player too. “We’ve moved the scrollbar to the side,” says the update. The app uses Listen Notes as a podcast directory.

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• dotLA looks at LA startups trying to fix podcasting’s discovery problem, including GoodPods and Maple Media’s Breaker.

• London-based radio station Podcast Radio has hired Claire Stacey as Head of Sales. Bob Fazlali will work with her; the station has also hired Will Guyatt to work with the press. Gerry Edwards, the station’s boss, will be on the Podland podcast tomorrow.

• Metronome has launched a podcast landing page starter plan - $20 gives you a landing page that works forever.

• Tin Can, a “personal broadcasting app”, has added a call-in feature, allowing up to three users to collaborate with the host.

• Matt Deegan writes about taking money off your listeners. We learn that RedHanded earns £28,000 (US $38,400) per month from Patreon; and that The Allusionist has 1,600 supporters on Patreon after leaving PRX three months ago. (You can support Podnews on Patreon too).

• Does anyone know what NRCAudioBot is? It’s grabbing our podcast RSS feed, but our Google-fu is weak on this one.

Tips and tricks - with Buzzsprout

• How to make a first impression with the press (Wil Williams, Elena Fernández Collins, Podcast Movement)

• How to submit a story to Podnews - Photographs. Photographs, people. Photographs. That picture up there doesn’t appear by itself.

• How to understand podcast stats is our big article about how podcast statistics actually work; updated with more information about the Apple Podcast Charts.

Podcast News - with Podmetrics

From Podcast Network Asia: Telebad Tapes is a podcast that re-lives 90’s Pinoy “telebabad” culture - chatting on the telephone for hours - through movies, songs, and many more.

Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast has a fancy new set. Less lights, more wood.

Welcome to your fantasy is the latest Spotify Original true-crime podcast. It’s produced by Pineapple Street and Gimlet, focusing on the Chippendales, and corruption, and murder; and launches on February 10.