New tool to fight the rise of AI podcasts

• Is a new Google service flooding podcast apps with spam? Calling them “a threat to the podcasting community”, the podcast directory Listen Notes has made a NotebookLM Detector, to spot shows made by Google’s NotebookLM. So far, it’s detected more than 280 shows which have been made using the AI tool. “Notebook LM has made it easier to mass-produce low-quality, fake content”, says Listen Notes founder Wenbin Fang; though The Spectator’s Sean Thomas suggests that AI may “make the podcast bro irrelevant”.

  • There is a proposal for a Podcasting 2.0 tag on generative AI disclosures. However, it relies on creators being honest about their use of AI.

• Congratulations to Todd Cochrane, who celebrates 20 years in podcasting today. He’ll be doing a special live Geek News Central show today at 6pm Eastern - episode 1,772.

• Podtrac released its rankers for September. In the US, Wondery has moved up from #5 to #4. iHeart remains #1 for podcasts. The ranker measures participating publishers only.

• Audacy released State of Audio: The Trends Report, exploring game-changing shifts in creativity, artificial intelligence, measurement and audience activation. Personalized ad creatives, the company says, drive up to twice the conversion rates.

• Podcast host RSS.com is adding a way for its podcasters to get their show sponsored. Any podcast with more than 1,000 downloads a month can apply - you can find “Sponsorship Opportunities” under the “Monetization” tab in your RSS.com dashboard. The company has also added more links to apps on podcast pages.

• Another month, another new low for Apple Podcasts, according to September numbers from Libsyn: the app is now delivering 45.9% of all downloads. This time last year, it was 66%.

• Buzzsprout now lets you create custom mid-roll placements - for dynamic content or Buzzsprout Ads.

• DeepCast has been officially launched (though you’ll have seen the company in our supporters list for a while). The website helps listeners search and discover the most relevant podcast content, guests, topics with key insights and meaningful excerpts.

• Audioscrape “transcribes podcast episodes so you can search through everything that was said”.

• YouTube UK head of podcasts, Sandy Wilheim, has spoken to Broadcast Sport about best practice on the platform. She will be on the Podnews Weekly Review this Friday.

• Belgium’s biggest podcast festival, DS Podcastfestival in Ostend, returns for its third year in early November. For the first time this year, there’s a website in English; this year’s guests include Avery Trufelman, Josh Baker, Kim Barker, and Michael Safi.

• Highlighting both candidates’ recent appearances, “podcast audiences could decide the election”, says Morning Brew, which is excellent because we’ve already picked a winner, and perhaps we can stop all this nonsense now.

Applications Are Open to Join The Webby Awards Jury

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As The Webby Awards grow, they’re looking for industry leaders to help expand the largest group of Internet experts worldwide. Applications are now open to join the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) to help select the best of the Internet each year.

Criteria for Webby Awards Associate Academy membership include:

• 10+ years experience in a relevant experience
• A prominent role within your organization
• A genuine love of great Podcasts

Also, the Early Deadline for the 29th Annual Webby Awards is approaching - Friday, October 25th, 2024! This is the only opportunity to take advantage of the best pricing, so enter now.

Tips and tricks - with Memberful

• Heartcast Media writes how to identify and reach out to perfect podcast guests

• Podcastle share with us Lex Fridman’s Secrets to Unforgettable Interviews

Podcast News

MoneyWise interviews “high net worth” people about their personal finances - but the latest episode is the first time the podcast has interviewed an actual billionaire. He’s called Oscar, and he’s not just a billionaire - he’s worth about $3bn. A Lower Street production, Andrew Namanny hosts the show (in for Sam Parr).

After a lifetime of experiences, what perspectives hold true? What do people know for sure when they are 80, or 90? Wisdom of Age is Raine Media’s first original series and is new this month - featuring life lessons from people in our oldest generations. Learn from people like a 97-year-old WWII veteran, an 84-year-old Christmas tree farmer, and a Japanese-born doll maker.

You Can’t Make This Up is a three episode companion series to The Menendez Brothers, the new Netflix documentary. Through over 20 hours of exclusive prison interviews with both brothers, recorded in 15 minute intervals, Alejandro reveals the deeper story of just what happened that summer in 1989 – a story of abuse, myth-making, and choices you can’t come back from. “To avoid spoilers, we recommend watching the film first” the company says.

The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim is a new show launching today. Richard Engel is the Chief Foreign Correspondent for NBC News. Yalda Hakim is the Lead World News Presenter for Sky News. Under one roof at sister news organisations, they’ll come together each week to offer audiences a thoughtful look at our world’s most complex issues, as they give listeners the full story on the people shaping global events.

The multi award-winning Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns for a new season today from Lemonada Media, with more funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. The first episode will feature an interview with renowned zoologist, primatologist and anthropologist, Jane Goodall. Other upcoming guests include Catherine O’Hara, Alice Waters, Patti LaBelle, and Dolores Huerta, among others.