Podcasts hit the mainstream

• For the first time, The Infinite Dial from Edison Research has reported that over 50% of Americans are consuming podcasts each month. The research, now in its 27th year, shows that podcasts are consumed by 55% of Americans aged 12+. The study has an enlarged survey size and now asks about “watching” podcasts as well as “listening”. (Podcasts grew whatever question was asked).

  • The monthly splits show that video podcasts are still trailing audio podcasts, with 48% saying they’d listened to a podcast in the last month, with only 37% having watched one.
  • The webinar presentation was co-presented by Edison Research VP Megan Lazovick, and Podnews Editor, James Cridland. You can watch it here, as well as download the report.

• First look: Sam Sanders will be honored with The Podcast Academy’s Impact Award at The Ambies on Mar 31. The host of The Sam Sanders Show was praised by Christy Mirabal, the chairperson of TPA, as having the “ability to challenge perspectives, celebrate culture in all its complexity, and make audiences feel truly seen”.

• In the Boston Globe, New England’s 50 fastest-growing companies includes podcast production and marketing agency The Podglomerate. Congratulations to them!

• OpenAI has announced a number of new audio-related AI tools - a better text-to-speech model, and some new transcription tools. Simon Willison takes them for a ride, to see how they work.

• Steven Goldstein is celebrating ten years of Amplifi Media.

• This is the kind of podcast review everyone wants. It’s about Alex Goldman’s Hyperfixed, written by Matthew Haughey, the founder of Metafilter. Interesting thought: “I used to say that every podcast takes about ten episodes to find its voice.”

Tips and tricks - with Pod Predictor by Coleman Insights

• Seven Million Bikes writes How to write a podcast intro to sound like a pro.

Podcast News - with Airwave History +

With Airwave: The History of Egypt Podcast uses archaeology, ancient texts, and up-to-date scholarship to uncover the world of the Nile Valley and its people. It’s available on Airwave History +

Crowdfunding now until April 17th, In Every Universe is a queer, polyamorous show about 3 people meeting each other over and over in different places, times, and lives. This audio drama spans multiple genres, visiting worlds of royalty, pirates, zombies, spaceships, and more.

Clubhouse is still going, it turns out, and Podcasting Morning Chat uses it every day for a talkback community of podcasters (at 7a New York time), and then publishes it. Marc Ronick is the host; today’s episode is all about how you keep podcasting fun.

In Podnews Weekly Review this week, a chat with Matt Medeiros about his views about new podcast app features; and a chat about the results of the Infinite Dial. It’s hosted by Sam Sethi and our Editor, James Cridland, and is supported by Buzzsprout.

National Park After Dark is celebrating (nearly) 300 episodes, 4 years and 42 million listens. The show delves into the creepy history, tragic events, and inspiring stories hidden within some of the most beautiful places on Earth. The show’s recently covered a newlywed who went missing in Glacier National Park only eight days after tying the knot, casting suspicion on his new wife…

Podcast Promotion in the wild

• An entire podcast network, CHGO, recently drove a fancy video van right round some of Chicago’s biggest sights. It helps when your third anniversary is also Chicago’s 188th birthday.

Podcasting will grow if we market it more. Is your podcast being promoted somewhere in the wild - other than on a podcast? Let us know by hitting reply.