Podstock brings the numbers together

• When trying to take stock of your podcast network’s numbers, it can be irritating logging into multiple platforms across the internet to put all your consumption data together. A new service called Podstock has launched, to give one view of that data, for shows and networks. CEO and co-founder Michael Paretzky, who led podcast analytics and strategy at Audacy, writes that he hopes the podcast industry can become more efficient with the tool.

• Podcasthon started last weekend, with more than 1,700 shows signed up to do a special episode for a charity or cause. There’s a big list on their website, and it runs until Friday. It’s the third year for Podcasthon, and its biggest ever.

• How many downloads does a popular branded podcast, which earns more than $100,000 in ad revenue, get? Writing on LinkedIn, Sam Parr, the founder of Hampton, has shared download numbers and details of Moneywise, a personal finance podcast for high net worth people.

• Two out of five people in France listen to podcasts, according to new data from the ACPM and CSA, reproduced by Ausha. 28% are weekly listeners. The podcast market in France is split into what the country calls “native” podcasts and “radio replays” - this data measures both. 53% of shows listened-to are under 15 minutes long .

  • Like this? You’ll love the Edison Research Infinite Dial 2025, which is being revealed this Thursday in a free webinar. Podnews Editor James Cridland is co-hosting the numbers, alongside Edison Research Vice President Megan Lazovick. Go register here.

• There’s a new awards ceremony especially for audio drama indie shows - the Audio Drama Indie Awards, or AuDIAs. It’s a fan-run award show designed to help highlight hidden gems in audio drama - the new, the undiscovered, and the underpraised. Submissions will be curated by volunteer judges, and winners will be chosen by popular vote among selected finalists. You can nominate your show (and see the qualifications) on the AuDIAs website.

• Headliner’s “forever free” account is undergoing a small change - you’ll get one unwatermarked video per month, but additional videos will now have a Headliner logo. It still offers unlimited videos, and unlimited monthly transcriptions.

• Donald Trump signed an order to close Voice of America, the international broadcaster of the United States. VOA, which reaches hundreds of millions of listeners each week around the world, also produces a number of podcasts in different languages.

• Further reading: EarBuds looks at five podcast episodes on health and wellness … John Wordock sees there being benefit from Donald Trump on podcasts beyond just news … Wil Williams writes How (and Why) to Keep Up with Industry News, recommending, among others, us!

The Tech Stuff - with RSS.com

• Phase 8 of the new “Podcasting 2.0” podcast namespace now contains proposals for three new features:

  • An expansion of the podcast:location tag. This allows a location of the subject of the podcast (“this is a show about the Eiffel Tower”), but now also allows a location of the creator (“I’m recording this show in Chicago, IL”). The proposal includes a simple JavaScript generator, for ease of use and integration into any podcast host.
  • A new podcast:follow tag, to make it easier for podcasters to give “follow” links on a variety of platforms. Those links are in a separate JSON file to ensure the RSS feed doesn’t get materially larger.
  • An expansion to the podcast:images tag, to allow links to banners, YouTube-sized thumbnails, and other images.

• AntennaPod, the open source podcast app for Android, released v3.7.0. Among the changes, you can now select individual shows you want to auto-download.

Moves and hires

• Del Fordham is now Associate Director of Originals for Audible in the Asia Pacific. He joins from Nine Entertainment and News Corp.

Tips and tricks - with Pod Predictor by Coleman Insights

• Can you fix audio after you’ve recorded it? Rachel Corbett gives ways to avoid that happening in the first place, as well as potential tools to help.

• Think it’s a good idea to appear on a podcast from an unfamiliar random location? Don’t be like Lee Anderson.

Podcast News - with Airwave

Airwave presents, for your Ambies consideration: NerdWallet’s Smart Money Podcast for Best Business Podcast. NerdWallet’s trusted finance journalists answer real-world money questions to help you make smarter financial decisions with confidence.

The Lex Fridman Podcast interviewed the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. India is home to the second-largest number of English speakers (more than 228mn), and the coverage of the podcast has been a major part of Indian media over the last few days.

What did Roberto Calvi know? When his bank in Italy collapsed, why did the Vatican pay out almost a quarter of a billion dollars to its creditors? Why did Calvi flee Rome in 1982 using a false passport, and end up being found hanging under a bridge in London a week later? Why did he have five bricks in his pockets which he hadn’t touched - and how did he get onto the rusty scaffolding without getting any rust or dirt onto his shoes? Shadow Kingdom is new from Crooked Media today (in English and in Italian).

The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast is new today from Max and Warner Bros Unscripted Television: an exclusive source for all things about the beloved show which ran for 279 episodes. The first podcast episode out today features the 280th… an episode that you’ve likely never seen, the unaired pilot.

Security You Should Know is a short 15-minute podcast that profiles a solution from one security vendor. Each episode features two security leaders who ask the vendor key questions about their solution, exploring its value, limitations, and real-world applications. It’s from CISO, a media network for cybersecurity professionals.

John, host of the paranormal podcast Dairyland Frights, delves into the eerie and unexplained, exploring topics ranging from ghosts and cryptids to aliens, UAPs, and conspiracies. Through interviews with mediums, authors, witches, clairvoyants, and paranormal investigators from around the globe, John brings unique perspectives and stories to his audience - and today he’s joined by Blaine and Taylor from the Ghosts and Us podcast.

Politics at Jack and Sam’s is now Politics At Sam And Anne’s - with Politico’s Anne McElvoy joining Sky News UK’s Sam Coates four days a week. The show combines Sam Coates’ insider knowledge and Anne McElvoy’s extensive experience in global affairs, bringing both domestic and international perspectives. Sky News shows grew by 12% last year.

In a new episode of Life-Changing Challengers, Brad Minus sits down with Danielle Young, a master life coach, yoga teacher, speaker, and author of the upcoming book From Surviving to Thriving: A Journey Beyond Trauma. Danielle shares her deeply personal story of growing up in a small town in Indiana, facing bullying and low self-esteem, and a toxic and abusive relationship at a young age.

Podcast Promotion in the wild

The host of Under the Influence, Terry O’Reilly, has a face ten stories high - or, at least, did last week in Times Square, New York City, as part of a campaign by Amazon Music. Here’s what it looked like in video form. In other news - free chocolate!

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.