New Podtrac rankings, and getting your podcast onto Google Assistant

Podtrac release their rankings for December 2017. Total figures are down from November, as is usual for a holiday period; but measured listening is up 93% year-on-year.

• The figures omit iHeartMedia, after our investigation earlier this month showed that iHeartMedia’s figures appeared to be affected by a preloading audio player.
• The company also seems to have removed their “snackable podcast” chart entirely. This was only launched in November.

Wondered how to get your podcast into Google Assistant, and onto the Google Home smart speaker? You don’t do it by filling out a form. We’ve done it - here’s how to get your podcast onto the Google Home. (Also: everywhere else.)

Cleveland OH, USA-based Futuri Media have announced the Futuri Ad Network, selling pre-roll and mid-roll inventory, and also a service to allow broadcasters to do similar.

Midroll announce four new big-name podcasts - Rise and Grind with Daymond John, interviews with people who share their secrets of success; Big Questions with Cal Fussman, Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin, and Breached, the story about the Yahoo hack.

Current covers a new podcast from WOSU which is aimed at listeners coming to terms with aging. It’s called Stories for the Ages.

Digital media company Vox Media has a new marketing lead for podcasts: Zach Kahn, who’s worked with the company since May 2016.

Recommended: the story of Tonya Harding, on the New York Times Daily podcast.

Podcast Movement have announced that they will be offering conference-day childcare facilities for delegates. The event is July in Philadelphia PA, USA.

Another event: the Utah Podcast Business Summit - February 2nd, at Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City UT, USA. There’s a paid live stream available for purchase.

The Australian Podcast Awards have announced, in a news story, that we announced, in a news story, that they’ve announced the categories for their awards, which are open on 1 February. We are hoping they announce our announcement about their announcement about our announcement about their announcement. #recursion