BBC Sounds goes global

• “BBC Sounds: music, radio, podcasts” - the BBC Sounds app is “beginning to be made available” outside the UK (we don’t yet see it in Australia, in either Google Play or the Apple App Store). It will replace the BBC iPlayer Radio app. BBC Sounds is the broadcaster’s own app contains many exclusive shows, and was launched in the UK in June 2018. Ofcom, the UK media regulator, is reviewing BBC Sounds, amid claims that it is unfairly damaging competition.

• Amazon has released a new set of its Echo smart speakers. The release doesn’t mention that you can use them to listen to podcasts on Amazon Music. Meanwhile, Amazon Music has now sent emails to podcasters who submitted their shows, saying their podcasts are now available on the service. Some podcasters outside of the UK, US, Germany and Japan have contacted Podnews, saying that they are unable to see their listings.

• The Podcast Academy’s membership price goes up October 1st. Our Editor is a member, and so should you be. The Academy also will shortly announce categories and nominees for the Academy’s first annual awards ceremony. We’re hoping for a “best daily podcast news email” category.

• Spotify has signed a “first look” deal with Chernin Entertainment, to look at taking their podcasts into TV and movies. WME has signed similar deals with other podcast networks including PRX and Crooked Media; Universal signed with Wondery last year.

• Spotify has also launched Listenalike, which compares what you listen to on the platform to artists, podcasters or celebrities. It’s available in the UK and US only.

• Almost two years after the release of the RØDECaster Pro, Zoom has announced their competitor product, the PodTrak P8, which will be available from November for US$499. Here’s a fancy video from the company.

  
  Aug 27 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• How successful can podcast advertising be? We hear that mobile game Best Fiends used the podcast sponsorship platform Podcorn to get a hundred podcasters to talk about their app. The resulting 500 host reads generated over nine million episode listens.

• This weekend is the virtual Podcast Maker Weekend. Pay what you can for a series of podcasting workshops.

• Sounder, a podcast platform, is a year old. They write about what they’ve learnt working on a podcast startup.

• Scripps, who sold Stitcher to SiriusXM in July for $325m, has spent $2.65bn to buy Ion Media, a US TV broadcaster with 71 stations.

• AdsWizz has been named a finalist for three online marketing media and advertising awards.

• Captivate has announced a raft of updates to Captivate Sites, the company’s free podcast websites for customers. The sites are now customisable, include email optins. (Podnews’s Editor is an advisor).

  
  Aug 27 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

Podcast News - with cabana

From audiochuck: Ever miss those spooky campfire stories you heard growing up? Well, gather round… Full Body Chills is back with more creepy bite-sized stories. Season 2 starts October 1st - just in time for Halloween. (ad)

If you’d like an academic discussion about Joe Rogan, allow us to point you to On The Media, who released an episode last week earnestly deconstructing Rogan’s show.

This person gets everywhere

She’s from Kazakhstan (at least, the photographer is); and it’s not a microphone, it’s an ice-cream cone. Still, could be worse