Now, books get visual additions too

• As podcasts grapple with what visuals means to our audio-first experience, it’s the turn of books. “As part of Spotify’s broader ambition to reimagine audiobooks as a multisensory format, we’ve expanded our Follow-Along feature, which is an immersive experience that syncs time-stamped illustrations, graphics, and media with audio narration. Think of it as bringing the visual richness of a physical book into the digital age.” Or, think of it as the chapter art that is supported in some podcast apps. Anyway, the psychological thriller Culpability, by Bruce Holsinger, is one of the first fiction titles with the product. He calls it a “new frontier in audiobooks”.

• Bryan Barletta posts more information about the Podcast Movement and Sounds Profitable merger. Details include the enhancements to Podcast Movement events, including: “James Cridland of Podnews will be Podcast Movement’s first Editorial Director, bringing his immense event experience and highlighting his dedication to supporting creators and the independent nature of podcasting. He will oversee the Creator track at events, with an emphasis on growth, education, and diversity of voices.”

• Triton Digital released the Australian Podcast Ranker for May. It appears the ranker no longer lists top publishers and sales houses. In a separate release, ARN’s iHeart claims it reaches over 7mn listeners and 24.7mn downloads - we’d suspect that still means it’s #1.

• A new satellite has been launched for SiriusXM. SXM-10 was launched in June, and is now fully operational. This is nothing to do with podcasts, of course, which don’t need satellites - though when your Editor visited XM Radio in Washington DC, they had just two satellites, called “Rock” and “Roll”.

• If you’re at Podcast Movement, did you take any fun pictures? We’d like to run a “Podcasters In The Wild” feature tomorrow with some of them. editor@podnews.net will find us if you have some photos to share.

Tips and tricks - with Patreon

• “The greatest podcast guest appearance of all time”. Rephonic discuss what we can all learn from Taylor Swift when we guest on podcasts.

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: Well Beyond 40 is the podcast for women who want to age powerfully and enjoy the best chapter of their lives. It’s YOUR turn now to focus on nutrition, wellness, fitness, mindfulness, and beauty.

In RNZ’s newest video and audio podcast Context, award-winning investigative journalist Guyon Espiner and Morning Report co-host Corin Dann take you on a trip through time with a story making headlines in New Zealand today, asking the question: How did we end up here? But there’s a twist - only one of them knows the topic in advance. Being fair and balanced types, they swap roles each week, one being the expert and the other the interested interviewer, making Context a fun and accessible way for New Zealanders to get a greater understanding of how our political past shapes our present.