Spotify enhances chapter support for podcasters

• Exclusive: Spotify appears to have enhanced chapter support within the Spotify podcasts app. Nic Ivanov, founder of Vizzy, notes that there’s a new Chapters section in an episode page, and chapter marks and titles within a new player which is rolling out to both iOS (above) and Android. However, Spotify isn’t supporting either ID3 embedded chapters, nor chapters via the new podcast namespace: instead, Spotify uses timestamps in the episode description, much like YouTube. See these chapters in action on Spotify in the Decorating by the Book podcast, which Vizzy has helped build.

• Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast report that December’s average podcast advertising rate was $23.57 CPM, a drop of 4% month-on-month. The company’s release also gives an average CPM rate in 2022 of $23.87, which was 2.4% higher than 2021's $23.30.

• With Deezer? There has been a data breach at the French-owned music and podcasts service, affecting 229m accounts. Have I Been Pwned has sent out notifications today. Your data is probably compromised even if you only used the service to add your podcast there.

• The Earbuds Podcast Collective this week looks at game show podcasts. Meanwhile Podcast Brunch Club has a collection of shows this month about movies.

• Podcasting: the game, a free board game from The Podcast Host, has had an expansion pack built for it, with all kinds of additional challenges.

Tips and tricks

• Podcast Marketing Magic have a list of what you should, and shouldn’t, be doing in 2023 to market your show.

Podcast News - with editaudio

From editaudio: Well…Adjusting Join award-winning actor, writer and funny lady Robin Hopkins as she helps guests manage stress, face their finances and laugh while figuring out life.

I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast is celebrating its eighth year of big dinosaur podcasting. Garret and Sabrina tell us: “We started the show as two enthusiasts who had a dinosaur-themed wedding and then started a podcast because we didn’t want to stop talking about dinosaurs. Now, 8 years later, we both work on the podcast full-time.”

The Letterboxd Show is launching Best In Show, a look at the noms and gongs from this cinema awards season. The show will chat with contenders, look back at snubs and surprises through cinema history, and shine a spotlight on the magnificent films from the past year that can get lost in the noise.

Podcast ads in the wild

Mark sends us this billboard from Australian radio and podcast app LiSTNR, on display at South Yarra station in Melbourne VIC, Australia (top Google review: “toilets are easy to find”). Promoted: LiSTNR original The Children in the Pictures, Wondery’s Morbid, Wondery’s Dr Death and Amazon’s My Favorite Murder. LiSTNR sells advertising for Wondery in the country. This is apparently a new campaign from LiSTNR, though the graffiti taggers sure work quickly!

Been away?

Welcome back to work. Here’s what you missed over the last two weeks.

• Is adblocking coming to podcasts? Spotify’s giant hole, and Anchor’s share increases
• RADIO.COM for sale It’s only $2.5m. And that’s the starting price.
• Transcript services compared Insider claims podcast listening’s growth is slowing; and what Apple knows about me
• Podcasts take to the stage Spotify takes a look back at 2022
• Podcast advice written by AI A free event for indie podcasters, and listen to September 1939.
• Adobe Podcast Beta… is it any good? Our new ad-free feed; save on Podfest Expo tickets; ads in London
• Buzzsprout’s Review of the Year Every podcast story of the year that mattered. And, Spotify’s swanky suppers
• First speakers announced for Podcast Movement Evolutions Vice Media to make video for Spotify in Indonesia, and Betterhelp still the number one podcast advertiser
• How this fiction podcast makes money The most popular mobile phones across the world; and a trip to Frankfurt
• Goodbye, Anchor? The name might be about to disappear. Africa Podcast Day cancelled; more sats than ever says Fountain