200 podcasting jobs cut at Spotify

• Spotify is to cut 200 jobs from its podcasting division. The company says that’s 2% of Spotify’s global workforce; but these are substantial cuts to the podcast division. While Spotify couldn’t tell us how many staff work in podcasting overall, various reports suggest Gimlet has around 125 employees, Parcast has about 40, and The Ringer about 120.

  • The company’s Parcast and Gimlet production studios will be merged as “Spotify Studios”; The Ringer is to continue as a separate brand.
  • Sahar Elhabashi, VP, Head of Podcast Business, also announces: “Simultaneously, in collaboration with the podcasting community, we are broadening our analytics capabilities by expanding Spotify For Podcasters, which will help creators maximize their audience on Spotify and beyond.” We’ve asked Spotify for more details on this.

• Separately, The Athletic appear to be scaling back on its slate of soccer podcasts in the UK, according to tweets from David Cameron Walker, The Phil Hay Show, and The Square Ball.

• Apple Podcasts is to get a new look and new features in the upcoming iOS 17.

  • “Apple Podcasts will support episode artwork for all shows.” (See our episode artwork on the Podnews Daily). Episode artwork is already supported by Spotify and Pocket Casts.
  • If you’re subscribed to apps like The Economist or Calm, you’ll get access to premium audio from those apps automatically within Apple Podcasts.
  • Apple Music’s radio shows will be available on-demand within Apple Podcasts.
  • A developer beta is available now.

• YouTube is now the “most utilized podcast listening platform” in the U.S.: 29% say it is the platform they use the most, followed by Spotify (17%) and Apple (16%) - according to Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights, who have released the Spring 2023 Podcast Download Report.

• Buzzsprout’s new AI service is powered by Podium, which has formally announced their partnership today.

• Mumbler, an audio monetisation platform, has raised €155,000 in a crowdfunding round.

• Forest, a UK-based independent audio production company, has launched Forest Sounds to focus on premium factual podcast series.

• Chilu Lemba is to be the Face of the upcoming African Podcasters and Voice Artists awards season. Zambian-born Lemba is a radio and television presenter, voice-over artist, author, and musician.

  • The Awards are to be sponsored by Afripods, it’s been announced.

Tips and tricks - with Podnews Live - where podcasting connects

• Apple Podcasts publishes Five new insights to help grow your subscription on Apple Podcasts. Annual plans are popular, they say. (Try ours!)

Podcast News

Many people now believe that our problems are just too large for individuals to do anything worthwhile about. An Army of Normal Folks sets to change that. Hosted by businessman, speaker and coach Bill Courtney, the show believes that everyone can have an impact and change their community for the better. The show launches today.

The 13th Step is a story some people didn’t want NHPR to tell. It’s about sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment industry, and the dangers journalists and sources can face when they expose alleged wrongdoing by powerful people. How could so many people be harmed in an industry dedicated to healing?

The popular mental health podcast How Do You Cope? …with Elis and John returns to BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds today. The first episode will hear comedians and long-standing best friends Elis and John open up about the struggles they have faced since recording the last series. Elis talks about the stresses of moving house with his family in tow, while John opens up about battling his relationship with alcohol.