Podcast listener gets tattoo

• How much do your listeners want to promote your show? A Canadian politics show is paying people to get a tattoo of their podcast artwork. Kyle in Edmonton did it - find a picture and video in the link.

  • Steve Pratt would have told you in 2009 that if your Canadian listeners were really fans, they’d just get it done anyway
  • More tattoo “fun” below

• Red Circle has added a host-read script management tool to help save brands and agencies time and production costs. It can turn a single host-read script into a personalized script with vanity url and promotion codes for each podcaster in the campaign.

• Chasing Sleep is a branded podcast for Mattress Firm (which is a US mattress firm, we add, helpfully). iHeartMedia reports data from Affinity Solutions saying that the podcast drove 4x ROI on ad spend, and customers who heard the podcast spent 45% more than customers who didn’t.

• Live One’s Chairman and CEO Rob Ellin is interviewed later today in the Podcast Business Journal. Speaking about the planned acquisition of certain assets of Kast Media, he said: “We’ve spoken to every podcaster. We’ve offered a really fair deal. No other platform is going to pay them for the past. You cannot move with a fistful of anger - move over when you’re truly in partnership with us. All of us want to grow and build together.” Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for the business of podcasting.

• Alex Cooper is to launch a new Gen-Z podcast network called The Unwell Network.

• In Canada, sports media company Playmaker has purchased La Poche Bleue, a Quebec sports and entertainment brand.

• Salem Media Group released its Q2/23 financial results. Podcasting isn’t split out in the numbers; digital grew 0.5% q/q and is responsible for 31.6% of revenues. The company is taking a further round of cost-cutting.

• What better way to spend an evening in North London than in a community garden in Dalston, listening to creative and experimental audio from new producers. That’s the promise of What’s New?, from In The Dark and Transmission Roundhouse.

Moves and hires

• Libsyn has announced a new Chief Financial Officer - Charles F. (“Chuck”) Cargile. He replaces Jonathan Charak.

Tips and tricks - with Pod Predictor by Coleman Insights

• Headliner covers five reasons why your should transcribe your podcast episodes. And they link to our article, too, suggesting that the best transcripts are those done by the podcasters themselves.

Podcast News - with Airwave

Part of the Airwave podcast network: Some folk don’t want us to talk about some parts of our history. [REDACTED] History looks at parts of our past that sometimes get brushed under the carpet - from Hawaii’s last princess to the dark history of the second amendment, these are the stories of people that the textbooks forgot.

The Skeptic Metaphysicians is celebrating hitting 100,000 downloads in under a year. (101,521 when they looked, if you’re interested). The show won two accolades at The Signal Awards last year and calls itself “a fun exploration of metaphysics, spiritual awakenings, healing modalities and magical personalities.”

Let’s Talk About Uni is a new podcast from all the different universities in Wales, aimed at giving young people in Wales a real insight about university life. It’s new from Bengo Media, and is accompanied by a Welsh-language series called Sgwrsio am Brifysgol. They’re part of University Ready – a collection of free resources from universities in Wales aiming to help students take their next steps into higher education.

Podcast (ish) promotion in the wild

Mention of a tattoo above reminded us of this - a (real) Podcast Movement tattoo, spotted by Jared Easley in 2021. It’s not too late to get the ultimate fashion accessory for Denver CO in a few weeks.