Transcripts now available in Apple Podcasts

• iOS 17.4 launches today, and with it, support for podcast transcripts in Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts will make its own transcripts for new episodes; or, you can supply your own. It marks the first time that almost every podcast is fully accessible.

  • Here’s how to update your iPhone or iPad to the latest version
  • We’ve a comprehensive look at the feature - how it works, what to expect, and how to supply transcripts directly.

• New dynamic feed drop technology has been launched by PodRoll. The tool adds promotional episodes directly into podcasts as the second-most recent episode, and works on more than 30 different podcast networks in PodRoll’s ecosystem - allowing feed drops to be achieved at scale.

• Shure has unveiled the MoveMic Microphone System - calling it the world’s smallest and best-sounding wireless lavalier system. “Nobody wants a big, bulky microphone distracting from their next shot,” the company says, driving its tanks down the røde towards its competitor…

• Price Brothers has unveiled a new tool for podcast advertising that clones the host’s voice to personalise the ads - making them more effective by adding context and relevance. There’s a demo in the company’s press release, narrated by Ian Chillag. Or is it?

• As one open standard gets integrated by Apple (the transcript), another has been integrated by Spreaker. The company now supports podping, a near-instant way of communicating to podcast directories that you’ve published a new episode. Already supported by companies like Buzzsprout, Blubrry, Transistor, RSS.com and Captivate (and us!), the addition of Spreaker adds a signficant number of shows, says John Spurlock.

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Get it free

• Pocket Casts users that upgrade to Pocket Casts + will receive a free year of Slumber Studios Premium. It’s one of the most successful paid podcast bundles, offering shows that help listeners relax and fall asleep. It’s also available for existing yearly subscribers.

• After a flurry of announcements last year, YouTube has gone quite quiet about podcasting. However, Steven Goldstein spotted Kai Chuk, who is Head of YouTube Podcasting, in the audience at the HotPod Summit last week. He writes about the session that Kai attended - which contained frustration about how slow YouTube is to see audience growth.

• Dubai’s Poddster has opened its first international studio in Singapore, as part of its global growth plans. The company will have four large studios and a community space for events and workshops.

• Australia’s LiSTNR app has had its biggest redesign since its launch three years ago. It makes the radio, podcasts, music and sport app more personalised.

Thank you to PodBravo for becoming our latest gold supporter. PodBravo lets you boost your podcast’s audience reach with additional content created by AI without the extra work. It can even produce transcripts in a format that works with Apple Podcasts. We rely on our supporters to allow us to report independently on the podcast industry: you can be like PodBravo by supporting us.

As an editorial note: wow, things are busy this week. Apologies if you don’t see your story today.

Moves and hires

• Congratulations to long-time Podnews supporter Rick Selah for becoming Executive Vice President of Sales for Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. Selah was a founder of PodAdReps, worked at Himalaya, CastPlus and Westwood One.

Tips and tricks - with Memberful

• Want to make your podcast succeed more? Hire a podcast producer, says PodWritten. A producer will free you up and give you feedback, says podcaster Dr. Ben Rall.

• Castos writes about everything you need to know about SEO for podcasting.

Podcast News - with Airwave

From Airwave: Guy Kawasaki is on a mission to make you remarkable. Guy Kawasaki’s Remarkable People features some of the most successful people in the world with practical tips and inspiring stories that will help you be more remarkable. The latest episode features the Painter Sisters: Family Farms and Disrupting the Yogurt Industry.

A unique true-crime podcast, Cookie Conspiracy explores the mysterious disappearance of a beloved cookie, the “Midnight Macaroon,” and its baker, set in the quaint town of Starbridge Hollow. It’s a fresh take on true crime shows, produced in the Netherlands by Lab³.

Violence. Retaliation. Disappearances. Spotify’s Stolen has returned for its third season, Trouble in Sweetwater, this week. The Navajo Nation is 27,000 square miles of remote terrain with just over 200 tribal police officers. Connie Walker looks into the cases of two missing women, taking her on a search for justice in a place where people say you can get away with murder. The first season made history last year when it won a Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award in the same year. Notably, it’s lost its Gimlet branding.