Wondercraft launches “parrot mode”

• Audio production tool Wondercraft has announced a new feature, “parrot mode”, which enables users to tell AI voices exactly how to deliver lines. (We’ve a video of the tool in the press release). The selected AI voice will precisely mimic the user’s desired tone, pace and intonation.

• PodX Group has purchased London-based Platform Media. It’s the largest acquisition that PodX Group has made. Terms weren’t given, but the company valuation is “eight figures”. Pod X now owns three London-based podcast companies: Goldhawk Productions, Listen, and Platform Media.

• The IAB focuses on the recent Podcast Upfront, which was a few weeks ago in New York.

• European adtech company Audion is now v2.1 IAB Certified. The company gained certification last week for Download, Client-Confirmed Ad Play, Ad Delivery and Listener.

The Tech Stuff - with RSS.com

• Which apps support which tags in episode descriptions? Transistor has tested all the big podcast apps (on iOS, at least: do we need to buy you an Android phone, Justin?) - it’s a good overview of the differences in each app.

• Pinepods is a complete podcast management system and allows you to play, download, and keep track of podcasts you (or any of your users) enjoy. The dockerized system is written in Rust, and uses the Podcast Index.

• Podcast chapters are a slightly inconsistent experience, with ID3 chapters, Podcasting 2.0 chapters, chapters in the description (used by Spotify and YouTube), Podlove chapters (used by Spotify), and even M4A chapters. John Spurlock has checked every single podcast episode in April to discover that ID3 chapters are the most popular, but only exist in 1.9% of all new episodes. (Drawbacks with ID3 chapters are that they can’t be viewed in web-based players, nor can they be changed without uploading a whole new audio file).

• The podcast namespace now supports channel-level podcast:socialInteract tags, the podcast:chat tag, podcast:publisher information, and publisher feeds. The Livewire validator has been updated to support these new features. (We link to it from every podcast page - if you’re running iOS, it’s a good way to see the RSS feed for any podcast in your browser).

• Popular Android podcast app AntennaPod is to release support for transcripts in the next version, v3.5. Tony Tam has done the majority of coding for the feature; it supports the podcast:transcript standard.

Tips and tricks - with Ausha Pro 🚀

• Ausha suggests: Gain insight into key metrics for evaluating branded podcasts

• Ausha suggests: Learn how to calculate your podcast’s ROI effectively

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: Historical Blindness’s Nathaniel Lloyd says: “More than any network I’ve worked with, Airwave puts in the effort to both find my podcast lucrative sponsorship and promote my show. With them, my download numbers have grown noticeably, and I’ve gotten more major, recognizable advertising campaigns than ever before."

Prof G Markets is new from Vox Media and NYU Stern Marketing professor Scott Galloway today. You’ll get more of Galloway and research analyst Ed Elson’s brash insights and analysis into what’s moving the capital markets. Mondays show will also go into The Prof G Pod; new Thursday shows will be exclusive to this feed.

Wonder is a new five minute show from Brazen that launches today - dive into the natural world’s most fascinating and unexpected wonders. Literally today, since it covers The Mystery Of Vampire Squids. We’re told the episodes are “a great way to decompress and reconnect with the world around you”.

The company behind the Dungeons and Dragons live-streamed show and podcast, Critical Role, has partnered with Glassbox Media to release The Re-Slayer’s Take. This will be an all-ages podcast with 35-60 min episodes in a live-play format, starring top-notch voice actors and edited down into a tightly woven narrative.

To our Editor’s delight, comedy show The John Dredge Nothing To Do With Anything Show is back for a new season today. “Due to its high production values, it’s taken us five years to produce six new episodes,” he lies. The Guardian call it “wonderfully produced and refreshingly ridiculous”; it’s with help from the British Comedy Guide. We would give it five stars if we reviewed podcasts, but we don’t.