YouTube podcasts enhancements unveiled

• YouTube will fully support ingestion of RSS feeds for podcasts by the end of the year, it was announced at Podcast Movement by the Product Lead Podcasting at Google, Steve McLendon, speaking to Ausha’s Jennifer Han. He also made the first public acknowledgement of the ongoing beta testing that we reported on in May. (It ingests RSS audio feeds and turns them into YouTube-hosted video, like CNN One Thing which we understand is using it.)

  • Within the YouTube Music app, podcasts are currently available in the US, Canada and Latin America, and are on track to complete a global rollout by the end of the year, including a podcast section on the website. The company is also planning additional analytics, and improved discovery and search for podcasts, especially for users who have engaged with podcast content.
  • Podnews has also learnt that YouTube Music updates to expect relatively soon are show-level auto-downloads; and you’ll also soon be able to add any RSS feed to your YouTube Music app - even private RSS feeds - in countries where podcasts on YouTube Music are supported.
  • McLendon stressed to creators that for best results you should mark your show (“playlist”) as a podcast in YouTube Studio, which unlocks additional places where your show will be promoted.

• Triton Digital announced data integration with YouTube analytics, allowing YouTube view numbers to be visible in Triton Podcast Metrics.

• Expect an announcement later today from Spotify for Podcasters, unveiling new tools for creators. (If you’re at Podcast Movement, it’s 10.30am in Aurora D).

• Exclusive: Rabia and Ellyn Solves The Case has signed an exclusive representation agreement with Rhapsody Voices. The show will relaunch in September.

• Gabriel Soto from Edison Research unveiled a demographic breakdown of weekly podcast listeners, above. “Boomers” are less familiar with podcasting and listen far less; but 91% have a smartphone - representing a significant opportunity for growing podcasts overall. An overview will be in the company’s Weekly Insights newsletter in a few weeks.

• First look: Podcast hosting company Disctopia is partnering with SEO platform Semrush to expand the reach of podcast episodes with search engine optimisation. The tool identifies relevant keywords from the transcript, to better market the episodes in Semrush’s tools.

• Sports podcasting company Blue Wire has launched an equity crowdfunding round, to raise $1mn at a $25mn valuation cap. Investors will join the company’s ownership group.

• We don’t know if we’re elated or gassy, but we’re somewhere in that zone: good news for fans of Anna and Elsa: Disney is launching a new Frozen podcast, The Disney Frozen Podcast: Forces of Nature, with a continuation of the story from Frozen 2.

• RØDE announced “the most powerful wireless mic ever” - the Wireless PRO, which works up to 260m (850ft) away.

• Evergreen Podcasts has acquired Sound Talent Media’s slate of music podcasts. Combined with the company’s content partnership with Osiris Media, Evergreen’s music channel has grown to nearly half a million monthly listeners across 55 music podcasts.

Moves and hires

• Dominick Milano has joined Katz Media Group as Senior Vice President, Sales Director and Programmatic Audio Lead. He joins from Targetspot and Triton Digital.

Tips and tricks - with Pod Predictor by Coleman Insights

• We aren’t sure that there are enough different fancy chairs for podcasting that we need a guide to the 11 best chairs for podcasting

Podcast News - with Airwave

Part of the Airwave podcast network: Tired: scrolling social media looking to understand the intersection of technology and culture. Wired: getting award-winning journalists to do it for you. What’s New With WIRED covers all the ways technology is changing our lives.

The hosts from How Long Gone performed live stand-up at Podcast Movement, to celebrate the launch of Club Road Associates, a host read brand partnership.

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