This Week In The Podverse, June 14, 2024
Spotify updates its Terms of Use on July 1, 2024, clarifying rules for multi-user accounts, customer support, and content ownership, while also introducing a new feature for uploading video episodes.
Janet Mbugua's "My First Time Stories" returns for season three on Afripods, empowering young women. Kevin Y. Brown highlights the African podcasting scene at the Podcast Show in London. The BBC's "Focus on Africa" marks its first year with insightful discussions. Spotify updates its Terms of Use on July 1, 2024, clarifying rules for multi-user accounts, customer support, and content ownership, while also introducing a new feature for uploading video episodes. Podcasters are concerned about how these changes will affect analytics. Read More…
Janet Mbugua's podcast "My First Time Stories" is back with its third season, featuring new guest hosts but continuing its mission to foster empowering conversations for young women. The podcast delves into pressing social impact issues, encouraging young women to express their thoughts and views fully. Season 3 is now available for streaming on Afripods. Read More
Kevin Y. Brown, CCO of Afripods, reflects on the Podcast Show in London, touting the vibrant African podcasting scene. He shared insights from panels and praised the event's collaborative atmosphere and industry camaraderie. Brown looks forward to future editions of the conference. Read More
The BBC's flagship podcast, "Focus on Africa," hosted by Audrey Brown and Richard Kagoe, marks its first year. The podcast offers insightful discussions on Africa's political, healthcare, and cultural issues, featuring prominent guests like former Senegalese President Macky Sall and music legend Stevie Wonder. Read More
Positive News introduces "The Positive News Podcast," exploring innovative mental health initiatives worldwide. Hosted by Dr Radha Modgil and Seyi Rhodes, the series showcases community-based projects tackling mental health challenges, starting with Ivory Coast hairdressers doubling as mental health ambassadors. Read More
Podtrac has published its May 2024 rankings for top US and global podcast publishers and networks. Highlights include a rise in the US Unique Monthly Audience (UMA) for ReVolver, CNN, and Fox. Nine US participants reported stable or increased downloads, while globally, two networks saw growth in downloads, streams, and views. Read More
Steven Goldstein points out a big shift in media. Podcasting is booming with younger listeners, having a median age of just 34. This shows how on-demand content is becoming more popular, especially among younger people. Goldstein says this is a great chance for podcasters to use their strengths in intimacy, flexibility, and loyalty to connect with these audiences. Read More
Marc Ronick predicts a major shift in the industry as podcasters realize that both short-term and long-term financial success is unlikely. Ronick, host of the Podcasting Morning Chat, stresses the need to redefine what success means in podcasting and to set realistic expectations. Without this shift, Ronick warns of a potential mass exodus from the industry, particularly among independent podcasters. Read More
The podcasting industry has grown by 5%, with 19,000 new active podcasts. The updated Actively Established Podcasters Report on the PodMatch website shows the number of active podcasts increased from 400,000 to 419,071. Alex Sanfilippo shared the news, encouraging podcasters to keep creating impactful content. Read More
Spotify for Podcasters is updating its Terms of Use on July 1, 2024. Changes include clearer rules for multi-user accounts, better customer support directions, and details on content ownership, ensuring users keep their rights. The updates also cover service changes, account suspension, and dispute resolution. By using the platform after this date, you agree to the new terms. Read More
Spotify for Podcasters introduces a new feature allowing creators to upload video episodes directly through the platform. Users can replace audio episodes with video by logging in, selecting the desired podcast, and uploading the video file for the chosen episode. Read More
Spotify's recent update enabling video podcasts for all podcasters, regardless of their hosting platform, has sparked discussion. Podcasters are concerned about maintaining accurate analytics, especially for sponsors, as video plays on Spotify may not be reflected in their host's dashboard. Danny Brown suggests possible solutions, such as creating separate video accounts, but emphasizes adapting to audience preferences while managing multiple analytics dashboards. Read More
Neal Veglio provides a nuanced take on Spotify's new video podcast feature, contrasting traditional RSS integrity with the platform's promotional benefits. He points out that many creators, especially YouTubers, will favour Spotify's amplification and immediate audience growth. He notes the increasing influence of "big podcasting" and suggests that despite concerns, many modern creators will find Spotify's strategy appealing. Read More
Sam Sethi criticises podcast hosting platforms for not supporting video podcasts and the Alternate Enclosure tag in RSS feeds. He calls for podcast hosts to integrate video support, even as a premium feature, to meet industry demands and simplify content distribution for podcasters. Read More
Coffeelike Media voices frustration over YouTube and Spotify's recent podcasting changes. Once a favourite for its simplicity and wide reach, YouTube's new podcasting policies have complicated workflows and commercialized content. Spotify's latest move to replace audio podcasts with video uploads adds further confusion. Read More
Aaron Calafato believes that while podcasts may grow more slowly and lack the viral potential of social media, the engagement from podcast listeners is far more substantial. He notes that the effort required for listeners to subscribe and engage with a podcast results in a deeper connection and higher value interaction. Read More
Folding Pocket and BBC Studios Audio are launching two new spin-off series from the popular Football’s Greatest podcast. "Football’s Greatest: Euros" with Jeff Stelling and Paul Merson will delve into past Euro tournaments, while "Football’s Greatest: Eras" hosted by Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt explores iconic periods of British football history under Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at Manchester United. Read More
Podcast host and TEDx speaker Regina Larko invites you to share your voice on her ‘Impact Podcast’. Send voice notes about inspiring community builders or your own initiatives. It’s easy to participate—just record and share from the heart. Read More
After nearly five decades, a significant breakthrough occurred in the 1975 cold case of "Mr. X" in South Carolina. Thanks to the attention drawn by the true-crime podcast "Murder, Etc.," authorities identified the victim as Oscar James Nedd from New York. Read More
Cloud10 Media teams up with comedian King Bach for 'King Bach’s Court: A Royalty Podcast,' a comedic series featuring lively discussions with special guests. The podcast showcases King Bach's comedic talent across social media and entertainment mediums. Read More
Damien St John announces the open beta of Podsprite, a new tool for podcasters. Free to use, Podsprite helps direct listeners to highlights, organize episodes, promote multiple episodes with one link, and create themed playlists from different shows. Sign up now to start creating and reach out with any questions! Join The Waitlist
PodMatch now lets users display their PodScore personality type as a badge on their profiles. This new feature enhances visibility and engagement within the community. Read More
Solid curation as always, mate. :)
One thing I would say is that while I mention having two feeds for the same show is an option, I also don't think it's a valid option as it will just cause confusion with duplicate listings, more work, etc. Instead, ideally Spotify would support the alternateEnclosure tag to offer wither video or audio, without impacting rss / audio analytics.
Whether they'd ever do that is another thing altogether... ;-)