Friday Newsflow
What happened in the podcast world this week.
There’s lots to cover in this week’s Friday Newsflow. Mainly because I’ve taken a break over the past few weeks from delivering the news. I’ll be honest, this Substack is a huge labor of love and sometimes, life gets the best of me and I can’t get one out. I’d love to know your thoughts on what the Friday Newsflow will look like in 2025. Do you like the weekly roundup? Want more deep-dive topics instead? A mixture of both? The goal is to share industry updates, news about our network shows, and upcoming events that I know you can learn from but I’d love to hear more about what YOU want! Let me know!
Industry Updates & Trends
Reporting on both the business and creative sides of podcasting is increasingly moving behind paywalls, including publications breaking major industry news.
Over the past week, 199,225 podcasts published at least one new episode, an increase of 0.7%.
Company News & Platform Updates
Acast has purchased Wonder Media Network (WMN), a New York-based creative podcast studio, for $7.8 million. WMN produces original podcasts, branded content, and digital media for prominent companies. The WMN team will merge with Acast to form Acast Creative Studios.
Spotify has launched its annual Wrapped, providing personalized insights into users' year on the platform. Wrapped for Creators includes performance metrics for podcasts.
Spotify’s Chartable will cease operations on December 12. Podcasts using Chartable prefixes (chtbl.com or chrt.fm) in RSS feeds may become unplayable after this date.
Libsyn, suspended from the stock market in April 2022 for failing to file financial reports, announced it will not re-list. The company is offering to buy back shares at $1.60 or less, significantly lower than its $3.75 value when suspended.
Recognitions & Insights
Hysterical by Dan Taberski, produced by Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios, has been named Apple Podcasts’ 2024 Show of the Year. Taberski discusses his show, which examines mass hysteria cases and their societal implications, in a special Apple interview. Previous winners include Code Switch, A Slight Change of Plans, Slow Burn: Roe vs Wade, and Wiser than Me.
Spotify’s founder and CEO, Daniel Ek, shared that Spotify aims to grow loyal, paying audiences and highlighted the tension between advertising models and user experiences.
Events & Initiatives
Tickets are now available for The Podcast Show 2025 in London, scheduled for May 21-22. Highlights include:
The “Independent Podcasters Hub” for creators.
New stages: The Content Creator Stage for multi-format content creation and The Open Forum Stage for topical debates.
Elsie Escobar has launched Podcast Kaigi, an initiative inviting podcasters to step back, reflect, and realign their podcasting journeys.
Shows to add to your feed
In the early 1990s, “Barney & Friends” was a staple of children’s television. The Emmy Award-winning show captured the hearts of young children and parents across the world. Today, many of those young children are revisiting things from their childhood, including the popular purple dinosaur Barney.
To explore the impact of “Barney & Friends” on a generation, Connecticut Public – the same award-winning NPR and PBS member station that “discovered’ and then helped launch “Barney & Friends” on PBS – is releasing the brand new narrative podcast “Generation Barney.” Hosted by lifelong journalist and Barney enthusiast Sabrina Herrera, the podcast re-examines the Barney phenomena that swept the globe more than three decades ago. It’s about the purple dinosaur. But it’s also about music, love, backlash, toys and nostalgia. Most of all, it’s about the television show that helps us become who we are.
In each episode, listeners hear from those who were directly involved in bringing Barney to life – from David Joyner, the actor who played Barney (costume), and Bob West, the actor who voiced Barney, to Larry Rifkin, the former Connecticut Public executive who helped bring “Barney & Friends” to PBS. “Generation Barney” is produced with support from PRX and is made possible in part by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Catch up on our shows
In Afrocentric. host Morgan delves into the complex history of colonization and its modern-day implications, drawing inspiration from Gil Scott-Heron's iconic poem "Whitey on the Moon." She begins by exploring the European colonization of Africa, known as the "Scramble for Africa," highlighting how European powers, driven by technological advancements and economic motivations, rapidly colonized nearly 90% of the African continent between 1870 and 1914. Morgan draws parallels between this historical colonization and the current corporate space race, emphasizing the continuity of imperialist mindsets.
The ladies of Are You Free for Coffee are festive with their '20 Questions: Christmas Edition' as both hosts share their holiday favorites, traditions, and a few surprises! It’s a cheerful and cozy way to celebrate the season.
When a mother is beaten and left for dead, investigators must uncover the truth of the night's events. Who killed Daisha Fry? Find out on Bite-Sized Crime!
In Grad School Femtoring, Yvette welcomes guest Kara Perez, founder of Bravely Go and author of Green Money, who highlights the importance of discussing finances with family, sustainability in investing, and cultural influences on financial decisions. Kara is a financial educator who focuses on bringing actionable, intersectional and accessible financial education to people who never learned the language of money.
On The Growth Mindset Gal, Allie interviews the fantastic Retha Nichole. Retha leads the firm’s focus on driving discipline and accountability for clients. Under her leadership, HillRidge has grown and represents clients from all over the US. Retha’s expertise includes real estate, and small business operations as well as helping small business companies figure out how to include diversity and inclusion in their business. Retha understands the levels of discipline that people work in and helps take them further with her unique accountability plans. She supports clients and their entire organization through a process that takes every perspective into account and provides a balanced approach. The authentic nature she brings to every conversation will help you uncover the most authentic version of yourself; that’s what a successful business foundation is built upon.
Nothing says 'Thanksgiving' like ill-prepared colonists, Puritanical mania, and an old fashioned massacre! First, Emily tells the disastrous story of Jonestown through the eyes of one unfortunate settler. Then, Kelley tells the story of Anne Hutchinson, a woman living in the Massachusetts (bless you) colony and dared to question one man's understanding of the unknowable and omnipotent being called God on Wining About Herstory.
Last but not least, on Writing Black Joy, Safiya, and guest Hannah Adu-Boateng discuss her dream of bringing more joy into the hard work of theatre, how her Ghanaian heritage and love of dance influences her, and so much more. Hannah is an innovative co-creator and dramaturg of Ghanaian descent, renowned for her transformative work in theatre with diverse communities in Bristol. With a deep commitment to exploring the intersections of race, power, and gender, Hanna’s work spans devised performances and contemporary texts, often challenging societal norms and sparking critical dialogue.
Network and Learn at these Upcoming Events
Podcast Marketing: What Actually Works - December 10th at 2pm EST: In this session, Arielle Nissenblatt will speak with podcast marketers Catrin Skaperdas and Kevin Chemidlin about their areas of expertise within podcast marketing. Kevin will focus on writing bespoke cross-promotional material for clients that has truly converted time and time again. Catrin will speak about IRL events to drive listenership and engagement. Arielle will pepper in questions about app placement, pitching for press, and more. You will leave this session with at least three new things to try. [To pay speakers, Arielle is requesting a minimum of $4 to attend this event.]
The True Crime Podcast Listener Landscape: Exclusive 2024 Webinar - December 11th at 2pm EST: In this webinar, Tom Webster from Sounds Profitable teams up with Melissa and Mandy, hosts of the Moms & Mysteries Podcast, to unpack the latest data from the 2024 True Crime Podcast Listener Landscape Report, conducted in partnership with Signal Hill Insights and made possible through Libsyn’s support. [Free]
DMV Podcasters Meetup: Connect, Collaborate, and Create! - December 11th at 6pm EST in Rockville, MD: Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster, aspiring creator, or content enthusiast, this free event offers networking, expert advice, collaboration opportunities, and exciting giveaways. Reserve your spot today to connect, learn, and grow with a vibrant community of podcasting pros and enthusiasts. [Free]
New England Podcasters Group Holiday Party & Meetup: December 14th at 12pm EST in Westford, Massachusetts: Join us as we wrap up the year with festive cheer and podcasting camaraderie! [Free]
Arielle's Top 10 Marketing Tips - December 18th at 12pm EST: Join podcast marketing expert Arielle Nissenblatt and RSS.com Evangelist Joe Casabona for a free, exclusive, interactive session on proven podcast marketing strategies to grow your fanbase. If you’ve ever felt lost in a sea of marketing jargon and want clear, actionable steps on how to market your podcast, this session is for you. [Free]
Learn what you can do with the Riverside Editor - December 18th at 12pm EST: Are you up to date on all the new features and maximizing the power of them to the fullest? If not, you could be missing out on tools that could drastically improve production. Join us for a webinar where we’ll show you all of the newest additions, and learn how to leverage the full potential of the Riverside Editor to create professional content and streamline your workflow. [Free]
Brand Podcast Summit 2025 - January 14 - 15th: A free, two-day virtual event designed to help brands revolutionize their marketing through successful brand podcast strategies. It is designed for marketers, founders, and business leaders who want to break away from the more traditional marketing approaches. For those who want to use podcasting to become thought leaders in their industry, gain leads and raise brand awareness [Free]
Doors are open to join the WOC Podcasters community!
WOC Podcasters is an inclusive podcasting community for Women of Color podcasters, audio creators, and professionals to connect, learn, and share resources. From esteemed podcasting leaders to aspiring podcasters looking to get started, this community will help you find the resources to prosper along your creative journey. Join with a 7-day free trial here. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL! Use the code BLACKFRIDAY for $72 off an annual membership or your first month/quarter free!
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