

Sounds Profitable
Bryan Barletta
The pace of change the podcast industry is undergoing is staggering. The implications for podcasters, hosting providers, podcast listening app developers, and advertisers and agencies are enormous. And so is the growth potential. Presented as a companion to the weekly newsletter of the same name, our podcast provides you with direct access to our narrated articles, interviews with industry experts, bleeding-edge research, and can't miss industry news recaps. That Sounds Profitable, right? Assumptions and conventional wisdom will be challenged. Easy answers with no proof of efficacy will be exposed. Because the thinking that got podcast advertising close to a billion dollars annually will need to be drastically overhauled to bring in the tens or hundreds of billions of dollars podcast advertising deserves.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 4, 2023 • 9min
Why Branded Content Could Be Bigger Than You Think
Tom Webster takes a look at the potential for brands and podcasts, and how data shows they have even more room to grow.Written by Tom WebsterEdited by Bryan BarlettaAudio edited by Gavin GaddisHosted by ART19Sounds Profitable: Narrated Articles is a production of Sounds Profitable. For more information, visit soundsprofitable.com.

Oct 3, 2023 • 5min
Podcasts in Classrooms, Gen Z Adults Embrace Audio, ADL Search Ad Investigation, & More.
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:Streaming video, music among Gen Z’s most popular media activities by Sara Lebow https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/streaming-video-music-among-gen-z-s-most-popular-media-activitiesFree Podcast Program Coming to Classrooms with TinkerClass. http://tinkercast.com/press-release/Profiting from Hate: Platforms’ Ad Placement Problem https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/profiting-hate-platforms-ad-placement-problemWNYC Parent to Cut 12% of Work Force by Benjamin Mullin https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/business/media/new-york-public-radio-job-cuts-wnyc.html

Oct 2, 2023 • 5min
Dentsu's Keyword Buying, Spotify's CTV Play, Amazon Podcast Previews Go Global, & More
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: DENTSU BRINGS KEYWORD BUYING TO CONNECTED TV TO IMPROVE BRAND SAFETY AND TARGETING by Jack Neff https://adage.com/article/media/dentsu-brings-keyword-buying-connected-tv-improve-brand-safety-and-targeting/2519186Amazon Music launches Podcast Previews in several global markets by Reem Makari https://www.podpod.com/article/1839177/amazon-music-launches-podcast-previews-several-global-marketsACA study reveals the three factors driving the best returns in advertising https://www.adnews.com.au/news/aca-study-reveals-the-three-factors-driving-the-best-returns-in-advertising/type/yafNewsYouTube and Podcasts by Adam Bowie https://www.adambowie.com/blog/2023/09/youtube-and-podcasts/Why Spotify is Growing its Connected TV Ad Business by Parker Herren https://adage.com/article/media/why-spotify-growing-its-connected-tv-ad-business/2519016As for the rest of the news… Steve Pratt’s newsletter series interviewing Tom Webster focuses on defining your podcast’s audience, Hot Pod interviewed two people fluent in Spanish to review Spotify’s voice AI translations pilot program, and MarketingBrew looks at how to create an effective affiliate marketing campaign for this holiday season.

Sep 29, 2023 • 8min
Spotify's AI Translator, New Apple Podcasts, SXSW x Podcasting, & More
Here's what you need to know for this week in the business of podcasting:Apple Podcasts Updates with iOS17 https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/over-100-new-podcasts-from-top-apps-and-services-launch-on-apple-podcasts/Spotify Announces Voice Translation https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-09-25/ai-voice-translation-pilot-lex-fridman-dax-shepard-steven-bartlett/Hispanic Audiences Love Audio, But Spanish Less of a Factor https://www.insideaudiomarketing.com/post/hispanics-remain-big-audio-users-but-nielsen-says-language-is-less-a-factor-than-in-the-pastGetting “Dabblers” to Embrace Podcasting https://www.insideaudiomarketing.com/post/hispanics-remain-big-audio-users-but-nielsen-says-language-is-less-a-factor-than-in-the-pastQuick Hits: SXSW x Podcasting by Bryan Barletta. Bryan announces the Sounds Profitable Business of Podcasting event on March 9th, 2023, inside SXSW. Tell Me a Story: What Podcast Format Works Best for Brands? By Annalise Nielsen. Pacific Content and Signal Hill Insights team up to examine what kinds of branded content have the best impact. Spoiler alert: edited narratives cause more brand lift than unedited chat-casts. How the industry can support Queer podcasting by Reem Makari. PodPod offers an extensive look into how the industry can meaningfully support queer podcasting.Realm Acquires Lipstick & Vinyl Podcast Network. The acquisition joins Realm’s 6,000+ hours of content with Lipstick & Vinyl’s slate of popular unscripted podcasts targeting women in the 20s and 30s. AdLarge Partners With Barometer to Uphold Brand Safety & Suitability. The partnership will enable AdLarge to monitor their podcast portfolio with Barometer’s AI-powered brand safety and suitability platform. Google Podcasts to shut down in 2024 with listeners migrated to YouTube Music by Sarah Perez. Next year Google Podcasts will join Stitcher in the big podcast app farm in the sky as it’s retired to incorporate all Google audio services into YouTube Music.

Sep 28, 2023 • 4min
Brand Lift for Influencer ROI, International Podcast Day, Adlarge Partners w/ Barometer
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Influencer agency adopts brand lift metrics across campaigns to address measurement challenges by Antoinette Siu https://digiday.com/media-buying/influencer-agency-adopts-brand-lift-metrics-across-campaigns-to-address-measurement-challenges/Everything In Store for Podcast Listeners and Creators This International Podcast Day https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-09-28/international-podcast-day-transcripts-chapters-show-pages-global/AdLarge Partners With Barometer to Uphold Brand Safety & Suitability https://soundsprofitable.com/press-release/adlarge-partners-with-barometer-to-uphold-brand-safety-suitability/

Sep 27, 2023 • 5min
Audio Attention Outperforms, Sunsetting Google Podcasts, CTV Lifts Programmatic, & More.
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: How attention metrics is tuning into audio investments by Michael Bürgi https://digiday.com/media-buying/how-attention-metrics-is-tuning-into-audio-investmentsGoogle Podcasts to shut down in 2024 with listeners migrated to YouTube Music by Sarah Perez https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/26/google-podcasts-to-shut-down-in-2024-with-listeners-migrated-to-youtube-music/Helping More Podcast Listeners Get the Podcast Habit by Jeff Vidler https://signalhillinsights.com/helping-more-podcast-listeners-get-the-podcast-habit/YouTube is axing its ad-free Premium Lite subscription plan by Antonio G. Di Benedetto https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/25/23889917/youtube-premium-lite-subscription-discontinued-retiredAs for the rest of the news… PodPod offers an extensive look into how the industry can meaningfully support queer podcasting, and new eMarketer growth shows that despite cooling growth, connected TV is lifting the programmatic market.

Sep 27, 2023 • 5min
SXSW x Podcasting
Pack your bags, because the Business of Podcasting takes center stage this year at SXSW.Credits:Written by Bryan BarlettaEdited by Tom WebsterAudio edited by Gavin GaddisHosted by ART19Sounds Profitable: Narrated Articles is a production of Sounds Profitable. For more information, visit soundsprofitable.com.

Sep 26, 2023 • 5min
Apple's Apps to Podcasts, Streaming Spending Down 25%, Branded Narrative Has More Lift, & More
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Over 100 new podcasts from top apps and services launch on Apple Podcasts: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/over-100-new-podcasts-from-top-apps-and-services-launch-on-apple-podcasts/Hispanics Remain Big Audio Users, But Nielsen Says Language Is Less A Factor Than In The Past. https://www.insideaudiomarketing.com/post/hispanics-remain-big-audio-users-but-nielsen-says-language-is-less-a-factor-than-in-the-pastTell Me a Story: What Podcast Format Works Best for Brands? By Annalise Nielsen. https://blog.pacific-content.com/tell-me-a-story-what-podcast-format-works-best-for-brands-a92ec2f0ee23Household spending on streaming is going down by Kelsey Sutton https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2023/09/21/household-spending-on-streaming-is-going-downAs for the rest of the news… we’ve got a double serving of Spotify for you today. First: AdWeek covers how a Spotify campaign in Mexico is leveraging Gen Z’s sudden love of corridos, and Spotify has a few more details about their AI voice translation pilot program.

Sep 25, 2023 • 5min
Spotify's Voice AI, Ads on Prime Video, Behind the Minimum Guarantee Numbers & More
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Spotify Announces Voice Translation: https://twitter.com/eldsjal/status/1706325294481576006Podcast Executives Say the Industry Has a Fraud Problem by Ashley Carman: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-09-22/podcast-executives-say-the-industry-has-a-fraud-problemMaking the case for investing in audio ads in 2024 by Alexandra Samet: https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/making-case-investing-audio-ads-2024Hollywood isn’t letting go of audio any time soon by Amrita Khalid: https://newsletters.feedbinusercontent.com/ae8/ae8dee115349ff41d836ba70ea6e793576c63a5b.htmlAmazon is sticking ads in Prime Video shows and movies unless you pay more by Jess Weatherbed: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/22/23885242/amazon-prime-tv-movies-streaming-ads-subscription-dateAs for the rest of the news… Audacia Audio’s Kym Treasure breaks down why audio should be in your multi-channel marketing strategy, Adweek finds Americans don’t like advertisers using AI marketing on them unless it comes with a price discount, Edison Research has published their chart of the top 25 UK podcasts, and takeaways from Digiday’s Publishing Summit focusing on attention metrics, engagement, and the importance of proving advertiser’s return on investment.

Sep 22, 2023 • 8min
Ad Spend Recovery, Audio Could Overtake TV Reach, FTC: Keep it Clear with Kids, & More
Here's what you need to know from this week in the business of podcasting: Pierre Bouvard: AM/FM Radio and Podcasts Could Recapture Lost TV ReachDigital Ad Spend Showing Promising Recovery After Recession FearsFTC Warns Against “Blurred Advertising” When Marketing to KidsCDC Reframes Flu Narrative Using Digital Display and Audio Campaign