

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

Aug 30, 2023 • 4min
Podcasting's Top Spenders in July, CTV Buyers Want Program Data, & More
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: July 2023: Top spenders, movers and shakers in podcast advertisingCan the Benefits of Digital be a Rising Tide for All Audio? By Jeff VidlerCTV ad sellers are pushing more content-related signals into the programmatic bidstream by Tim PetersonTV’s Nielsen complaints get louder by John Ourand…as for the rest of the news: Five late-night talk show hosts have launched a Spotify podcast which will use all proceeds to pay staff of their respective shows who are affected by the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike, Australians 10 and up are now listening to an average of 13 hour of commercial radio per week, and children’s financial literacy podcast Million Bazillion is launching an educational live show visiting middle schools across the US.

Aug 30, 2023 • 7min
The Podcast You Want To Make
The speaker discusses the dilemma faced by podcasters in choosing between creating the podcast they want or catering to audience preferences. They emphasize the importance of understanding the audience and tailoring the message accordingly. Drew's strategy for securing well-paying keynotes at industry conferences is also discussed.

Aug 29, 2023 • 4min
Time Spent With Podcasts Quadruples Since 2017, Dr. Seuss Coming to Wondery+, & More
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: “Share Of Ear” Q2 2023: Podcasts And AM/FM Radio Represent The Vast Majority Of Time On The “U.S. Ad-Supported Audio Clock,” Podcast Growth Surge Continues, And Spotify’s Usage Growth Does Not Benefit Advertisers by Pierre BouvardWondery, Dr. Seuss Enterprises Ink Deal for Slate of Original Kids Podcasts by Abbey WhiteStreaming’s big pain point: there’s too much stuff to watch by Kelsey SuttonThe Podcast Landscape Webinar with Tom Webster (August 30th, 3:00pm EST)

Aug 28, 2023 • 4min
29% of US Households Cancel Video Streamers, New Nickelodeon Audio Drama, & More.
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting.As streaming wars heat up, nearly three in 10 US internet households are canceling services to save money by Jeremy Goldman Audible partners with Nickelodeon to launch Are You Afraid of the Dark? companion podcast by Reem MakariThe Floor Plan A Jolly Holiday For Retailers Previously Anticipating Q4 Recession by Corinne CasagrandeAnd for the rest of the news… ARN’s CEO speaks to the network’s digital audio success and importance of regional content, Digiday takes a look at what Q4 will look like for video ad inventory that didn’t sell during this year’s upfronts, eMarketer says attention metrics are the ‘next frontier’ for digital ad measurement, and publisher CROs tell Digiday auto, travel, and luxury advertisers are at the forefront of an ad revenue rebound this year.

Aug 25, 2023 • 8min
Updates Coming for Apple and Spotify, Podcast Ad Consideration Up, & More
This podcast discusses updates to Apple Podcasts and Spotify, the growth of podcast advertising consideration and spending, the underrepresentation of older adults in ads, and partnerships and research findings related to podcasting.

Aug 24, 2023 • 4min
Embracing YouTube Podcasting, CTV's Path Through Maturity, & More
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting:Embracing YouTube: A Must for Today’s Podcasters by Steve Goldstein.Older Adults Make Up Just 4% Of People Featured In Ads by Karlene Lukovitz Legacy TV Faces Challenges: Maturing Streaming, Lack Of A Future Ad Vision by Wayne FriedmanAdalytics Claps Back With Evidence Of Behaviorally Targeted Ads Served In Kids Content On YouTube by Allison Shiff

Aug 23, 2023 • 3min
Updates to Spotify for Podcasters, PodcastOne to go public, & more
Here's what you need to know today in the business of podcasting. Changes coming to Spotify for PodcastersPodcastOne readies public offering in September by Brad HillProduct placements can drive searches and purchases, research finds by Kelsey SuttonFrozen's Story Will Continue In a New Podcast by James Whitbrook

Aug 22, 2023 • 3min
Triton Digital Integrates YouTube, new Advertiser Perceptions study, & More
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Triton Digital Announces YouTube Integration with Podcast Metrics Westwood One - Advertiser Perceptions: Podcast Advertising Consideration and Spending Intention Grow to Nine-Year High Among Agencies and MarketersPodPod Exclusive: Nearly 90% of comedy podcast listeners have a parasocial relationship with their hosts.Stepping Into Barbie’s Heels: Is a Branded Content Renaissance Coming? by Sam Anderson

Aug 21, 2023 • 5min
Apple Partners with Linkfire, SXM partners with The Trade Desk, & More
Apple podcasts updates, SXM partners with The Trade Desk and Human for ad measurements. Fraud detection, Instagram Reels ads, Spotify's user growth, challenges of podcast monetization, launch of kids audio network, and allegations against YouTube's ad tech.

Aug 18, 2023 • 7min
Acast Partners with Podscribe, Amazon's building an SSP, & More
This podcast covers the latest developments in the business of podcasting, including Acast partnering with Podscribe, Amazon's development of an SSP, and the success of Mattress Firm's branded podcast. They also discuss the findings of the Share of Ear study, highlighting the importance of third-party verification in podcast advertising. Additionally, they cover topics such as Descript acquiring SquadCast, Triton Digital's podcast ranker, and the creation of the first-ever podcast advertiser directory.