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Visit https://podnews.net/update/iheartpodcast-awards-noms-25 for all the links, and to get our newsletter.

• The iHeartPodcast Awards has announced its nominations. The award ceremony will be held on Mar 10 at SXSW. Three Icon Awards are also being made, to Sarah Spain, Dan Taberski and Daniel Alarcón. You can vote now for the Podcast of the Year.
• How big are serialised podcasts - shows you need to start at the first episode, and listen to the last? Bumper looks at how they interact with each other, and how you might market a serialised show by reaching audiences that already listen to them - or, listen to shows that are similar.
• Podtrac released its US rankers for December 2024. Almost all publishers saw a decline in traffic, as is normal. Acast leapt from #5 to #3, but the company releases its data after its quarterly financial reports, so while everyone else is reporting on December, the Acast numbers are for October (and are actually unchanged month-on-month). NPR News Now returned to #1 podcast; two shows from SiriusXM are new in the podcast charts, though SiriusXM isn’t listed in the publishers chart.

Work with an award winning podcast producer! — I can save you hours of editing so you can focus on making great content. Book a free Discovery Call with me, Niall Mackay, to see how we can help you! “Top-notch podcasts, expertly produced.”

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• Podcast hosting company RSS.com says its creators posted 37 years-worth of audio in 2024. “That is like creating more content in a single year than a person could realistically listen to in an entire lifetime!” says co-founder Alberto Betella.
• Radio broadcaster and podcast publisher LAist has announced a partnership with CBS Los Angeles, including giving LAist access to audio from KCAL-TV and KCBS TV.
• Voting is now open for the People’s Choice Award category at the UK’s Political Podcast Awards. Meanwhile, The Radio Academy Arias open for entry today.
• Ad Results Media announced a strategic partnership with Stagwell’s Brand Performance Network.

People News

• Tamala Edmonds and Jeff Stormer have joined True Native Media. Edmonds joins as Campaign Manager; Stormer as Talent Development Manager.
• Arielle Nissenblatt has joined podcast production company Audily as Director of Community and Content.
• Flora Lichtman has been announced as host of WNYC Studios’ Science Friday, joining Ira Flatow.
• Michael MacDonald has been hired as SVP of Sales & Business Development at Lemonada Media. He joins from iHeart.

Focus

Enter The Webbys. Prove You're The Best.

Since 1996, The Webby Awards has been recognized as the preeminent international honor for Internet excellence. Last year’s Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from around the world.

This year, The Webby Awards has expanded recognitions for independent creators with Best Indie Podcast and Best Indie Podcast - Limited Run in Features and is now honoring Best Creator or Influencer Series in Features and History in Individual Episode. Don’t forget, Podcast Company of the Year, a Special Achievement award recognizing the podcast company with the most accolades across the 29th Annual Webby Awards competition.

New judges for Podcasts this year include: Shannon Sharpe, NFL Hall of Famer & Host, Club Shay Shay & NightCapt, Michael Bosstick, Co-Founder, Dear Media, Ben Cave, Director, Apple Podcasts, Carrie Lieberman, Chief Operating Officer, iHeartPodcasts, Jason Saldanha, Chief Operating Officer, PRX, and Sahar Elhabashi, Head of Podcast Business, Spotify.

Don't miss your last chance to claim your place in the spotlight! Enter The Webby Awards by the Extended Entry Deadline, February 7th, 2025.

Tips and tricks

• Want to check that a podcast app is being correctly identified in your stats? A good plan is to start with checking its user-agent details - here’s how to do that.
• Is it worth posting to TikTok/Reels to promote your podcast?

Podcast News

• New on Airwave: New Scientist Weekly is a news podcast for the instatiably curious by the world’s most popular weekly science magazine. Everything from the latest science and technology news to the big-picture questions about life, the universe and what it means to be human.
• Music Saved Me hosted by Lynn Hoffman joins iHeartPodcasts today, with a brand-new interview featuring Darryl McDaniels, founding member of the iconic Hip-Hop group Run-DMC. The show is produced by Buzz Knight Media, and highlights how music can be a healing device for the mental health crisis with stories of passion and resilience from musicians who have faced their own personal struggles.
• Canadians are starting the new year with a big political shake up, as their once-popular Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he will resign. The Current has dropped a solid debrief (featuring the PM's former advisor) for those who want to know what just happened, and what happens next.
• Mics to Millions returns this week with a new season. Sam Brake Guia speaks to a set of podcast creators about how to get more listeners, increase downloads and monetise your podcast - focusing on health and wellness podcasts. His first guest is our Editor, James Cridland.
• Poog's Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak are back with a new show, Berlant & Novak - working with Backyard Ventures. Jacqueline Novak said: "After the sudden end of our previous podcast Poog, we were determined to create something new, different, and better…and do so quickly, not wanting to leave our fans podcast-less for long." - Poog was with iHeart.
• The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott is new this week from Audacy's Pineapple Street Studios. It's a companion podcast to the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Apple TV+ workplace thriller series. "We have severed ourselves from the world for 5 years making this show," said the hosts.
• Review That Review with Chelsey and Trey goes visual from today on YouTube. The show is celebrated for rating and reviewing the internet’s most ridiculous, wild, and jaw-dropping reviews — and is bringing its laugh-out-loud content to life in a brand-new video format.

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