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• Podcasting’s deals this year are smarter and more sustainable, says Will Pearson of iHeartPodcasts. He was speaking with Julie-Anna Needham for Podnews, as part of a long-form analysis of this second wave of M&A activity.
• A new organisation to support the growing podcast industry has officially launched. The Podcast Professionals Association aims to support and elevate those who work behind the scenes in the podcast industry, including producers, marketers, editors, and consultants, by providing vital resources and networking opportunities.
• There are a number of new features in Apple Podcasts with iOS 18, which is rolling out now. We covered enhancements to chapters last week; podcast host Ausha highlights other new features including sharing links to a specific timestamp, clickable timestamps in episode descriptions (which seem to work similar to Spotify and YouTube), and a revamped search engine. There are more details in a July post from 9to5Google, based on a beta release.
  • Apple hasn’t communicated any changes to the app in iOS 18. There have been no updates in the Apple Podcasts for Creators “news” section for almost twelve months.

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• Frequent podcast listeners are more affluent and more educated, says data from Morning Consult Intelligence.
• Are podcasts losing women? And if so, what can we do about it? Tom Webster looks at the data, and gives some ideas of how to fix it; meanwhile, Alyssa Meyers looks at the rise of sports podcasts by, for, and about women.
• Goalhanger are to produce a US Election night live streaming special on YouTube, using hosts from The Rest is Politics, The Rest is Politics US, and other shows from the company. Goalhanger is partnering with Dizplai.
• The T.O. Webfest has announced its 2024 winners (both nominees and winners are on the website). The awards were presented by WebSeries Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the short form series industry in the country.
• Two new additions to the Alitu editor include adding silences/pauses with just one click, to help give your words room to breathe... and simple clip exports for creating shareable audio segments. Hosting has been improved too, with transcripts in the feed (using the Podcasting 2.0 feature), and the addition of individual episode artwork.

Thank you to Sam Phelps for becoming a personal supporter today. Sam is an audio producer, an Australian voiceover, and has the best and most innovative idea for a brand new category of big-hit podcasts we’ve heard in a while - if only someone would listen to him. You can be like Sam (not have that idea, which nobody else has, but become a supporter of ours). More seriously, our supporters help support Podnews for everyone: no VIP area or special treatment. Thank you Sam!

People News

• Spotify Podcast Chief Sahar Elhabashi Is Leaving the Company, says Variety.

Focus

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Tips and tricks

• Avoid the pitfalls of podcasting and learn how to navigate them with Ausha’s new video
• Want to find hidden gems in fiction podcasts? Apollo’s AJ Churchill recommends a set of resources, incluidng Evo Terra’s The End, databases, and even a subreddit.
• Roku and Amazon Fire TV developer Jason Wilkinson posts A Guide to Promoting Your Podcast With Your Own Roku TV Channel.

Podcast News

• The Podnews Weekly Review this week talks with Carl Fridsjö from Podspace, a profitable Swedish company which has recently made a number of high-profile hires.
• In some countries, you can get games with your Netflix subscription. Focusing on that, The Netflix Gaming Club has just completed its first season. Produced in Toronto by James Carlisle, the series takes us on a journey through the best games that are currently available on Netflix.
• Money Talks, a weekly finance podcast from Sningapore, has launched a video version. The show is produced by CNA; the video debut kicks off with a sit-down chat with Ismail Gafoor, a self-made Singapore millionaire and CEO of PropNex, Singapore’s largest real estate firm.
• The Property Pendulum is new this week from Fear & Greed, Australia's business news podcast network, and real-estate website Domain. The show will examine which way the property market is swinging and how to make the most of it. It is also available on YouTube.
• Following the Aliveness launches on Sunday, and is hosted by Janine Schipper. This podcast delves into the sacredness of everyday life in under 15 minutes, providing listeners with contemplative reflections and meditations designed to touch the simple wonders of the natural world, and inviting them to dive into the timeless mysteries of our existence.
• The writing class radio podcast is releasing a seven-part series with stories originally told live earlier this month in Miami, Florida. Seven storytellers with varied experiences are coming out with their stories on how Florida’s current abortion laws interfere with standard care.
• Small Town Dicks is back for its fifteenth season. today. With over 50 million downloads to date, the show continues to captivate listeners by exploring big-time crime in small towns worldwide through in-depth, first-hand accounts from the detectives who cracked each case.

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