If a Podcast Downloads in a Forest, Does it Count as an Impression?

Calling all Chief Audio Officers–it’s time for another all-new episode of the Media Roundtable: Special Edition! To give you the tools to ask the right questions, we’re bringing you a deep dive into an issue that has plagued the industry since its inception - “What is a Download?”

And we couldn’t ask for a better group of guides on this journey. Making his hosting debut is longtime guest, Oxford Road EVP of Strategy & Insights, Giles Martin . Joining him are fellow Oxford Road luminary and VP of Media Operations, Miranda Romano and special guests Bryan Barletta , Partner and Founder at Sounds Profitable , and Peter Birsinger , CEO & Founder of Podscribe .

The question of “What is a Download?” is a surprisingly tricky one. Our industry leaders have worked hard to ensure our podcast compasses are pointing north (or as close to it as possible). This is the story of how they did it and what’s next for CAOs navigating with these same tools.

• Download Schmownload? ?? - Having the common language of downloads–what counts and what doesn’t, are key infrastructure investments in the industry. If podcasting were the “wild west”, having standards on accurately measuring listening intent across all publishers would be the road that makes commerce possible. Get a crash course to understand the work that leaders like Bryan and Pete have already put in to make it happen.

• The Data Tells The Story ?? - What do you do when you start seeing discrepancies in data that you can’t ignore? That’s the situation Pete found himself in, looking over download data that enabled a coalition of podcasting experts to find an automatic download issue from Apple that was skewing the numbers. Any CAOs who’ve had to risk being wrong can surely relate. What to do? First steps: explore alternative explanations and collaborate with outside experts.

• The Long Tail ? - 苹果 has fixed the auto download issue in iOS 17, but because adoption of iOS 17 is slower than expected, how long will it be until we get to a more realistic download count? And how should podcasters and advertisers handle ad buys while we wait for a better source of truth?

The answer to the “What is a Download” question is still not definitive, but thanks to the panel on today’s episode, we’re closer than ever before. To add “Podcast Download Savvy” to your CAO’s toolbox, check out the full episode by clicking the link below.

Classifieds

OG Hitmaker Plays a New Tune

Audio has an impressive superpower that video can't touch: the ability to connect unreachable figures with an active audience. You'll find artists like Suge Knight, who’s been incarcerated since March and faces a decades-long sentence. Knight was the original founder of Death Row Records and a seminal figure in many formative moments of 90s music history. Dave Mays , co-founder of podcast network Breakbeat Media, and a highly influential voice in the hip-hop community, is hosting this new venture. Mays will connect Suge via collect calls to other hip-hop mavericks to discuss long unanswered questions while he’s behind bars. Though well known for his domineering and larger-than-life personality, Knight’s conversations are intimate, honest, and very down to earth. The show is already getting a lot of media buzz and it’s still available for sponsorship in Q4 and beyond.

Verbal Sparring Becomes Sports Centric

We’ve all done it: you’re listening to one of your favorite audio personalities and you begin having a one-sided argument with them. Another beautiful facet of audio is… they can often talk back in real-time. Podcast host Rico Bosco is doing just that. New from Barstool Sports comes Healthy Debate, a live video and simulcast audio show that airs weekly with call-ins from loyal listeners. Bosco will debate anything, from Super Bowl contenders to pop culture and even overrated Italian food, an essentially dicey move. Bosco is already the host of Barstool Pick Em and Barstool Bench Mob, which are younger-skewing male-targeted sports and comedy shows under the Barstool Sports umbrella. While not the most brand safe or suitable option out there, its bold subject matter makes for a great listen for those interested in connecting with the show’s key demo.

In Case You Missed It

Take a Listen, it’s In a Book… A Listening Rainbow

Spotify 's inclusion of audiobooks in its subscription service, available for Premium subscribers in the UK and Australia, with a US rollout planned, marks a significant development in the audiobook industry. It provides access to over 150,000 titles and aims to introduce a vast audience to audiobooks. As part of Spotify’s subscription service, audiobooks will most likely be ad-free. However, this is a space for marketers to watch should audiobooks make their way to Spotify’s ad-supported offering. According to Edison Research , an estimated 100 million people listened to audiobooks last year.

The YouTube Killer?

Premium podcast network, Wondery, is launching three new free ad-supported (FAST) channels on 亚马逊 Freevee, marking the first podcast video channels on the platform. These channels feature over 20 of the most popular Wondery series in the areas of True Crime, Sports, Entertainment, and Pop Culture. Video in podcasting is a growing trend, with the popularity of Youtube and Spotify expanding into this space. Now, with Wondery entering the realm of video podcasting, it's essential to remember that podcast listening often happens on the go, underscoring the importance of also considering the audio-only experience.

Better Late Than Never

IAB released the second part of their 2023 revenue report. The report reveals a significant shift toward brand advertising, which now accounts for 61% of podcast ad spend. Additionally, usage of brand safety and suitability solutions has nearly doubled since last year, with 69% of publishers using brand safety solutions and 62% using brand suitability solutions. As always, Pierre Bouvard at Westwood One does a nice job of delving into the potential implications of more brand advertisers adopting podcasting - a topic near and dear to our hearts (as it should be for all performance marketers). We’ll share our take on the IAB research during next week’s Media Roundtable podcast. Stay tuned.

#SaveTheLiveReads

Tommy John’s Duck Call

Have you ever heard an advertisement for a brand and felt so captivated by a recommendation that you had to take action right away?! Well, that’s the kind of impact being made by Si Robertson and his band of duck-hunting misfits at the Duck Call Room podcast. These men have banter, they have wit, and a unanimous recommendation for Tommy John . The substantiation the team provides as well as one of the best personal testimonials on record, creates an invaluable trust between the hosts, audience, and brand. Combine these key Audiolytics? components (substantiation and personal endorsement) with a truly unique execution of humor only found within the hallowed walls of the Duck Call Room, you get a near-perfect read that’s performing finer than a frog’s hair.

Listen Here

OXFORd In The News

Hey Joe, Where You Goin’?

Joe Rogan’s landmark, 9-figure deal with Spotify is ending in 2024 and everyone wants to know what will happen next. In a recent article, Hot Pod’s Ariel Shapiro explores Rogan’s next move as a thought exercise and discusses reasons why Joe would stay, or much to Spotify’s chagrin, take “The Experience” elsewhere. Oxford Road Founder & CEO, Dan Granger was interviewed by Ariel on the subject and provides historical context that’ll be music to Daniel Ek’s ears; “Rush Limbaugh stayed with Premiere Networks. Howard Stern has stayed with SiriusXM . And you better believe they had a lot of, you know, opportunities to leave, but the house figured out how to keep them.” Time will ultimately tell, but The Influencer thinks Joe ain’t goin’ anywhere.

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