Are Podcasts Moving The Water Cooler Online?

Welcome back from the post Memorial Day Weekend and to the official start of summer (although not astronomically speaking).??

I spent the past week learning all about the workings of the inner ear with my first bout of vertigo (or more specifically, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).? Would like to commemorate this occasion with the first gif of the newsletter.

We miss you Arrested Development.?

Worth noting that before I added the gif, I was wracked with a moment of existential newsletter doubt as I was reminded of a Vice Article titled “Gifs Are For Boomers Now, Sorry.”

With that said, I stand by the above usage.??

Gen X and (relatively) proud of it.

We’ll begin this week with a tie to a piece from The Guardian that feels even more timely with all the big season finales of the past few weeks - from Survivor to Yellowjackets to Succession.? Smart take on the role that podcasts play in our current work/life environment as a substitute for what used to be the more conventional ‘water-cooler” moments.??

In the world of hybrid and remote work where people may no longer be gathering quite as much, these pods serve as a beacon of community, giving people an opportunity to come together to discuss (or re-live) their favorite shows.? It’s an interesting tie between the idea of pods as high-affinity pieces of content that also create community and certainly jibes with what we saw with our own Survivor pod.? People came for the recap, but stayed for the relationships, the camaraderie and the way Jeff Probst and his co-hosts could bring fans of the show on a very specific journey.

As, unfortunately, the world continues to be besieged by broader tribalism, it feels like these kinds of pods will only grow in popularity.? Small audio oasis that people can run to in order to shift back to a time or moment of escapism and pleasure.? Really, what a lot of television has offered for quite some time - a respite from the real world.? And audio can further enhance this, working symbiotically together.

From the Paramount Global standpoint, we plan to dig into some of our largest and most popular franchises over the next few months to create more of these moments and build more of these audio communities.? As we’ve noted before, listeners don’t care about our org charts, they just love the content.? Our ability to provide that, wherever they may be, in ways that speaks to them, will be how we continue to both grow the business but just as importantly, grow the medium.

And with that, the news.

Edison Insights Examine How Many Shows Are Reaching the Majority of U.S.?

• New weekly insights from Edison Research show that the Top 10 podcasts (the biggest hits) combine to reach 35% of all weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. age 13+?
• Cumulatively building, the Top 25 podcasts reach 45% of weekly podcast listeners.
• As one continues to add shows from the top charts, audience share increases:?
• The Top 100 shows reach 60% of the weekly podcast listeners and the Top 500 podcasts yield a reach of 76%. The Top 1000 podcasts combine to reach 81% of weekly listeners.
• These insights are incredibly helpful for advertisers who are looking to find balance as podcasting can deliver both mass reach and hyper-targeted niche audiences?

Audible Strikes New Multi-project, Exclusive Deal With Ashé Audio Ventures, The Newly Formed Podcast Label By Viola Davis

• Audible will now be the exclusive platform for Ashé Audio, including both scripted and unscripted work??
• The slate will include original scripted stories, audio theater and self-development programs, with an eye toward “raising up fresh voices” through projects that feature writers, actors and up-and-coming talent.?
• Podcasts are set to begin launching in 2024?
• In a statement, Davis said, “After the outpouring of love for ‘Finding Me,’ I’m excited for the opportunities that Ashé Audio Ventures and Audible will create for memorable stories to be both explored and celebrated in a meaningful new way — a way that spans borders and connects us to a shared human experience.”

New AI Tools in Podcasting from Buzzsprout and Ausha

• Hosting platform, Buzzsprout, has introduced a new AI tool to help users with their podcasting workflow, with the launch of Cohost AI?
• The AI automatically generates episode titles, descriptions, chapter markers, and transcripts
• The platform, Ausha, has now integrated ChatGPT to help produce social media posts
• Ausha claims that thanks to this AI feature, podcasters have created an average of 3 times more posts on social media and achieved 2.3 times more impressions

Podcast(s) Recommendations: All Things AI?

Given the news above and all of the AI discussions, this week we’re recommending a number of team-favorite pods with episodes covering AI – some feature schools of thoughts around AI and its relationship to podcasting and some just broader conversations?

• Decoder: Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on AI copilots, disagreeing with OpenAI, and Sydney making a comeback
• Sounds Profitable: The Complicated Role of AI in Podcasting
• Recode Media: How worried—or excited—should we be about AI?