Hey, everybody. Ariel and Jake right here for a combo subject this positive Tuesday morning / afternoon / night, time zone dependent. We’ve been having an excellent time prepping for Scorching Pod Summit, scoffing at political podcast launches, and questioning whether or not the way forward for audio within the metaverse has any legs.
In the present day, we’ve bought rumors of Spotify’s long-awaited HiFi plan, large advert strikes from YouTube, and a few headphone jack emotions. However first, talking of Scorching Pod Summit, Ariel has some thrilling information to share…
Scorching Pod Summit LA is arising quick
Scorching Pod Summit LA is simply two weeks away (!), and now we have some wonderful extra panelists to announce. Becoming a member of us will probably be:
- Crooked Media EVP of programming and manufacturing Sandy Girard and VP of politics Shaniqua McClendon
- Wondery+ head of product Neel Ketkar
- Patreon head of creator partnerships Sarah Penna
- UTA associate and head of audio Oren Rosenbaum
- Affiliate professor of communication at College of San Diego Bradley Bond
I’m excited to see you all very quickly for a day of conversations round IP, politics, subscriptions, and among the different greatest podcasting matters of the second. Tickets are very practically bought out, so in case you have a pending invite, act on that quickly if you wish to come.
Scorching Pod Summit LA is being held as a part of On Air Fest’s LA Annex, a three-day occasion celebrating Los Angeles’ audio storytelling scene. On Air Fest is going on November third to fifth and can function Into It host Sam Sanders, the creators of Welcome to Evening Vale, the world premiere occasion for ESPN 30 for 30’s Pink Card with Shima Oliaee, and extra. You possibly can find out about On Air LA Annex programming and get tickets right here.
Is Spotify Platinum on the best way?
It definitely looks like a powerful risk. Final week, a Reddit consumer who had simply canceled their Spotify subscription posted a screenshot of a survey they obtained from the corporate. The survey requested if they might be concerned with switching to a $19.99-per-month Platinum plan, which comes with all types of recent options: restricted podcast advertisements, higher library administration, and, in the end, HiFi.
Spotify Platinum isn’t but an possibility below the streamer’s plans, and the screenshot floating round might not even be the ultimate model (or worth). My colleague Chris Welch at The Verge spoke with the Reddit consumer, who mentioned that a number of variations of the Platinum plan have been included within the survey, together with one that will entail entry to audiobooks (for a better worth). Spotify declined to remark.
No matter Platinum finally ends up wanting like if / when it debuts, HiFi will nearly definitely be a part of the plan. Spotify first introduced a HiFi tier in February 2021, and customers have been questioning what precisely is taking so lengthy. Final yr, Apple Music debuted lossless audio at no extra value, and Amazon Music and Tidal have lengthy made audio high quality a precedence. Charging additional for what’s a perk on different providers might not be sufficient to persuade customers to pay double, so I’ll have an interest to see what the brand new instruments (what precisely are “Library Professional” and “Playlist Professional”?) appear to be.
Andrew Cuomo has a brand new podcast, and his first visitor is Anthony Scaramucci
I’ve mentioned this earlier than, however it’s value reiterating on this explicit case: the perfect factor about podcasting is its low barrier to entry, and the worst factor about podcasting can be its low barrier to entry. Sara Fischer at Axios talked to the disgraced former governor of New York so I don’t need to.
All proper, now over to Jake for a pair extra updates.
YouTube’s newest podcast transfer: extra audio advertisements
YouTube is making an enormous play for podcast advertisements. The corporate introduced this week that it’s transferring audio advertisements out of beta and permitting advertisers to start out concentrating on particular segments of podcast listeners. Audio advertisements as much as 30 seconds at the moment are rolling out, too, up from simply 15-second spots at present.
The launch reveals YouTube leaning into its function as one of many high locations for listening to podcasts. The corporate has lastly began to embrace that place over the previous yr, launching a podcast hub (albeit a bare-bones one), funding creators who need to movie their reveals, and hiring a pacesetter for its podcast efforts.
Audio advertisements first launched in late 2020, however YouTube referred to them as a beta and choices have been restricted. With at present’s growth, advertisers within the US will be capable to dial in on particular podcasts audiences, like these listening to comedy, information, sports activities, or tradition reveals, YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun informed Scorching Pod.
Controlling promoting could be very a lot the secret within the broader podcast enterprise — see: the numerous exclusivity offers that ignore platform lock-in in favor of ad-sales agreements — and I feel YouTube’s strikes right here could possibly be the beginning of one thing large. YouTube is already an promoting juggernaut, and its platform management means it’s forward of the sport relating to advert concentrating on and insertion. The tech is there. Now, it simply must get advertisers and podcasters on board.
The latest iPad drops the headphone jack
All of us noticed this coming, however I feel it’s nonetheless value calling out: Apple launched a brand new iPad this morning, and it has no possibility for plugging in wired headphones. The shortage of a headphone jack isn’t fully new for the iPad; the costlier Air and Professional fashions already dropped the port some time again. However this new mannequin is finally going to be the entry-level model of the system, and I feel that makes this extra notable.
Round New York Metropolis, I repeatedly see mother and father who’ve handed their children an iPad and a pair of wired headphones to maintain them entertained whereas out to dinner, ready in line, or sitting on the subway. Apple continues to be promoting final yr’s iPad with a headphone jack for now. However I believe we’re a pair years out from mother and father having to determine a brand new option to pull up leisure for his or her children — or else hold monitor of wi-fi headphones and finicky Bluetooth connections. For anybody making children’ audio content material, this might make the iPad a tougher platform for these reveals to be consumed on.
