Annie Langston | MIDiA Research

Spotify’s ‘daylist’ is coming for radio… but radio still has some aces to play

Blog post by Annie Langston

20 Sep 2023

As streaming platforms evolve, radio audiences are steadily declining. Although podcasts and streaming have seemingly replaced radio, there are key differences between the formats. For instance, radio’s...

How Clubhouse missed its Twitter, erm X, Spaces opportunity

Blog post by Annie Langston

13 Sep 2023

Clubhouse

twitter

X

The gone and (almost) forgotten live audio app Clubhouse is trying for a revival. Clubhouse kicked off during the Covid-19 lockdowns, closing 2021 with a $4 billion valuation and inspiring major platforms,...

How Apple Podcasts is helping spur a new era of podcast analytics

Blog post by Annie Langston

30 Aug 2023

Apple podcasts

Spotify

subscribers

Podcast analytics have been more or less untouched since the format’s inception. The podcast investment boom was more about major platforms catching up with competitors by integrating traditional analytics,...

Alex Cooper’s new podcast network questions her future at Spotify and fuels competition for creators

Blog post by Annie Langston

16 Aug 2023

Alex Cooper

Spotify

gen z

Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper has launched her own podcast network. A subsidiary of Trending , the media company Cooper launched earlier this year, The Unwell Network is targeting Gen Z audiences. In...

Music’s podcast potential
Focus on branding over discovery

Cover image for Music’s podcast potential

Report by Annie Langston

14 Aug 2023

£3,000.00 excl. VAT

Podcasts

millennials

artists

In this hyper-fragmented entertainment consumption space, artists and labels must use every tool available to break out above the noise. Artists must diversify their content to not only promote their...

Bauer and Audible: Radio and podcasts CAN work together

Blog post by Annie Langston

9 Aug 2023

Bauer

Audible

Radio

Although podcasts are sometimes considered radio’s replacement, there are key differences between the formats – such as on demand versus live – that serve distinct audiences. In Bauer’s new partnership...

Spotify’s Q2 podcast financials: Things may get worse before they get better

Blog post by Annie Langston

2 Aug 2023

Spotify

Podcasts

Exclusive

Spotify’s Q2 earnings are a mixed bag for its podcast business. On one hand, monthly active users (MAUs) grew to 551 million, with 10 million new premium subscribers (bringing that total to 220 million),...

BBC Radio 1’s Giant DJ Hunt shows what radio does right

Blog post by Annie Langston

26 Jul 2023

BBC

Greg James

Fandom

What would happen if one of the biggest radio stations in the world shut down? BBC Radio 1 turned off midday last Friday because Radio 1 host Greg James failed Radio 1’s Giant DJ Hunt. In this scavenger...

Spotify’s Call Her Daddy boosts streams for music superstars — but can podcasts do the same for smaller artists?

Blog post by Annie Langston

19 Jul 2023

Spotify

Audio

Marketing Strategy

As streaming platforms become even more saturated with music and podcasts, thus fragmenting consumption, creating a hit single or superstar artist is not as simple as just dropping a new track. Artists...

We asked, you answered: Will Spotify renew Joe Rogan’s contract?

Blog post by Annie Langston

12 Jul 2023

Joe Rogan

Spotify

Exclusive

Last week, MIDiA polled readers on their predictionsfor the future of Joe Rogan’s Spotify contract. Signed to Spotify in 2020 for reportedly over $200 million, Rogan helped cement the platform’s audio...

Stitcher’s app closure asks – who will build the premium podcast experience?

Blog post by Annie Langston

6 Jul 2023

Stitcher

SiriusXM

Spotify

In August, SiriusXM plans to close its podcast platform, Stitcher. Launched in 2008 and acquired by SiriusXM in 2020 for $325 million, Stitcher offered both free podcast listening and a subscription for...

Radio WAUs
Blurring broadcast lines

Report by Annie Langston

3 Jul 2023

£3,000.00 excl. VAT

Radio

iHeart

Capital FM

Introduction The radio industry has traditionally thought in terms of monthly audiences and reach rather than engagement. It is time for the radio industry to start thinking in terms of weekly engagement...

AI voice generation is a huge opportunity for podcasting — and a big risk

Blog post by Annie Langston

28 Jun 2023

artificial intelligence

audio ads

misinformation

Artificial intelligence is revolutionising entertainment, including podcasts. Perhaps the most contentious part of this revolution is AI voice generation, which is stoking legitimate fears from creators...

How Meghan’s Spotify departure signifies the platform’s strategic shift

Blog post by Annie Langston

21 Jun 2023

Spotify

Meghan Markle

YouTube

In late 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’s Archewell Studios signed a multi-year exclusive podcast deal with Spotify, reportedly worth over $20 million. Now, after one season of Markle’s podcast...

How Apple’s podcast updates edge out the competition

Blog post by Annie Langston

14 Jun 2023

Apple podcasts

The economist

Bloomberg

As the podcast investment boom slows down, it is time for platforms to shift their focus to innovation — both in the listener experience and the format as a whole. Currently, Apple Podcasts is the third...

As Spotify layoffs continue, the next phase for podcasting is quality over quantity

Blog post by Annie Langston

7 Jun 2023

Spotify

Gimlet

parcast

In the past six months, many major platforms made cuts to their audio departments. Spotify has announced a new round of layoffs in its podcast division, eliminating 200 jobs from Gimlet and Parcast Studios....

US SVOD consumer podcast engagement
Audio is the new spinoff

Cover image for US SVOD consumer podcast engagement

Report by Annie Langston

1 Jun 2023

£3,000.00 excl. VAT

Amazon

Amazon Fire TV

Amazon Prime Video

As consumer attention fragments across platforms and content types, it is increasingly important for both streaming subscription video services and podcast creators to maximise their content reach. For...

BBC signals radio’s shift to the podcast market

Blog post by Annie Langston

31 May 2023

BBC

Podcasts

Spotify

The BBC has traditionally stuck to public programming for its radio arm. However, BBC Radio is now shifting some of its programming to BBC Studios, meaning it can now be offered for global distribution...

The New York Times audio app is a bet on podcast exclusivity — here is why it might work

Blog post by Annie Langston

24 May 2023

The New York Times

Podcasts

Exclusive

Last week, The New York Times (NYT) debuted their official audio app, NYT Audio . NYT produces many popular podcasts, including The Daily and This American Life , utilising multiple streaming platforms...

YouTube’s podcast push raises the question: what actually is a podcast?

Blog post by Annie Langston

18 May 2023

Spotify

YouTube

TikTok

Podcast videos have been all the rage as of late, with YouTube officially launching its podcast vertical — although Bloomberg reports that NPR, Slate, and The New York Times have struggled to kickstart...