That is Sizzling Pod, The Verge’s publication about podcasting and the audio trade. Enroll right here for extra.
I hope all you East Coasters had a comfy nor’easter. By the point the snow stopped this morning and I attempted to take my child exterior for some winter frolicking, it had already turned to slush. He doesn’t know the distinction, however I’m bummed!
At present, we’re layoffs at SiriusXM, a brand new podcast deal for Meghan Markle, and the way the “Swift Effect” made Travis Kelce’s podcast a prime 10 hit. However first, yet another programming announcement for Sizzling Pod Summit!
SiriusXM and The Commerce Desk are coming to Sizzling Pod Summit
One factor we hold listening to from readers and Sizzling Pod Summit attendees is a need to know what on earth is occurring with podcast promoting. Between falling CPMs, challenges with metrics, and YouTube’s rising dominance within the house, there’s a lot to unpack. I’m excited to announce that Kelli Hurley, world head of income partnerships at SiriusXM, and Tomas Rodriguez, senior director of audio partnerships at The Commerce Desk, will likely be becoming a member of me onstage to debate the state of the advert market. I do know I’ve lots of questions, and I’m certain you do as properly.
Sizzling Pod Summit, our invite-only occasion for leaders within the podcast trade, is occurring on Wednesday, February twenty eighth. The summit will kick off On Air Fest Brooklyn 2024 and is hosted along side our buddies at work x work.
On Air Fest will likely be happening February twenty ninth to March 1st. You’ll be able to see the lineup for On Air Fest right here, together with Malcolm Gladwell, Stephen Dubner, Norah Jones, Laurie Anderson, Seth Meyers, Nick Quah, Avery Trufelman, and expertise from Audible, Netflix, iHeart, WBUR, Vox Media Podcast Community, and extra. Click on right here to purchase tickets to On Air Fest.
Thanks to our official lead sponsors for Sizzling Pod Summit 2024: AdsWizz and Simplecast. AdsWizz runs a self-serve promoting platform for creating and operating audio adverts. Simplecast presents podcast internet hosting, distribution, and analytics.
Travis Kelce’s podcast is extra in style than This American Life and SmartLess, in line with new rating
That is certainly as nice a victory as successful the Tremendous Bowl. Edison Analysis launched its listing of prime podcasts in the course of the fourth quarter and located that the “Taylor Swift Effect” on New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce may be very actual.
Between October and December, New Heights was the sixth hottest podcast, up from quantity 67 the prior quarter. It’s value protecting in thoughts that Swift and Travis Kelce went public with their relationship in October.
Edison’s rating is predicated on survey responses quite than uncooked listening information, however it’s thought of to be extraordinarily dependable. At quantity six, New Heights is extra in style than blockbuster reveals like This American Life, SmartLess, and The Ben Shapiro Present.
Extra layoffs at SiriusXM
Yesterday, SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz introduced one other spherical of layoffs in a memo to employees. She stated that about 3 p.c of employees, or about 160 folks, can be impacted by the cuts.
“To continue on our path to future subscriber growth and sustain our Company’s success as the competitive landscape evolves, it’s imperative that we become even more efficient, agile, and flexible,” Witz wrote. “From uniting teams and better aligning initiatives, to investing in new technologies that will power our transformation, we are focused on increasing efficiencies and redeploying resources to support the strategic priorities of our business.”
I discover the language right here fascinating. It jogs my memory of the announcement final week from Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl through which he justified layoffs by saying the corporate would have better capability to deal with the core music enterprise. Or the announcement from Spotify final week, saying it was sunsetting a few of its personal podcast creation instruments in favor of Riverside so assets could possibly be allotted elsewhere. (There have been no layoffs related to the change.)
Final 12 months, CEOs justified layoffs by citing macroeconomic elements and shakiness within the promoting trade. However the predicted recession by no means got here to cross, and now when cuts are made, it isn’t out of monetary misery however to serve long-term technique. It’s a chorus I think about we’ll hear extra of within the coming months and one that can doubtless be chilly consolation to the employees left adrift.
Meghan Markle has a brand new podcast deal
It was not solely clear what the long run had in retailer for Archewell’s podcast arm after a really public and nasty breakup with Spotify, however eight months later, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s manufacturing firm has landed a brand new deal. Markle will host a brand new present for Lemonada, which has partnered with different well-known ladies together with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Samantha Bee, and Sarah Silverman.
Markle’s prior present, Archetypes, was a success for Spotify and racked up about one million downloads per episode. However Archewell and Spotify struggled to develop further collection, with Harry reportedly pitching present concepts like interviewing Vladimir Putin about his childhood. Their deal, reduce throughout Spotify’s spend-happy days of 2020, reportedly price $20 million.
Financials weren’t disclosed for Markle’s new cope with Lemonada. Within the new association, Lemonada will even deal with the distribution of Archetypes throughout platforms.
“We are beyond honored that Meghan has trusted us to help democratize access to Archetypes, and that so many more people around the world will have access to the series soon. Meghan’s talent as host, creator and conversationalist is unparalleled and we are thrilled to co-create a new series with her that fosters her approach to creating art that matters,” Lemonada CEO Jessica Cordova Kramer informed Deadline.
Report: Trevor Noah chafes underneath Spotify deal
He wouldn’t be the primary. In keeping with a report from Semafor, there’s some pressure between Trevor Noah and Spotify executives over the course of his present. Noah’s workforce has reportedly mentioned renegotiating his cope with the streamer.
Because it debuted in November, Noah has had a mixture of enterprise leaders and celeb visitors. However Semafor studies that higher-ups are pushing for splashy celeb interviews, one thing Noah has been adamantly towards.
Spotify declined to touch upon the report however did inform Semafor that “we are happy with the show and we have no news on any changes to share.”
That’s all for at the moment! I’ll be again on Thursday for Insiders. As for the remainder of you, see you subsequent week!