Apple delays paid podcast launch; admits problems

• In an email to podcasters sent late on Friday before a holiday weekend, Apple Podcasts has announced that Apple Podcasts Paid Subscriptions and channels will now launch in June. The company’s original announcement had promised a May launch; we understand it is now planned to go live in the coming weeks.

• In a first public statement, the email also admits that some creators 'have experienced delays’ in content availability and access to Apple Podcasts Connect, but claims these have been addressed. Publishers told Podnews on Friday that there continue to be many ongoing problems.

• Meanwhile, Mumbler is a new podcast hosting platform, already live, “that allows any podcaster to create their own paid podcast in just 3 clicks”. Creators get to see their subscriber details; their commission fees are 8% plus payment costs.

• Veritonic has released its 2021 Audio Logo Index, ranking company audio logos across the world. Here, perfect for pub quizzes, is a big playable list of the ones ranked in the report.

• Podthon’21 have announced the speakers for their upcoming conference.

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• The CBC and BBC are seeking proposals from audio producers for a factual narrative podcast, unique in story and treatment, told over 8-10 episodes, which will be presented as a major joint series in 2022.

• In South Africa, African Tech Roundup is to launch a social token, $ATRU, on the Celo blockchain. “Through $ATRU, we will reward African Tech Roundup’s most engaged community members for contributing time, insight, support funds, and more.”

• Come and help - this collaborative Spotify playlist of podcast themes could do with some more themes from well known podcasts. What are missing from here? Please add some: or, hit reply with some of your favourites.

  
  Sep 4 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• Being famous doesn’t make you a better podcaster. Tom Webster unveils the biggest celebrities in podcasting: and they’re not, he suggests, “famous” famous.

  
  Sep 4 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• WOTSO, coworking spaces in Australia, are to get their own podcast studios. Branded PodSpot, they’re first available in Sippy Downs QLD, and will be launched soon in Fortitude Valley QLD and Sydney NSW.

The Tech Stuff - with RSS․com

• The Just Audio flutter package, which is a feature-rich audio player for your podcast app, has added a silence skipper and a volume boost for Android. (iOS to follow). More details here.
• Brian of London writes an article on why podcast apps and aggregators should be using Podping. Podping is now in live beta with Buzzsprout, RSS․com, Captivate and Transistor.
• Last week, Anchor hoovered up plenty of paid-for podcasts, but also lost plenty too, according to our sample. SoundCloud was the biggest loser, with 20 losses; Megaphone was the paid podcast host gaining the most shows.
• The Podcast Index data shows that Anchor + Megaphone host 1,603,876 podcasts out of 3,869,347 podcasts available: their owner, Spotify, now hosting 41.4% of all shows.

Podcast News - with HubSpot Podcast Network

From the HubSpot Podcast Network: My First Million brainstorms ideas for new businesses. Recently, Shaan and Sam have covered a horse racing company with a difference: there are no horses.

Day X is a story about a German military officer who faked his identity: planning for the day democracy collapses. From the New York Times, it’s a five-part documentary that launched last week. We bet it’s been heavily fact-checked.

Role Model has Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child as a guest. The show is hosted by Leomie Anderson, speaking to international superstars who are breaking boundaries and shaping culture.

Wonder Media Network has launched its newest 8-episode podcast, called Gravity. Hosted by Lucy Kalanithi — physician, storyteller and widow of Paul Kalanithi, who wrote When Breath Becomes Air — Gravity explores how we can find happiness during life’s greatest challenges.

Congratulations to Art Insiders New York for winning the 27th Annual Communicator Awards of Excellence by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), for their episode about the TWA Flight Center/Hotel. They won an award here last year too.

Bailey Sarian, a YouTuber and social media star, is to launch her own podcast. Called Dark History, it premieres on Wednesday.