NOW HEAR THIS…

Higher Ground, President Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, has signed a first-look deal with Amazon’s Audible. “We are so proud of the stories we have been able to tell at Higher Ground, and there’s no one we’d rather write our next chapter with than Audible,” said Michelle Obama. “Together, we will keep striving to tell compelling, provocative, and soulful stories – while doing everything we can to make sure they reach the folks who need to hear them.” Higher Ground struck a podcasting deal with Spotify in 2019 which was not renewed, reportedly over issues of exclusivity.

For Gen Z listeners, podcasts aren’t just for entertainment. They serve as spaces for knowledge, learning and even catharsis, according to Spotify’s fourth annual Culture Next Trends Report. Over the past year, average podcast listeners among US Gen Zs increased 62% between the first quarter of 2022 and the year prior. Mental health, the top podcast genre globally for 18-24-year-olds, saw a 54% increase in the number of listeners in the demo. Fifty-five percent of Gen Zs said they turn to podcasts to get answers to difficult questions before talking to their families about it, and 62% reported listening to podcasts to inform the conversations they have with their friends.

Streaming app Fountain now allows users to earn Bitcoin while they listen to podcasts. “The time and attention we give to tech platforms is incredibly valuable. Every minute that you spend consuming content, creating content, or viewing ads, increases the value of the platform you’re using,” said Fountain CEO Oscar Merry in a release. “Most free apps we use every day don’t recognize or reward this – but Fountain is different. It’s the only podcast app that rewards both listeners and podcasters for the value that they bring to the platform.” Users can make money from sharing clips, can stream money directly to content creators, and get paid for listening to ads.

Spotify and Integral Ad Science are teaming to establish a third-party brand safety solution for podcast advertisers. The goal: bring more transparency and confidence to podcast advertising. UM Worldwide will be part of the learning and development process as the first holding company to test the solution. “Podcasts have hit the mainstream in a big way and our clients are ready to increase their investment in the space given the undeniable opportunity to connect with audiences; however, without a way to validate brand suitability across the depth and breadth of shows, they are hesitant to go all in,” said Joshua Lowcock, Global Chief Media Officer at UM Worldwide. “We’re pleased to see Spotify and IAS step up to create a brand safety solution and are ready to work with them during the building and testing phase to ensure advertisers’ needs are addressed from the start.”

With consumer interest in digital audio strong, 93% of media experts are likely to use digital audio advertising this year – but express concern about fraud and metrics, according to Integral Ad Science’s 2022 Amplifying Media Quality in Digital Report. Other findings include:
* There will be a strong preference for programmatic ad buying, with 73% of experts set to transact audio ad placements programmatically.
* Nearly half of respondents (45%) said it is important to compare campaign performance across audio, display, and video. Yet less than half of experts have confidence when discussing audio metrics with clients.
* Eighty-seven percent of execs surveyed reported being concerned or very concerned about ad fraud in audio, and said they are willing to rely on third-party verification to preserve media quality before further investing in digital audio advertising.

Apple Podcasts has offered details for creators on how to use Search to find shows, channels and episodes. To get started, type a search term in the search box. “Once you start typing, suggestions will appear to help you find what you’re looking for,” explained an Apple Podcasts blog post. “Tap a suggestion or finish typing your query and tap the Search button to see the most relevant results.” To search all channels, shows, and episodes available on Apple Podcasts, users can tap All Podcasts, and toggle to Your Library to search only the shows they follow and episodes they’ve saved or downloaded. Some advice to improve ranking: “Make sure your channel name, show titles, and episode titles are specific and unique so they may appear in relevant searches. Be distinctive and avoid using names that are too generic or too similar to existing shows. Avoid using emojis and repeated episode titles.”

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Ramble has launched Justaposition, a new weekly podcast hosted by content creator Hyram. The “Gen Z Whisperer” sits down with fellow creators and other guests to explore issues ranging from mental health to how to make a positive social impact to skin care (his skin care line is Selfless by Hyram). New episodes drop Thursdays. Ramble is a joint venture between Cadence13, an Audacy company, and United Talent Agency.

All 12 episodes of the latest season of “You Must Remember This,” exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century, are now streaming. Created, written, produced and narrated by Karina Longworth, the two-part season – “Erotica 80s” – examines sex in Hollywood films during the last two decades of the 20th century.

Martha Stewart and iHeartRadio have teamed for “The Martha Stewart Podcast.” The domestic guru hosts the original, talk-show-style audio series, which premiered on June 22. Stewart conducts interviews with a range of people she’s met throughout her career. First up was Snoop Dogg, Stewart’s friend and business partner.

Seven-part scripted drama series “The Big Lie,” about the making of “Salt of the Earth” – the only movie named to the “Hollywood Blacklist” – has debuted on Audible. The Audible Original, produced by Fresh Produce Media, is co-written by John Mankiewicz (“House of Cards”) and Jamie Napoli, and stars Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”), as an FBI agent who tried to shut the production down. The cast also includes Kate Mara (“House of Cards”), Ana de la Reguera (“Goliath”), John Slattery (“Mad Men”), Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”), and Lisa Edelstein (“House”), among others.

Dating game show “Queen of Hearts,” hosted by Drag Queen Jujubee (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) has launched on all podcast services, with new episodes every week. The series from Wondery and Rococo Punch leads a diverse set of contestants through a series of games during which they are only heard, not seen.

From a prom queen gone missing to a bank president discovered duct-taped to a chair and found in the depths of a swamp, “Hot & Deadly” presents audio from three ID true crime series: “Swamp Murders,” “Highway to Hell” and “Southern Fried Homicide.” New episodes drop Thursdays.

Spotify podcast “Sound Barrier: Sylvester,” hosted by Jason King and timed to Pride Month and Black History Music Month, documents the musical career and impact of the genre-bending icon, Sylvester. The podcast, which includes never-heard-before interviews, recordings, and demos from Sylvester, launched June 22, with new episodes every Wednesday.

COMING UP

Hungry for conversation? NBCUniversal Chairman of Global Advertising & Partnerships Linda Yaccarino and Giant Spoon Partner Laura Correnti are teaming for a new podcast, “Sunday Supper,” in partnership with iHeartMedia. Yaccarino and Correnti will host bigwigs in entertainment and business for intimate, candid conversations. “In my house and even my office — the best days end—and the most genuine conversations start—around the dinner table,” said Yaccarino. “I’m so excited to bring all the laughter, conversations, and tough questions of an Italian home to ‘Sunday Supper’.” The podcast will be available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast platforms later this fall, with episodes airing every Sunday.

Audacy announced the launch of “Inside Web3,” a Sunday morning program and podcast following cryptocurrency, NFTs, the Metaverse and more. Available via the Audacy app and website, the show also airs Sunday mornings from on KNX News 97.1 FM in Los Angeles, ESPN 1320 in Sacramento, 97.3 The in San Diego and KCBS All News in San Francisco. Shira Lazar hosts.

Charitha Chandran (“Bridgerton”) is set to star in Meet Cute podcast series “A Mid-Semester Night’s Dream,” centered on a group of graduate students who discover a magical edition of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that makes people fall in love with whoever is reading it. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of my favorite plays and Meet Cute’s modern adaptation in a college setting within the medium of podcasting makes this a really exciting and accessible project to be a part of,” said Chandran. The series will launch in September.

Podbean is holding a live storytelling event on June 28 offering perspectives and insight from LGBTQIA+ podcasters. Stories of Pride will share different personalities and experiences within the podcasting community. “At Podbean we’re proud to celebrate the voices that showcase the lived experiences of our podcasters,” said David Xu, Podbean CEO. “We believe in the power podcasting has to bring more diverse stories to the world and our live storytelling events are a key way we help bring podcasters and listeners together.”

“Project Unabom,” an eight-part series about serial bomber Ted Kaczynski, launches on Apple June 27. The podcast is based on new original reporting on the man who terrorized the country for 18 years.

Shining City Audio, a history-focused podcast studio joint venture between Audacy’s C13Originals and author Jon Meacham, announced “History is US,” a six-part audio documentary exploring “how American history, so indelibly shaped by race, haunts us, and how our past failures and refusals to admit them continue to shape the way we live our lives today.” The series is directed and produced by C13Original Studios.

SiriusXM and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture are teaming up to honor Black Music Appreciation Month with a private event taking place on Thursday, June 30, including the unveiling of the SiriusXM Neighborhood Record Store and a live recording of the “All Music is Black Music.” “We commemorate Black Music Appreciation Month all across SiriusXM, in our hallways and on our airwaves, and we’re incredibly excited to now team up with the NMAAHC to take the celebration to Washington, D.C.,” said Nicole Hughey, SiriusXM’s SVP & Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Correspondent Dulcé Sloan and writer Josh Johnson of “The Daily Show” are launching a podcast, “The Daily Show presents: Hold Up” today, June 23. Topics on the Comedy Central series, produced in partnership with iHeartMedia, will include the likes of staycations, texting versus calling, and long engagements.

Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac will star in Spotify’s scripted podcast “Case 63,” an English-language adaptation of a Chilean podcast. It’s the first time a podcast series from a non-English market has been adapted in other languages. Moore and Isaac will also executive produce the project, from Gimlet, Moore’s FortySix and Isaac’s Mad Gene Media.

Timed to Pride Month and Black History Music Month, “Sound Barrier: Sylvester” will document impact of the genre bending icon, Sylvester. Episode 1 includes rare early recordings of Sylvester singing blues and jazz classics “Stormy Weather” and “God Bless the Child” in his “Miss Ruby Blue” persona. Guests this season include Patti LaBelle, Anita Pointer, Billy Porter, Mykki Blanco, Purple Disco Machine, Big Freedia, Bob the Drag Queen, Alex Newell, DJ Nicky Siano and more.

Audible’s addition to the Sherlock Holmes universe, “Moriarty: The Devil’s Game,” poses the question: What if Holmes’ nemesis was actually an innocent man? Starring Dominic Monaghan (“Lord of the Rings”), “Moriarty” recasts Professor James Moriarty as a desperate fugitive framed for murder and hunted by dark forces. The series will be available exclusively on Audible on July 7.

Will Forte (“The Last Man on Earth”) will star in the first Netflix scripted series from Higher Ground. Darkly comic thriller “Bodkin” (wt), created by Jez Scharf (“Mister Biscuits”), centers on a group of podcasters who discover a story bigger than they imagined in a coastal Irish town.

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PODCAST-TO-TV

SK Global and content studio Project Brazen have entered into a deal with Peter Chiarelli (“Crazy Rich Asians”) to write a TV adaptation of the podcast chronicling the Fat Leonard US Navy scandal, one of the military’s largest national security breaches. The script will be based on Project Brazen’s podcast “Fat Leonard” that featured Leonard Glenn Francis, a corrupt military contractor who spoke about stealing tens of millions of dollars through deals with the US Navy in exchange for cash bribes, escorts and luxury items. The adaptation will follow an actively developing story, with the podcast playing a major part around the current trials of five Navy officers involved with Francis.

Arrested Industries and AYR Media have signed a co-development deal to create a limited series based on AYR’s true crime podcast “The Murder of Robert Wone,” which debuted on Audible in 2021. The mystery is set against a backdrop of sex, queerness and crime during the George W. Bush administration. The circumstances surrounding Wone’s death were, and remain, baffling, and the murder is still unsolved.

Amazon is working on a TV series adaptation of mystery thriller podcast “Last Known Position” with Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”) as the lead actress and executive producer. Rodriguez starred in the podcast, which follows the fallout of new state-of-the-art American commercial jetliner that vanishes on its maiden voyage over the Pacific.

ON THE MOVE

Brooke Minters has joined The Verge as editorial director for audio, overseeing its podcast operation. In her new role, Minters will develop The Verge’s audio slate, launching new shows and working to grow existing shows. The Verge’s managing editor Alex Cranz will officially join The Verge’s decade-old flagship podcast The Vergecast as co-host; the show will also expand to two episodes a week, with the new Wednesday episode hosted by Verge editor-at-large David Pierce.
 

Cynopsis Team