The Sonic Truth

There are lots of professional distributors and platforms in the podcasting space, and yet discoverability has become harder than ever. Most listeners access shows through Apple Podcasts, but many are turning to alternative platforms like Spotify, and Stitcher – where Erik Diehn is CEO. With so much content available, just choosing what to listen to next can be difficult. Eric caught up with Veritonic’s CEO Scott Simonelli about Stitcher’s place in the consumer listening journey, the current state of the podcasting industry and how its advertising arm, Midroll, is helping brands reach consumers in unique and effective ways.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Evan Lang, VP & GM of Audio at Vox Media was approached internally and asked how they could turn podcasting into a real business at the company. After just two years, they’ve seen real success with shows The Weeds, the Ezra Klein Show, Today, Explained, and Recode Decode. He shared Vox’s approach.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

If you’ve bought tickets for a live entertainment or sports event in recent years, chances are, you’ve at some point got your tickets from SeatGeek. What you might be less aware of though is that SeatGeek is also a pioneer of podcast advertising, spending on shows like The Bill Simmons podcast as early as 2015. Our guest today, Ian Borthwick, now leads the charge, running podcast advertising for the brand as well as its influencer program. He was employee number 80, and since his joining, the company has grown too well in excess of 450. He shares SeatGeek’s approach to positioning its brand on audio and some pointers on where to begin when thinking about how your brand should sound. We’re thrilled to have him on the Sonic Truth.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Takeaways: 

– The barriers standing in the way of gaining a deep understanding of podcast listeners

– What the future holds for smaller brands looking to get into podcasting

ART19 is an audio platform for hosting, distribution, ad serving, and audience measurement that’s been around since 2015. Think of it as infrastructure for enterprise-level podcast hosting that’s mostly used by publishers. Its clients include Wondery and The New York Times, of which The Daily is one of the biggest shows housed by the platform. Veritonic CEO Scott Simonelli caught up with Art19 CEO Korri Kolesa, previously chief revenue officer at Stitcher, about Art19’s future direction, including the challenge of gaining a deeper understanding of listeners.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

When it comes to radio the way you make people feel when they tune in is everything. As EVP of Content at Alpha Media, Phil Becker breaks down different approaches to building unique local radio brands across Alpha’s portfolio of 100’s of local stations.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

A few years ago on a turbulent flight, Steve Milton heard a noise he associated with entering the “gates of hell”. It was actually the sound from the cockpit to signal he had reached cruising altitude. Milton wondered who made the decision to use that sound, and more importantly: why. Today, Steve Milton runs a successful branding agency servicing all kinds of clients ranging from Tinder to Microsoft.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

NPR – National Public Radio is famous for shows like Fresh Air with Terry Gross, How I Built This and Planet Money. Launching new shows used to be simple. The NPR name and distribution mechanism alone meant a million eager, regular listeners. But with new podcast content coming out by the minute, NPR and other platforms like it face new challenges. Maintaining and increasing their listenership requires new thinking. From creating ‘listening habits’ through short-form content to bolstering the expert, longer-form journalism that NPR is known for, all is revealed in this episode of The Sonic Truth. Scott Simonelli sits down with Bryan Moffett, COO, National Public Media, and Gina Garrubbo, CEO of NPM at Advertising Week New York for this insider’s chat.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Audio gets a bad deal when it comes to adding disclaimers at the end of ads. Why? Other media channels are cleverly able to hide it, but audio, radio specifically, is forced to place it at the end. Many people claim disclaimers ruin radio ads, but no one has ever looked at what the data says…until now.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS