by Gavin Gaddis
Podnews reports Amazon Music launches video podcasts today for U.S. iOS and Android users. The app will use HLS video, as Podnews reports, “including support for HLS multivariate playlists via an alternate enclosure in RSS.” Video podcasts launched on Amazon’s ART19 platform and will expand to more partners this summer. The piece notes there is no private API to submit video to Amazon Music, and it is not charging podcast creators or networks for access to video distribution.
The partnership combines Magellan AI’s podcast ad intelligence platform with Signal Hill Insights’ brand lift and audience research expertise. Brands can now combine Signal Hill Insights’ brand lift studies with Magellan AI’s exposure and performance data for precise audience matching, stronger control groups, and reliable measures of campaign impact on awareness, favorability, and intent.
The Q1 report finds BBC Sounds had a 5% increase of plays year over year, totaling 718 million plays of radio, podcasts, and music content. Radio and podcast content specifically netted 265 million plays, with 11 million total signed-in accounts in the quarter.
Scaleable covers the trend of streaming services investing in short-form video. Prime Video launched Clips this month, Netflix and Paramount+ did the same in April, and Disney+ launched Verts back in March of this year. Unlike social platforms, these streamer feeds feature owned-content clips that recommend long-form shows — not original content uploaded by users.
POSSIBLE has concluded and it’s upfront season. Ad buyers speaking to Marketing Brew say there is a greater focus than ever on demonstrating performance. KSM VP of digital and partnerships Ashley Hutchings notes upfronts are now less about the content being released and more about the outcomes that content can generate. Reach is taking a back seat to awareness and lower-funnel business objectives.
…as for the rest of the news:
Acast has launched its first integrated video ad campaigns on Apple Podcasts, with State Farm and T-Mobile ads being delivered via Apple Podcasts HLS and Acast adtech.
American Public Media’s Marketplace and the BBC World Service have announced the upcoming launch of Must Be the Money, a new podcast set for May 18.
Audio monetization network and curated podcast marketplace Ozen.fm has announced a strategic partnership with NumberEight to integrate its AI-powered audio intelligence.
The latest episode of Podcast Advertising Playbook discusses smarter podcast inventory management with Frequency CEO Pete Jimison and Flightpath CEO Sean Howard. Speaking of Flightpath, it has an upcoming launch of its Revenue Optimizer managed traffic service.
Signal Hill Insights President Paul Riismandel has a new post showing off SHI’s plans to offer custom audience check-ups at its booth during The Podcast Show London.
Oxford Road’s ORBIT Rankings are back for a May edition, this time looking at the top 15 performing international podcasts.
Netherlands-based Azerion has become IAB Podcast Measurement Guidelines certified.
