The White Noise Cash Grab Ends; Relationship Podcasts You Should be Sponsoring; SXM’s Brand New Brand Safety Tool

This week, we’re coming at you with a brand new Media Roundtable: Industry Edition! Oxford Road CEO and Founder Dan Granger welcomes back Oxford Road vets Neal Lucey, and Kristen Duenas, along with preeminent radio futurologist James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal) to bring you up to speed on the the biggest news in the audio advertising industry you need to know.

We’re talkin’:

• The $18k White Noise Gravy Train
• The Rise of the “Podhead”
• SXM’s New Brand Safety Tool

For recaps of these stories and others, read on–and for the whole picture plus industry insights you won’t get anywhere else, catch the full episode by clicking the link here.

The Classifieds

Influencers Fly High, By the Seat of Their Pants

Though wedding season is coming to an end, love is still in the air, and no two influencers are more lovey-dovey than Matt and Abby Howard. The high school sweethearts swiftly gained followers on both TikTok (5.3m) and YouTube (5.53m) just by giving followers a look into their chaotic yet charmed lives. QCode is partnering with the new parents to bring us a podcast that gives even more insight into the duo’s entertaining lives. Their current content is rooted mostly in the domestic tribulations of raising a young child, relationship milestones, and personal stories of family life. Interview episodes often showcase conversations around content creation, mental health, and wacky dating stories. This is a great option for those looking to reach young parents, a high female-skew audience, and internet-obsessed young professionals. If your budgets are unplanned, plan to click the link below for more information.

Get The Deal

Coach Helps Mend Broken Hearts One Stitch at a Time

Healing from heartbreak does not have a one-size-fits-all solution, yet it often feels singularly human. Author Amy Chan is pairing with Cake Media to bring us a seven-part limited series addressing the step-by-step mental maneuvers it takes to grieve and recover from heartbreak. At the end of each episode, Chan coaches actual clients through their current steps, giving a real-time example of the powerful force of healing.
Slated guests include Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger, bestselling author Tara Schuster, and top-charting entertainment news podcaster Shannon McNamara. This series covers relationship advice, self-improvement, mental health, society & culture, and is best suited for advertisers looking to reach a female skew audience interested in self-help and written content. Follow us to the end of Lonely Street at the Heartbreak Hotel by clicking the link below.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

The Great White (Noise) Hype

Certain ambassadors of “white noise” podcasts reportedly earn as much as $18,000 monthly on Spotify, but that’s about to change. Starting October 1st, Spotify will no longer support these ‘white noise podcasters’ in its Ambassador Ads program, which might affect their revenue, while also increasing the audience threshold for conventional podcasters to join the program. White noise creators can still earn money through paid subscribers, listener support, and automated ads, but the move aims to redirect listeners to more engaging content. This will potentially boost Spotify’s annual profit as they work on improving their financial position in light of lower revenue per subscriber and recent layoffs in their podcasting division. But the fact that well-meaning ad buyers were unwittingly placing ads into literal “white noise” underscores that verification and brand safety are no longer just “nice to haves” in podcasting – they’re mandatory.

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Be A Podhead

In a recent YouGov study, 56% of Americans now listen to podcasts, up from 46% in 2021, with 22% dedicating over 5 hours weekly. Most avid listeners, dubbed “podheads” in the report, are under 44, primarily male (62%), working full-time (49%), and listen during their commute (45%). Advertisers benefit from this, as 65% of podheads listen to ads and find them influential. Growth potential in the Midwest and South is indicated by regional disparities. Entertainment podcasts are preferred over news and politics, with music podcasts experiencing a 31% surge between 2021 and 2023.
Despite its unfortunate name, the YouGov report offers insights for marketers, notably the increased consideration for brands in various categories compared to the general population. If your brand, like Kim Crawford, is on the list, it’s advisable to include podcast advertising in your media strategy.

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The Brand Safety Bandwagon – Gets A Bit More Crowded

Last week, SiriusXM Media introduced what they’re calling a first-to-market verification solution for podcast advertising, addressing brand safety concerns in the medium. Partnering with Barometer and ArtsAI, SXM’s tool measures brand suitability and provides real-time reporting, offering advertisers more control and peace of mind. The company also highlights other innovations, including contextual transcription targeting, predictive audience targeting, and brand suitability levels, all aimed at modernizing podcast advertising. This solution is set to launch for all advertisers in January 2024, and while we’re always championing for better tools for advertisers in the area of brand safety, we don’t see much new ground here.

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Honorable Mentions

In an effort to bring you access to all of the info covered in this week’s episode, below are the links to the smaller stories that may be of interest:

• Nielsen’s Newest Podcast Report – Not a lot new here, but we appreciate the report’s insights on the growth in time spent among different age groups and its examination of listenership across diverse segments. Plus, it serves as additional confirmation of the effectiveness of podcast advertising throughout the purchase funnel, establishing its relevance in both brand and performance advertising.
• PodcastOne Goes Public! – Founded by Audio visionary Norm Pattiz, who passed away earlier this year, along with a long-time friend of Oxford Road Kit Gray, PodcastOne went public last week on Nasdaq. We always love it when our network partners get wins like this, but this one hit a special chord. Congratulations, Kit and the rest of the PodcastOne team!

#SaveTheLiveReads

Hala’s Fur Baby Loves Nom Nom

We’re back this week with another great aircheck to celebrate from our host Hala at the “Young and Profiting with Hala Taha” podcast. This one’s for all you dog moms and dads out there wanting to feed their fur babies the best possible food. Look no further than Nom Nom. Hala starts her read with a clear delivery of the ad copy, making it very easy for the audience to understand the information. After a minute of general info, she gets personal and brings in stellar testimony about her own dog and the positive changes to his life already happening with his new Nom Nom diet. Nom Nom is perfect for her dog, who is now older and needs extra vitamins and nutrients to keep him happy and healthy. Delivering an ad coming in at 4 minutes, Hala goes above the status quo to recommend Nom Nom to her listeners and secure her spot as a go-to host for the brand.

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