YouTube’s most necessary podcast play

Hey, everybody. Ariel and Jake right here for a combo difficulty this positive Tuesday morning / afternoon / night, time zone dependent. We’ve been having a superb time prepping for Sizzling Pod Summit, scoffing at political podcast launches, and questioning whether or not the way forward for audio within the metaverse has any legs.

Right now, we’ve acquired rumors of Spotify’s long-awaited HiFi plan, massive advert strikes from YouTube, and a few headphone jack emotions. However first, talking of Sizzling Pod Summit, Ariel has some thrilling information to share…

Sizzling Pod Summit LA is developing quick

Sizzling Pod Summit LA is simply two weeks away (!), and we have now some wonderful further panelists to announce. Becoming a member of us might be:

• Crooked Media EVP of programming and manufacturing Sandy Girard and VP of politics Shaniqua McClendon
• Wondery+ head of product Neel Ketkar
• Patreon head of creator partnerships Sarah Penna
• UTA companion and head of audio Oren Rosenbaum
• Affiliate professor of communication at College of San Diego Bradley Bond

I’m excited to see you all very quickly for a day of conversations round IP, politics, subscriptions, and a few of the different largest podcasting subjects of the second. Tickets are very practically offered out, so when you have a pending invite, act on that quickly if you wish to come.

Sizzling Pod Summit LA is being held as a part of On Air Fest’s LA Annex, a three-day occasion celebrating Los Angeles’ audio storytelling scene. On Air Fest is occurring November third to fifth and can function Into It host Sam Sanders, the creators of Welcome to Night time Vale, the world premiere occasion for ESPN 30 for 30’s Pink Card with Shima Oliaee, and extra. You may study On Air LA Annex programming and get tickets right here.

Is Spotify Platinum on the best way?

It actually looks like a robust risk. Final week, a Reddit person who had simply canceled their Spotify subscription posted a screenshot of a survey they acquired from the corporate. The survey requested if they might be fascinated with switching to a $19.99-per-month Platinum plan, which comes with all types of latest options: restricted podcast adverts, higher library administration, and, in the end, HiFi. 

Spotify Platinum isn’t but an choice underneath the streamer’s plans, and the screenshot floating round could not even be the ultimate model (or value). My colleague Chris Welch at The Verge spoke with the Reddit person, who mentioned that a number of variations of the Platinum plan had been included within the survey, together with one that may entail entry to audiobooks (for the next value). Spotify declined to remark.

No matter Platinum finally ends up trying like if / when it debuts, HiFi will nearly actually be a part of the plan. Spotify first introduced a HiFi tier in February 2021, and customers have been questioning what precisely is taking so lengthy. Final yr, Apple Music debuted lossless audio at no further price, and Amazon Music and Tidal have lengthy made audio high quality a precedence. Charging further for what’s a perk on different companies is probably not sufficient to persuade customers to pay double, so I’ll have an interest to see what the brand new instruments (what precisely are “Library Pro” and “Playlist Pro”?) appear like. 

Andrew Cuomo has a brand new podcast, and his first visitor is Anthony Scaramucci

I’ve mentioned this earlier than, however it’s value reiterating on this explicit case: the very best factor about podcasting is its low barrier to entry, and the worst factor about podcasting can also be its low barrier to entry. Sara Fischer at Axios talked to the disgraced former governor of New York so I don’t should.

All proper, now over to Jake for a pair extra updates.

YouTube’s newest podcast transfer: extra audio adverts

YouTube is making a giant play for podcast adverts. The corporate introduced this week that it’s transferring audio adverts out of beta and permitting advertisers to begin concentrating on particular segments of podcast listeners. Audio adverts as much as 30 seconds at the moment are rolling out, too, up from simply 15-second spots right now.

The launch reveals YouTube leaning into its position as one of many prime locations for listening to podcasts. The corporate has lastly began to embrace that place over the previous yr, launching a podcast hub (albeit a bare-bones one), funding creators who need to movie their reveals, and hiring a pacesetter for its podcast efforts.

Audio adverts first launched in late 2020, however YouTube referred to them as a beta and choices had been restricted. With right now’s growth, advertisers within the US will be capable of dial in on particular podcasts audiences, like these listening to comedy, information, sports activities, or tradition reveals, YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun advised Sizzling Pod.

Controlling promoting could be very a lot the secret within the broader podcast enterprise — see: the numerous exclusivity offers that ignore platform lock-in in favor of ad-sales agreements — and I believe YouTube’s strikes right here may very well be the beginning of one thing massive. YouTube is already an promoting juggernaut, and its platform management means it’s forward of the sport on the subject of advert concentrating on and insertion. The tech is there. Now, it simply must get advertisers and podcasters on board.

The latest iPad drops the headphone jack

All of us noticed this coming, however I believe it’s nonetheless value calling out: Apple launched a brand new iPad this morning, and it has no choice for plugging in wired headphones. The dearth of a headphone jack isn’t totally new for the iPad; the dearer Air and Professional fashions already dropped the port some time again. However this new mannequin is finally going to be the entry-level model of the system, and I believe that makes this extra notable.

Round New York Metropolis, I often see dad and mom who’ve handed their children an iPad and a pair of wired headphones to maintain them entertained whereas out to dinner, ready in line, or sitting on the subway. Apple continues to be promoting final yr’s iPad with a headphone jack for now. However I think we’re a pair years out from dad and mom having to determine a brand new strategy to pull up leisure for his or her children — or else maintain monitor of wi-fi headphones and finicky Bluetooth connections. For anybody making children’ audio content material, this might make the iPad a more durable platform for these reveals to be consumed on.

That’s all for right now — Insiders, we’ll see you on Thursday.

Replace October 18th, 3:45PM ET: Up to date with McClendon’s newest title.