This is The Download from Sounds Profitable, your daily source for the essential news of the business of podcasting brought to you by Speaker from I Heart, I'm Gavin Gattis. Here's what you need to know for today, Thursday, September 12, first up four years strong.
At the beginning of the month, Sounds Profitable turned four years old, in light of the anniversary, Bryan Barletta looked back at what has been accomplished in podcasting over the past four years and where the industry is headed and common sources of infighting. Looking at the shifting definition of what counts as a podcast with the growing influence of social platforms and YouTube content creation, Barletta references a 2018 interview with then-president of Nintendo America Reggie Fiesa May.
When asked if he saw Sony and Microsoft as direct competitors, Nintendo's Fiesa May said he focused on the bigger picture of competing for the limited entertainment time a person has each day. In that same vein, podcasting is better focused on entertainment time and ensuring people get their podcasts wherever they want, however they want, instead of hyper focusing on getting them podcasts in a particular way that fits a specific nomenclature.
Next up, when it comes to podcast audiences, quality Trump's quantity, new data from Morning Cons, sold based on surveys of 68,000 respondents, finds weekly podcast listeners are slightly more likely than the general US population to make at least $100,000 a year. They're also more likely to have advanced degrees full-time jobs and high ranking jobs like CEO or director.
Morning Cons, brand analyst Ellen Briggs says the weekly podcast listener spends more on products and experiences than the general population, making them super consumers. 72% of weekly listeners shop on mobile apps at least once a week compared to the general population's response rate of 57%. Next up, why podcast execs are making a play for advertisers influencer budgets?
Three podcast executives tell DigitDay that during Q2, their strategy shifted to trying to win $ad dollars out of influencer budgets from marketers instead of their often smaller audio budgets. And it's a viable pitch to as every podcast host is fundamentally an influencer. In some cases, more so than traditional influencers on social platforms, as podcast audiences can be more engaged and support a given brand more than a sponsored TikTok or Instagram influencer.
Next up, Apple is taking a bigger bite of the creator economy and influencers are fuming. Starting in November, all in-app purchases made on an iOS device will give 30% directly to Apple. While larger organizations like Patreon, Substack, and Spotify jump to the forefront of conversations about the fee structure, smaller platforms used by content creators, such as Kajabi or Mighty Networks will also be impacted.
Creators and platforms alike are attempting to circumvent the issue, such as encouraging new and existing followers to buy or donate using an internet browser instead of the app avoiding any fees. And finally, no more mid-roll mayhem. Gumball VP of creator partnerships, Dane Cardiel argues podcasting has a mid-roll ad problem. The industry has been scattershot in its implementation of mid-rolls, both in how they're deployed, and in the creatives used.
A formula for effective mid-rolls is provided in the article starting with the first ad break happening 15 minutes into an episode, followed by a second ad break 15 minutes later, depending on how long the episode is, as the length increases, the amount of breaks increases with a cap at 3 total. Putting hard numbers on how many mid-roll breaks a podcast should have and how often they appear gives a number other companies can agree with and embrace as a standard.
If they don't, it causes others to challenge that number and start a conversation that will lead to a more widely agreed upon standard. Advertisements need not be placed on vibes alone. As for the rest of the news, the Ambi's are now taking submissions. Triton Digital has released their US podcast rancor for August, the top rank increase of the month going to Audisys Fantasy Football Today, jumping up 69 spots.
Dave Studios' Crime House has launched Money Crimes, a show about the dark side of finance. Alex Goldman has released a new podcast Hyper Fixed about the little problems in our life and the systems that create them. Pod Chaser announces that its collections plus program enables 24% more ACAST creators to earn ad revenue. And Todd Spangler dives into why hosts like Alex Cooper and the Kelsey Brothers are landing all those big ticket deals.
Be sure to check out the links to every article mentioned right in your podcast listening app or it sounds profitable.com where you can also subscribe to the newsletter version. The download is written and produced by Newton Shaddle Codding myself, Brian Barletta, and Tom Webster. This episode is hosted on Speaker. For Sounds Profitable, I'm Gavin Gattis, download us again tomorrow.