The Frontier

James Cridland says the Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP) is defining key terms like 'podcast' and 'impression' to unlock a claimed $1B in sidelined ad demand, with findings to be revealed in July at Oxford Road's CAO Summit.

Adam Curry suggests cutting podcast app developers into ad revenue to incentivize platform investment, mirroring Apple's model, which Cridland argues would simplify budgeting and enable better market measurement.

Sam Sethi is skeptical of AMP's secretive process, noting the absence of key industry players like the IAB, Sounds Profitable, YouTube, Spotify, and Acast from its membership.

Captivate and Global's Dax US have launched a unified monetization suite, combining Captivate's platform with Dax's programmatic and direct sales to target under-monetized mid-tier and hyperlocal creators.

Brian Conland says Dax US will leverage contextual targeting via partners like Barometer and use attribution partners like Claritas and Podscribe to offer advertisers a single CPM for optimizing across streaming and podcasting.

Mark Asquith states Captivate's new ad marketplace has no qualification barriers, aiming to serve everyone from bedroom creators to enterprise publishers, and will include direct deal facilitation.

YouTube reported 800 million hours of podcast consumption by Premium users in April, while also adding podcast-specific features like On The Go mode and AI recommendations in YouTube Music.

James Cridland criticizes platforms for announcing podcast features to investors or via blog posts instead of directly to podcasters at industry events, citing recent moves by Spotify and YouTube.

Patreon and Substack are shifting from pure payment processors to content destinations, adding features like feeds and community tools, which Sam Sethi warns could create new walled gardens for audience activity data.

The SiriusXM and iHeartMedia merger is not proceeding, which James Cridland predicted, noting Global's 38% stake in iHeartMedia could lead to future consolidation moves.

Tubi has signed a non-exclusive deal with SiriusXM to stream video podcasts like Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, sharing ad sales, representing a more traditional media partnership than Netflix's acquisition model.

Dino Sofrano says the Crossed Wires festival sold 25,000 tickets last year and will feature a BBC iPlayer channel this year, filming both BBC and commercial shows like Dig It with Zoe Ball and Joe Wiley.

Dino Sofrano's production company Persifonica focuses on building 360-degree IP brands with talent like Zoe Ball and Greg James, using remote 4K video setups to create intimacy and is exploring US market expansion.

Tom Rossi proposes a provable user agent system for podcast apps, similar to DKIM in email, to combat bots fraudulently claiming to be apps like Apple Podcasts and driving up hosting costs, especially for video.

RSS.com survey data analyzed by Ralph EStep Jr. shows podcast discovery is shifting away from podcast apps, with 6% of new listeners finding their favorite show on YouTube and many using social media or word of mouth.