Spotify adds Comments; and a new mobile app for podcasters

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• Spotify has launched Comments, allowing any listener to leave comments on your podcast episodes. The feature is rolling out from today, and replaces the Q&A feature. Also, the Spotify for Podcasters app on iOS and Android now supports all podcasts, wherever they’re hosted - giving analytics, notifications and additional information.
  • Unlike Apple Podcasts reviews, all Comments are private, and you choose to make them visible - plus, you can publicly reply to them, and you can block accounts to help fight online trolls. You can turn off Comments altogether too, in the Spotify for Podcasters dashboard or in the new app - they’re all features requested in comments to our Report Card earlier on this year, which we shared with Spotify directly. Our comments are open, though, so if you can, leave us a comment.
  • You can, of course, leave comments for each episode in YouTube and in GoodPods; but each app has its own comments. There are no APIs into either comments on GoodPods or Spotify.
• Ad attribution company Podscribe has launched “automated pixel distribution”, which automates the generation and distribution of pixels to multiple publishers.
  • “Pixels” help match podcast listeners to website visitors, to work out how successful the advertising has been.
• Rephonic has added “listeners per episode” estimates to its podcast information service. (Anyone can claim their podcast by using OP3, and seeing all the data for your show). Here’s what our page looks like - we make aggregate ratings from Rephonic data in our podcast pages.

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• Descript has launched “a faster, more responsive” desktop app.
• Can you help the open-source Android podcast app AntennaPod? Do you have a UX/UI design background? They’re wanting volunteer help with the main playback screen.
• You can now listen to the Podnews Daily on the SiriusXM app.
• The Vurbl app, which launched in Nov 2020, appears to have closed in Aug 2022, we’ve just spotted (the website is now plastered with ads for a Korean betting site). It had raised $1.3mn in funding, and claimed to be “the YouTube of audio” (a position YouTube probably owns these days). Former CEO Audra Gold is currently working for Product N on RFK Jr’s presidential campaign as Deputy Director of Digital.

Moves and Hires

• BBC Studios Audio has made a number of hires. Annie Brown joins as Executive Editor in the US (she’s worked for the NYT and Wondery); Thomas Curry joins as Head of Production (he’s ex-Vespucci, Novel, and Audible). Ella Woods becomes Podcast Marketing Manager, and Mary Milad will be Podcast Insights Analyst.

Tips and tricks

• People won’t listen if they can’t find your podcast on their podcast player. While you might be listed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, there are lots of other places to get listed, too. We’ve just updated this list with new information; let us know if we’ve missed any!
  • As part of that, you might be interested to know that you can be listed in Pandora almost instantly these days.
• Here’s how to upload video to Spotify, even if your podcast isn’t hosted there - from the well-tailored Justin Jackson of Transistor.

Podcast News

• Podcasting People today has a tip from our Editor, James Cridland, on getting your podcast workflow right - so it's easier to make sure you keep podcasting.
• Australian daily news show 7am has new hosts - Ruby Jones and Daniel James will host on alternate days from next Monday.
• Where Are You Going? is on the buses until the end of August - on the T15 Routemaster bus, to be accurate, which runs between Tower Hill and Trafalgar Square in London. The award-winning podcast asks one simple question to discover a wealth of stories.
• In & Around Podcasting ask whether "value 4 value" is dead (by which they really are talking about streaming SATs, not the concept itself). It's a good listen, with Captivate's Mark Asquith and Danny Brown, joined by Mathew (one 't') Passy.
• The journalist Evan Ratliff is replicating himself - using an AI voice clone to talk to spammers and scammers, friends, family, and even his wife. Shell Game is the result - described as an "immersive, surprising, and laugh-out-loud bizarre exploration".
• Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster is one of the biggest shows in the UK, and it's back for a new season today. It's also announced live dates next year.

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