Apple helps you download fewer podcasts

I have stopped automatic downloads on Apple Podcasts because I am so careless with my data and INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals I need to be able to save and send my husband I Think You Should Leave GIFs at will, but I also love having back episodes of Stuff You Missed in History Class for the subway as much as the next guy. Apple's new update that allows users to limit downloads to five episodes at a time feels tailor-made for me.

Highlights from the Upfronts, as well as the experiment with NFTs, are on tap today.

Apple is making it easier to distribute and store podcasts.

As long as they use a designated distribution platform, creators who are part of the ApplePodcasters Program will no longer have to take the extra step of uploading their podcasts through the ApplePodcast Connect dashboard. Acast, Buzzsprout, Omny Studio, RSS.com, and ART19 are some of the initial partner hosts. A new feature calledDelegated Delivery will allow people who create subscription podcasts on any of those platforms to publish shows on Apple directly from their host's dashboard.

Apple could become a partner host if the company chose to do so, as it is among the hosting platforms not in that initial group. The company did not respond to the question of whether it would. Supercast, Glow.fm, and Apple partner Acast are some of the partner hosts that have streamlined publishing for subscription shows through its Open Access program. Vox Media is a partner in the Open Access program.

A new software update for Apple's Macintosh, iPad, and iPhones will be available soon. Listeners can specify how many episodes they want to keep downloaded in the app for offline listening, with options like five latest episodes or those published in the last 14 days. The new downloads configuration will make a big difference for heavyPodcast Listeners who can quickly rack up downloads that eat their device's storage.

Even as the market cools, it's still testing musician NFT galleries.

Steve Aoki and The Wombats are two of the artists who will be able to show off their own work after the test is implemented. Music Ally reported on the new feature, which is available to some US based users.

The update allows participating artists to display their galleries on their Spotify pages right below their song lists. The company hasn't said if the feature will go wide.

It may seem strange to promote NFTs at a time when the market is tanking and the number of transactions plummets. In March, Aoki spoke with Nilay Patel about how NFTs can be a lifesaver for musicians at the mercy of streaming payouts. He said the NFT business provides an income stream and a conversation that never happened before.

If you don't own a phone and want to see what Aoki's whales look like, check out Emma's piece.

The highlights of the show.

While lacking in Pete Davidson appearances, the Interactive Advertising Bureau hosted a number of podcasting's biggest players who trotted out their best programming and statistics for advertisers. Studios and publishers pitched why they should get a piece of the $4 billion podcasting industry that the IAB projected would be by 2024. Some of the highlights are here.

• SiriusXM conducted its own study of who podcasting’s newest listeners are and what they want. Recent podcast listeners are younger and more diverse in terms of race and gender than longtime podcast listeners. They also prioritize true crime and celebrity talk shows more than traditional listeners, who flock to news and sports. Comedy is still the number one genre for both.
• Wondery, which is owned by Amazon, announced a slew of new ad rep and distribution deals. The company already has distribution deals with chart-toppers like My Favorite Murder and SmartLess,in which new episodes are released a week early exclusively on Amazon Music and Wondery Plus. The new deals have Wondery reaching for the next tier of shows, including Men in Blazers, Something Was Wrong, four shows from the Ten Percent Happier network, and two podcasts from the Shut Up and Give Me Murder network. All have a one-week exclusive window, except for Men in Blazers, which will not have the window, and Twenty Percent Happier, which will be fully exclusive.
• Companies announced programming updates, including Sony Music, which is debuting Bedtime Stories with Adam McKay, in which the writer and director improvises soothing stories; Slate, which is increasing the frequency of shows What Next: TBD, Mom and Dad Are Fighting, and Working from once a week to twice a week; and iHeartMedia, which will launch a new LGBTQ+ vertical of shows this summer in the mold of the Black Effect Podcast Network and My Cultura.

The direction of programming seemed to correspond with the core of the findings. The focus on multicultural and entertainment content reflects that the audience is younger and more diverse than it was a few years ago. The true crime train isn't slowing down any time soon. It is not my thing, but the people have spoken.

Companies are increasing their ad spend on the show.

The biggest spenders have not changed, but the budgets for the podcasts have. BetterHelp is once again the number one advertiser in the podcasts. BetterHelp spent more than $21 million in ads in the first quarter of this year, more than double what it spent in the same period last year.

That budget is three times what HelloFresh spent in the first quarter. The direct-to-consumer meal kit company doubled its budget year-over-year due to the increase in ad spend. Since last year, ExpressVPN and Progressive have increased their ad spend.

The findings show how the industry will grow. The willingness of companies to spend more will be the key to making podcasting a $2 billion industry this year and a $4 billion industry by 2024. The Q1 Benchmark Report is available here.

The iPod is not dead.

I am going to shamelessly plug my piece from this weekend on how the iPod played a fleeting, but crucial, role in the development of the podcast, even though this is a bit of a rerun for Insiders. Two people claim to have combined iPod and broadcast to name the medium we all know and love. It was the subject of an ill-fated battle to rename it. It didn't catch, my deepest sympathies to him.

Readers, see you next week. I will be back on Thursday with the latest episodes.

On Tuesday, you will receive analysis, insights, and commentary on the audio industry.