Podnews Daily - podcasting news

Podnews Daily - podcasting news


Podsights releases “Open Downloads” spec

August 05, 2019

Visit https://podnews.net/update/podsights-odl for all the links, and to subscribe. You are currently viewing the "description" tag, which we present in Markdown format; the "content:encoded" tag has all the links in.

* Podsights have released an [Open Downloads](https://podsights.com/blog/open-downloads/) specification, designed to be open and comparable with others. They have cited their problems with the IAB v2 standard, and explained that they have "decided to open source a spec for how we count downloads and share our blacklists with the podcast community as a whole." The company has also released code to calculate downloads according to the simple spec [on Github](https://github.com/open-downloads/odl).

* ['Podcast Live: Politics' is returning to the UK this Autumn](https://podnews.net/press-release/politics-live-2) on Saturday 5th October. Already part of the live event is [For the Many](https://podnews.net/podcast/1307053842) with Iain Dale and Jacqui Smith; [Chopper's Brexit Podcast](https://podnews.net/podcast/1213415786); and [The Week unwrapped](https://podnews.net/podcast/1185494669). Tickets are available today.

* [Who's the best podcast host?](https://podnews.net/article/choosing-a-podcast-host) is a question often seen in podcasting Facebook groups. We'd like to answer that question by helping people make an informed choice. Feedback on this is very welcome.

* [Pod Hunt](https://podhunt.app/) has quietly soft-launched, describing itself as "Product Hunt for podcasts".

* [HelloCast](https://hellocast.com/), a podcast planning tool, has [unveiled enhancements and new pricing plans](https://ckarchive.com/b/r8u8hoh075r9), including a free forever plan for solo podcasters.

* [Cast Feed Validator](https://castfeedvalidator.com/) has released [an updated, v3, version of their podcast RSS validation service](https://www.prweb.com/releases/blubrry_podcasting_revamps_relaunches_cast_feed_validator/prweb16484119.htm), which checks for a number of new issues including Apple Podcasts categories. (We've added links from our podcast pages, too).

* Podtrac has published [July 2019's top podcast publishers](http://analytics.podtrac.com/blog/jan2019-rankings-k7mjk-yam8h-l72fn-tzsyw-t6zrw-a8m7w). It's opt-in and US-only, but NPR has increased its lead over iHeartRadio.

* Event: [The New Media Summit](https://newmediasummit.net/), in September, in San Diego CA, USA, is the fifth such event, where "150 attendees have the opportunity to take center stage to pitch 40 top podcasters and get booked on their shows on the spot".

**Thank you** to John Lee Dumas for becoming Podnews's latest personal supporter. Known as "JLD" to many, John produces the award-winning [Entrepreneurs On Fire](https://podnews.net/podcast/564001633) where he interviews entrepreneurs "who are truly ON FIRE" (we assume in a metaphorical sense rather than actually being burned alive, but if it's the latter we've a few business people we'd like to suggest for interview). You should [be like JLD](https://podnews.net/support).

Opinion
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* [Podcast interviews need to take the next step forward](https://blog.hellocast.com/podcast-interviews-need-to-take-the-next-step-forward/), says HelloCast's Brandon Hull:
> "The world doesn’t need another 60-minute interview that’s bland or lacking in any flair from the host, with all the pressure put upon the guest.

* [What does podcast addiction look like?](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/podcast-addiction) Stuart McGurk from GQ magazine subscribes to at least 50 podcasts.
> I can’t remember the last time I had a bowel movement that wasn’t accompanied by the voice of Jon Favreau, Barack Obama’s former chief speechwriter, who hosts [Pod Save America](https://podnews.net/podcast/1192761536).

Podcasts
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* **Spreaker Prime:** [Southern Fried True Crime](https://podnews.net/podcast/1242028887) explores historical and contemporary true crime in the South. Join native Tennessean, Erica Kell