Exclusive: Quotes from Ignite the Sound / Opportunities in Podcasting in the Gulf / Acast Launches Targeting Solution

Plus, why were your podcast plays matters, a serendipitous podcast story on Reddit, and "Trail Weight" returns

Inside.com Part of   Network October 25, 2022

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Hey Insiders!  As some of you may know, I've recently moved from Canada to Dubai. As part of exploring podcasting in the region, I attended Ignite the Sound, an international podcasting conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Here's photo proof.) So I'm sharing some quotes from the conference today. News items are under Quick Hits.  Happy reading,  Shreya

EXCLUSIVE: From Ignite the Sound, Saudi Arabia (Part 1) Podnews shared a study from Samawa Media that highlighted that there are 573 podcasts currently in production in Saudi Arabia.  I had the chance to chat with attending podcast industry professionals about the opportunities in the region and their biggest takeaway from the conference.  Before we get into the quotes, I'd love to share this from Gabriel Soto, Edison Research's Director of Research and one of the speakers at the conference: "In the U.S., we hear stories of Saudi Arabians that are often told for them, leading to a mainstream narrative and preconceived generalizations about 35 million people that are decided by a few. This trip served as a fresh reminder that every individual has a story to tell. And I strongly believe podcasting will provide the people living in the Kingdom the opportunity to tell their own story to the world." What makes this region a unique market for podcasting?  Lama Masri, VP-Strategy and Partnerships at Dubai-based Podeo shares:  "Storytelling is a Saudi Arabian heritage that has been evolving from one generation to the other. With its cultural, historical, and educational richness, Saudi Arabia is a country full of stories ready to be shared with the world. In a region like the Middle East and North Africa, where storytelling is second nature, podcasting brings old and new stories to life and creates connections."  Maribel Quezada Smith of BIPOC Podcast Creators highlights:  "There are thousands of people in Saudi Arabia excited to share their stories and voices with the world. In talking to many of them last week, I learned that there is going to be a significant demand for these creators to have education and connection in podcasting."

EXCLUSIVE: From Ignite the Sound, Saudi Arabia (Part 2) Opportunities for podcasting in Saudi and the Gulf  Chirag Desai, Creative Director of Amaeya Media, outlines two opportunities in the region:  "The first is the brand opportunity: We'll see more brands look to podcasts as a way to create and engage with their audience and as an advertising channel. This will also help empower more creators as the opportunity gets bigger. I believe the region has the potential to reach 25-30% of the podcast world's market share over the next few years. This influx will also help open up the larger ecosystem, allowing for agencies and platforms to grow along-with creators. The second is the diversification of content: as more creators enter the space, we'll see the expansion and exploration of new categories, new types of shows, and new creative collaborations that we are yet to unlock." Khalid Alkenaa, founder and CEO of marketplace Mohtwize, says that the region is ready to take it to the next level:  "Mohtwize has generated half a million SAR that has gone directly to creators. With content being local, ad spend stays in the region and creates an ecosystem for podcasting. We are recognizing the opportunities and working on them. Rather than waiting, we are building what we need."  Lemya Soltani, Head of Marketing at monetization agency Next Broadcast Media, shares data to support her beliefs:   "For creators, now is the time to start their podcast. People are engaged and curious to become creators and share their voice. For brands, the opportunities are to extend their audiences to an audience that is young, educated, and has a high purchase power: Data shows that Podcast Listeners in KSA spend on average 17% more on Food & Drink, 19% on Entertainment & Travel and 22% more on Subscriptions than non-podcast listeners (Markettiers, 4DC, KSA Report 2020)."

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EXCLUSIVE: From Ignite the Sound, Saudi Arabia (Part 3) Key takeaways from Ignite the Sound  Gabriel Soto from Edison shared his excitement on what's to come:  "Podcasting in the KSA is like a train that I was invited to board at Ignite the Sound. Based on its passengers' level of excitement and their anecdotes about how far it has come in the last year, I sense that this train has the potential to go the distance — and at very fast speeds. I walk away truly inspired, hoping to one day measure this podcasting growth in the kingdom and give Saudis the same thing that a young podcaster I met gives his audience on his podcast: the opportunity to lay down the next set of tracks to move forward." Maribel Quezada Smith of BIPOC Podcast Creators shared the importance of exploration:  "My biggest takeaway from the event was related to the culture of content creators. Every workshop was filled with engaged audiences, and it was great to see them light up with ideas and energy to begin. Being there also reminded me that in the U.S., we live in a bubble, and we often forget how important it is to leave the bubble as often as possible. We owe it to our communities and our industry to explore and connect with other cultures — even when we might not always agree with them." Tangia R. Al-Awaji Estrada of BIPOC Podcast Creators reminded us of podcasting being global:  "The industry as a whole needs to quickly figure out how to be more welcoming and accommodating to ideas, culture, and language that are not western and English-focused. As I like to say, the future of podcasting is multicultural, and I think this conference elegantly proves that idea. The companies that can best serve an international creator audience are the companies that will be the most successful." Lama Masri from Podeo gets the final word:  "Ignite brought more than 9,000 potential creators, production companies, media houses, and streaming apps under one roof. The event proved that there is a lot of opportunity for growth and collaboration and that creators are eager to become podcasters."

PODS ON THE BLOCK  "Mentally Gil" is a new podcast diving into the connections between mental health journeys and creativity. Host Gil Kruger talks to YouTubers and other creators about their anxiety, OCD, and burnout and how it impacts their work.  "Case 63" is a new fiction show from Gimlet. It follows the story of therapist Dr. Eliza Knight, who treats a patient from the future.  "No Way Home" is an original four-parter released in September. The series reports on the impact the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan had on three Afghan nationals.  "So, You Want to Read Tolkein" is an ongoing podcast for those who would love to read and deep dive into the world of Tolkein but find themselves short on time. Shreya: I am really enjoying it. I suggest starting from the beginning.  "Trail Weight" is back for season two. Andrew Steven hosts this show, sharing adventures in hiking outdoors and lessons gleaned from those adventures.  Keep your ears open "Afflicted" is a new audio fiction that describes itself as "Lovecraft Country meets True Blood." Here's the trailer. It releases on Halloween, Oct. 31.

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PODCAST EVENT UPDATES Apple Podcasts for Creators is hosting a session on What's New at Apple Podcasts on Oct. 27.  The On Air Fest LA Annex is happening from Nov. 3-5. Tickets start at $45.  Amplifi Media is hosting a webinar on The Local Podcast Opportunity on Nov. 9.  The Dubai PodFest is happening on Nov. 21. Registration is free.

QUICK HITS  Get ahead of the holiday madness and gear up your influencer and affiliate strategy for success.* Bryan Barletta breaks down why "where your podcast plays matters more than you think." Barletta got into this to break down why Ashley Carman's article on podcasters buying listeners through mobile-game ads means for the advertising-driven industry that is podcasting.  On Reddit, a listener went looking for a podcast host's email to tell him how great his show is, as per the host's CTA at the end of the episodes. However, the podcast host did not include his email. Serendipitously, the host saw the post and it made their morning.  Acast launched a marketplace targeting solution that allows podcasters to use their first-party data to target audiences.  Wade Roush from Hub &Spoke created an "indie audio maker's manifesto." Shreya: thank you to Lauren Passell for sharing this on Podcast the Newsletter.  *This is sponsored content.

Upcoming events at Inside: October 25 - Learn how leaders from Slack, Shopify, and Stripe are improving developer productivity, workflow, and collaboration in their engineering orgs. (Register Here) * October 25 - Meet Our Fund 4, an Inside.com Summit (Register Here) November 02 - AMA with Bill Glenn (Executive Chairman at Crenshaw Associates) (Register Here) November 09 - Synthetic data for more efficient, robust and ethical model development - Live AMA with Yashar Behzadi (CEO and Founder of Synthesis AI)* (Register Here) December 07 - Live AMA with Deividi Silva ( Head of Developer Relations at Gun.io) (Register Here) *This is a sponsored listing.

This newsletter was curated by podcast geek and marketer, Shreya. She loves storytelling in all forms but podcasts are her favourite. Her favorite podcast genres are sci-fi, comedy, TTRPG, and a combination thereof. Previously a resident of Vancouver, she now lives in Dubai.  Follow her adventures on Twitter. Do you or anyone you know host an indie podcast? Hit reply to tell me about it. I might feature it on Pods On The Block! Editor Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 and 1972 Fords.

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