Annie Langston | MIDiA Research

2023 MIDiA predictions
Pivot point

Mark Mulligan, Tim Mulligan, Karol Severin, Hanna Kahlert, Srishti Das, Kriss Thakrar, Ashleigh Millar, Tatiana Cirisano, Annie Langston, Perry Gresham, Sam Griffin, Kazia Rothwell and Ben Woods

December 2022

Apple

YouTube

Amazon

In this report, MIDiA Research analysts present their predictions for what will be the big trends in digital media and tech across music, video, games, marketing, audio and cultural trends in 2023 and...

Podcasts wrapped 2022: Top shows put Apple and Spotify’s strategies on display

Annie Langston

14 Dec 2022

Podcasts

Spotify

Apple

This year podcasts also received the “wrapped” treatment that has been given to music. Both Spotify and Apple released their top shows of 2022, inadvertently highlighting their different podcasting...

min read

The YouTube advantage: How social video platforms could seize the podcast market

Annie Langston

7 Dec 2022

YouTube

TikTok

Spotify

After launching a podcasts page for US users in August, YouTube is debuting its first official trends podcast . Like & Describe: The Official YouTube Trends Podcast is hosted by Matpat , a long-time...

min read

The global podcast opportunity
Unlocking format growth

Cover image for The global podcast opportunity

Annie Langston

November 2022

sweden

Spotify

While mainstream media tends to focus on podcast growth in Western territories, understanding digital-audio consumption on a global scale will be key to future growth. Each territory has unique listener...

Europe-born Podimo is set to infiltrate the entire Western market

Annie Langston

November 2022

Audio

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Closing the background gap
Focused versus background audio listening

Cover image for Closing the background gap

Kriss Thakrar, Tatiana Cirisano and Annie Langston

November 2022

Spotify

Radio

YouTube

The rise of attention inflation means that consumers are maximising their limited time by multitasking between various formats, spurring a rise in background consumption. This creates a “new” space...

Amazon Music caters to both passive and active listeners

Kriss Thakrar, Tatiana Cirisano and Annie Langston

November 2022

Critical Developments

Read the case study …

Spotify and Emma Chamberlain kick off new era of gen Z podcasts

Annie Langston

30 Nov 2022

Spotify

gen z

Podcasts

Spotify has already begun its pursuit of gen Z on the music side, and now is doing the same for podcasts. Emma Chamberlain, the 21-year-old YouTuber and coffee company owner, has signed an exclusive podcast...

min read

How Apple’s commission is reconfiguring Spotify’s audiobook strategy

Annie Langston

23 Nov 2022

Spotify

Apple

audiobooks

Spotify’s audiobook rollout has hit a major roadblock. Spotify debuted its service in September as a la carte , where users purchased audiobooks individually. In order to avoid Apple’s 30% commission...

min read

Not just music: How TikTok could enter the podcast market

Annie Langston

2 Nov 2022

TikTok

Podcasts

gen z

It increasingly feels like it is TikTok’s world, and we are all just living in it. With the anticipation of TikTok Music , parent company ByteDance is steadily expanding into every form of entertainment,...

min read

Podcast market value chain
The next investment is the listeners

Cover image for Podcast market value chain

Annie Langston

October 2022

creators

Apple

Spotify

Investments from major audience platforms in audio infrastructure, such as hosting platforms and advertising, kickstarted the growth of the podcast market. With the basic infrastructure now in place, it...

Podcast creators: Your chance to help shape the future of streaming services

Annie Langston

26 Oct 2022

survey

Podcasts

Streaming

Podcasts have earned new attention and investment in the entertainment market and are becoming increasingly integrated into major streaming platforms. As podcasts battle for listeners amid the attention...

min read

The cracks in Spotify’s exclusive strategy are starting to show

Annie Langston

18 Oct 2022

Spotify

Podcasts

exclsuive

While its invest-or-die strategy in podcasting has made Spotify the most popular platform for podcast listeners (43%), podcasts remain a niche activity overall, with little development in the user experience...

min read

Are mobile game advertisements a legitimate trojan horse for podcast downloads?

Annie Langston

12 Oct 2022

podcast downloads

game ads

real podcast listener

Podcast marketing is still somewhat new terrain in the digital audio market. Not only are podcasts a niche activity, but the market is fragmenting with the development of more shows. This oversaturation...

min read

How podcast platforms are setting their sights on global expansion

Annie Langston

5 Oct 2022

Podcasts

Spotify

distribution

The growth of podcast audiences requires a global effort. And while the market is primarily dominated by mostly Western platforms, such as Spotify and Apple, there are opportunities for new players to...

min read

NPR continues to capitalise on radio foundations in the podcast market

Mark Mulligan, Keith Jopling, Tatiana Cirisano and Annie Langston

September 2022

Audio

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Radio audiences
A window of opportunity

Mark Mulligan, Keith Jopling, Tatiana Cirisano and Annie Langston

September 2022

Streaming Music

Spotify

Radio

Streaming claimed radio’s younger, music-focused audiences while podcasts are now beginning to do the same for older, spoken-word audiences. However, it is not yet determined that the impact needs to...

Spotify launches audiobooks in the US – but you have to buy them

Annie Langston

22 Sep 2022

Spotify

audiobooks

audience

Spotify has officially launched its audiobook vertical for US listeners. Spotify previewed this vertical at its Investor Day in June, in addition to announcing its purchase of Findaway , an audiobook distributor....

min read

What the comedian lawsuits against Pandora could mean for podcasts

Annie Langston

14 Sep 2022

Pandora

lawsuits

copyright

The mountain of comedians who are suing Pandora over copyright infringement continues to grow. In February, the estates of both Robin Williams and George Carlin filed lawsuits against Pandora, claiming...

min read

iHeart brings podcasts to the metaverse – two niche formats looking for mainstream growth

Annie Langston

8 Sep 2022

metaverse

Podcasts

iHeart Media

iHeartMedia is (somewhat) of a sleeping giant in the audio battle. Although Spotify has taken centre stage in the audio market, iHeart has also transitioned its traditional radio offerings to digital audio...

min read