Media Roundtable: Industry Edition - October 25th

Hello Chief Audio Officers, it’s time for another all new episode of the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition! Back on the lead microphone is fearless host Jennifer Laine. Joining her are fellow Oxford Road luminaries, Kyle Jelinek, Steven Abraham, and Stew Redwine.

We’re talking podcast merch straight from Spotify, sports fans in audio, and AI shenanigans. Let’s dig in.
 

  • In Pod We Trust 🤝: A new Acast study shows that podcasters are now the most trusted media personalities, with half the podcast listeners saying they trust podcasts more than any other type of media channels. 

  • Spotify & Shopify? Sounds Like 🤑: Spotify is rolling out a custom merch store for podcasts (shoutout to Oxford Road client Shopify for powering it all). What does it mean for marketers? Well integrated revenue for shows might mean hosts aren’t as reliant on ad sales, so fewer discounts during lean times. At the same time, this builds a more sustainable business for podcasters and ensures they endorse products influencers truly believe in. We’re optimistic.

  • Virtual Fools, Real Learnings 🤖: When Stew Redwine’s not hosting Ad Infinitum, produced by Oxford Road Creative Services Producer Caitlyn Spring, he’s teaming up with our Creative & Financial Services Administrator Morgan Gonsoski to create Virtual Fools—the first podcast named, written, and hosted purely by AI. Virtual Fools is created utilizing Descript, ChatGPT, WellSaid Labs, and more. It’s a great testing ground for what AI tools can and can’t do well. For a creepy and compelling hike through this uncanny valley, we recommend the true crime episode.


For full breakdowns of these stories and a whole lot more, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below.

Bianca Gorodinsky