Podcast Perspectives: a Podglomerate show about the podcast industry and the people behind it Jeff Umbro, The Podglomerate LLC

Since its founding in 2014, Acast has become a global, publicly-traded company. Their business has touched many facets of the podcasting landscape – from building a hosting platform used by more than 125,000 podcasts to acquiring companies like Pippa, RadioPublic, and Podchaser. Acast also launched and shuttered its own app. 
In this episode, Acast’s CEO Ross Adams joins me to discuss the company’s history, their strategy moving forward, and how Acast has become the podcast company with the most global downloads, according to Podtrac. 
To learn more about Ross you can find him on LinkedIn. I’m on all the socials @JeffUmbro. 
The Podglomerate offers production, distribution, and monetization services for dozens of new and industry-leading podcasts. Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned podcaster, we offer what you need. 
To find more about The Podglomerate:
Show Page: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives/
Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Podglomeratepods
Email: listen@thepodglomerate.com 
Twitter: @podglomerate 
Instagram: @podglomeratepods
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The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) can be a confusing organization for the podcasting industry. They’re an influential player that many recognize by name, but it's not often clear to the everyday podcaster what they actually do.
The IAB’s main objective is to develop and establish the ‘rules and regulations of podcasting’ – namely determining how we measure key metrics within the industry, such as 'what is a download'. The determinations that they make can have enormous trickle-down effects in the industry. 
In this episode I speak with the IAB Director of Audio and Video Matt Shapo, who walks me through the intricacies of the organization's mandates. Matt explains how the IAB’s rules get made, what their goals are for podcasting, and why everyone in the industry should care about what they do.
To find more about the IAB’s role in podcasting, you can visit iab.com/podcasts. You can find Matt on LinkedIn.
I’m on all the socials @JeffUmbro 
The Podglomerate offers production, distribution, and monetization services for dozens of new and industry-leading podcasts. Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned podcaster, we offer what you need. 
To find more about The Podglomerate:
Show Page: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives/
Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Podglomeratepods
Email: listen@thepodglomerate.com 
Twitter: @podglomerate 
Instagram: @podglomeratepods
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wonder Media Network was founded in 2018 to “introduce empathy into politics, business, and culture.” Since then, they’ve grown into a sizable independent network, creating award-winning originals and branded series for clients. 
To walk me through the secrets to Wonder Media’s success, I talk with their Head of Development, Emily Rudder. Emily has been at Wonder since 2019, and has held a variety of roles from production to marketing. Emily shares Wonder Media’s history, her approach to development for shows at all stages, and the network's monetization strategy in 2024.
To find more from Wonder Media Network you can visit their website wondermedianetwork.com. You can find Emily online on LinkedIn or Twitter @EmRuddz.
I’m on all the socials @JeffUmbro 
The Podglomerate offers production, distribution, and monetization services for dozens of new and industry-leading podcasts. Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned podcaster, we offer what you need. 

To find more about The Podglomerate:
Show Page: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives/
Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Podglomeratepods
Email: listen@thepodglomerate.com 
Twitter: @podglomerate 
Instagram: @podglomeratepods
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 27-year-old Slate Magazine just had its most profitable year ever, and it credits podcasting for much of its success. Slate has been publishing podcasts since the 2005 launch of Political Gabfest, and they’ve built on that success ever since. Today, they have dozens of successful shows, a thriving subscription business in Slate Plus, and they recently acquired Death, Sex & Money from WNYC.
To learn how Slate achieved this, I’m chatting with Alicia Montgomery, their Vice President of Audio. Alicia was a public radio veteran before moving to Slate in 2020, where she now leads their content strategy. Alicia walks me through Slate’s history in podcasting, the strategy which led them to this moment, and their future in audio.
You can find Alicia online on LinkedIn and Twitter @AMontgomery_998. For more from Slate you can visit their website slate.com where they have all their print and audio content.
I’m on all the socials @JeffUmbro 
The Podglomerate offers production, distribution, and monetization services for dozens of new and industry-leading podcasts. Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned podcaster, we offer what you need. 
To find more about The Podglomerate:
Show Page: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives/
Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Podglomeratepods
Email: listen@thepodglomerate.com 
Twitter: @podglomerate 
Instagram: @podglomeratepods
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In March of 2023 the podcast agency Maximum Fun announced the company would convert to a worker-owned model. At the same time, Maximum Fun’s founder, Jesse Thorn, would be stepping down as CEO after nearly 20 years at the company (though would still work at MaxFun).
On this episode, I'm checking in with their current CEO Bikram Chatterji to see how things are going. Bikram and I discuss why the company made this move, what it means to be a worker-owner, and the implications that the new model has on Maximum Fun’s business and Culture.
For more from Maximum Fun you can visit their website maximumfun.org. Between March 18 and March 29, 2024 they are running their annual listener fund drive. If you’re interested in donating you can visit maximumfun.org/join.
You can find Bikram on LinkedIn or Twitter @chattbot
I’m on all the socials @JeffUmbro 
If you want to learn more about Maximum Fun and other cooperatives in podcasting:
MaxFun’s website: https://maximumfun.org/co-op/
Recode Media podcast with Jesse Thorn: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2mdaW9qFFpr4nrvyyA36is
The Podglomerate offers production, distribution, and monetization services for dozens of new and industry-leading podcasts. Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned podcaster, we offer what you need. 
To find more about The Podglomerate:
Show Page: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives/
Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Podglomeratepods
Email: listen@thepodglomerate.com 
Twitter: @podglomerate 
Instagram: @podglomeratepods
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/podglomerate
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the launch of Up and Vanished Season 1 in 2016, Tenderfoot TV has steadily grown into one of the most impactful companies in the podcast industry.
To explain how Tenderfoot TV got to where it is today, CEO Donald Albright joins me to talk about Tenderfoot’s unique approach to podcast marketing, how they leveraged the success of Up and Vanished to develop partnerships across the industry, and how they’re measuring success in 2024.
You can find more from Tenderfoot TV at their website tenderfoot.tv and check out the Season 4 of Up and Vanished wherever you get your podcasts. Donald is on LinkedIn and Twitter @dalbright03.
I’m on all the socials @JeffUmbro 
The Podglomerate offers production, distribution, and monetization services for dozens of new and industry-leading podcasts. Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned podcaster, we offer what you need. 
To find more about The Podglomerate:
Show Page: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives/
Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Podglomeratepods
Email: listen@thepodglomerate.com 
Twitter: @podglomerate 
Instagram: @podglomeratepods
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/podglomerate

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices