Sounds Profitable has launched a new public directory for branded audio, the company has announced, in partnership with branded podcast production company Lower Street.
The Brands in Audio directory aims to be a home for branded podcasts, giving more visibility and exposure to work from brands in that space. There are already over 500 podcasts listed in the directory across multiple categories, and brands can submit their work for inclusion.
All submissions are reviewed by Brian Keller, former director of Patreon’s Creator Success team, who joined the project as the primary content producer alongside Lower Street founder Harry Morton, Sounds Profitable partner Tom Webster and creator Bryan Barletta. The current podcasts featured include a mix of self-submissions and podcasts within Keller’s podcast database, having reviewed nearly 100 branded podcasts in the past few months.
In addition to launching the directory, Brands in Audio plans to release a branded podcast benchmark report in the next few quarters, using the database and collaborating with participants through a questionnaire to define the size of the market and reveal trends and other data. The benchmark report will be curated by Webster, who has also worked on a number of other research projects such as the Sounds Profitable Podcast Landscape report and The Podcast Opportunity report on podcast advertising trends.
The Brands in Audio platform will also provide brands with a channel to speak about their projects by sharing thought leadership content. There is no cost to becoming part of the directory and all research will be handled by Sounds Profitable, with website management handled by Lower Street and submissions handled by Keller.
“Agencies and brands invested in audio are continuing to ask “what’s next”,” said Barletta in a blog post. “We’ve explored quite a bit within existing podcasts from the length of an ad, to who is reading it, and how it’s being delivered and measured. Now we’re exploring mini segments, limited run series, and full-blown podcast production for many of those same brands. And from another angle, there are many brands with branded podcasts who could be advertising that content in other channels to fully realise their potential.”
“Brands In Audio provides an opportunity to define what a branded podcast is and can be. It creates a central location for a subset of the industry to rally around.”
For brands and advertisers that are investing in the podcast space and looking to get recognition for their work, PodPod is hosting the Audio Advertising Awards in partnership with Campaign to celebrate the work of advertisers, agencies, media owners, and creators within the audio space, including radio, streaming, and podcasting. The awards are currently open for entries until January 2024 and the ceremony is expected to take place early in the summer of next year.
PodPod is also holding the Podcast Advertising Summit on 25 January, to help educate marketers and agencies on the podcast advertising space and provide them with networking opportunities with fellow professionals. Tickets are currently available to book on the website and speakers will be announced soon.
