RAIN News

RAIN News operates at the intersection of traditional radio and modern media. As a leading source for insights and updates on radio's future and the rise of streaming audio, RAIN News is both informative and engaging. Founded in 1999 by Kurt Hanson, who also started AccuRadio, one of the first Internet radio platforms, RAIN has consistently focused on what lies ahead. For over 14 years, it has documented and anticipated changes in radio and listening habits. A key feature of RAIN News is the RAIN Daily Digest newsletter, which offers a thoughtfully curated selection of insights and original analysis. This daily newsletter has become an essential resource for thousands of readers, keeping them informed during more than a decade of transformation in the radio and digital music sectors.

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Steve Goldstein: The Blurring Lines of Podcasting – 5 Notes from London - RAIN News

1 week ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

Steve Goldstein’s Amplifi Media works with media companies and podcasters in developing audio content strategies. This column was originally published on Blogstein, the Amplifi blog. I just returned from my first Podcast Show London — an energized, impressively staged event that lived up to its growing reputation. It was vibrant, well-run, and full of thoughtful conversation in a venue that made it easy to connect, caffeinate, and keep the ideas flowing.
iHeart announces hybrid live/on-demand True Crime podcast

1 week ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

iHeartMedia is launching a radio/podcast product called True Crime Tonight, which will leverage the network’s vast array of U.S. radio stations and its position as a leading podcast publisher. Podcast production house KT Studios is partnering. The plan will have each weekly episode debut on 20-plus radio stations across the country on Sunday evenings, 10pm local time. Then, the show will be available as a podcast starting the next day.
Acast launches Smart Recommendations system for "supercharged" ad buying

1 week ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

Stockholm-based podcast giant Acast has introduced an ad-buying system called Smart Recommendations. It’s an AI-powered search engine for advertisers, and it delivers recommendations of podcasts consumed by audience segments targeted by the advertiser.
Mark Mulligan: Unintended consequences – the year ahead for streaming - RAIN News

1 week ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

This column by RAIN guest contributor Mark Mulligan, Managing Director of MIDiA Research, was originally published on LinkedIn. See all his LinkedIn articles HERE. Streaming may be maturing from a revenue perspective but with two-tier (‘artist centric’) licensing and supremium, 2025 is set to be a year of transformative change in both product and business terms.
RAIN Notes: May 28

1 week ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

Jottings of note:AppearancesMicrophones, headphones, or nothing? Hernan Lopez, Founder of Owl & Co, observes that the choice of showing gear sends suble signals. He harks back to Howard Stern, and cites Joe Rogan, in considering his visual question. On the other side, the Diary of a CEO podcast doesn’t show any headphones or microphones. Other podcasts land somewhere in he midle. Lopez’s post includes screenshots to help the reader decide. See and read HERE.
Spotify, BBC, YouTube win in UK podcast listening; audio and video both robust. (Ofcom)

1 week ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

This is part two in our coverage of the Audio Listening in the UK report from London-based UK communications regulator Ofcom, 2025 edition. The survey-based study examines audio listening preferences, needs, and expectations. It is based on a survey field of 3,484 individuals. Part 1 of our coverage is HERE.
Online music listening on par with radio in UK. (Ofcom research)

1 week ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

London-based UK communications regulator Ofcom has released the 2025 edition of its Audio listening in the UK report. This survey-based study examines audio listening preferences, needs, and expectations. The survey field included 3,484 individuals. Key FindingssdfThe number of people listening to online music services each week is now on a par with those listening to music radio, at around six in ten adults aged 16+.
Edison Research Top Q1 podcasts in UK; plus RAIN historical comparison

2 weeks ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

Edison Research unleashes another of its recurring podcast studies this week, coordinated with The Podcast Show in London. Top 25 Podcasts in the UK details the most popular shows in Q1. The research for this release was conducted in Q1 among weekly podcast listeners 15 years and older. With neither drum roll nor surprise at the outcome, The Joe Rogan Podcast takes the number-one slot.
Steve Goldstein: Podcasts: The Power Behind The Word “Podcast”

2 weeks ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

The term podcast has had a spectacular run. What started as a niche hobby for tech tinkerers became a global and commercial medium. Podcasts are now so mainstream that every brand, celebrity, and media company seems to have one. The term itself carries cultural weight, a built-in sense of now, clout, and authenticity. It’s not just a format; for many, being a podcaster is an identity.
UK listeners embrace smart devices in home and car: Edison Research

2 weeks ago | rainnews.com | Brad Hill

In the latest release of its iconic The Infinite Dial UK survey report, presented at this week’s The Podcast Show in London, Edison Research reports that UK consumers embrace smart devices in-home and in-car. The presentation was supported by AdsWizz and SiriusXM. “Smart devices permeate the audio day of UK listeners, including the in-car environment,” Edison observes.