In Digital Podcast 41, we connect with Wizzard Media’s CEO Chris Spencer to talk about podcast based advertising. As Chris puts it, how else can you advertise on an iPod.

We cover some of the history of Wizzard and how they have brought together some of the most popular podcast hosting companies such as Libsyn and SwitchPod, and built a podcast advertising network to go with it.

The show focuses on podcast based advertising and in particular we discuss the two advertising campaigns Wizzard is running for the US Navy.

 

 Digital Podcast 41 [56:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The first of those ran on 20 podcasts with wide distribution and focused on recruitment. The current campaign is much more focused and is running on 7 podcasts. It focuses on recruiting medical personnel.

We get into some good detail about how the process works, what Wizzard does and what podcasters have to do to make it all work. We talk numbers and Chris tells us how different ads support different CPMs, depending upon their placement and whether they are audio or video. Videos commands the highest CPMs running $5-7 to $20-35 depending upon whether it’s a pre-roll or a mid-roll. Audio runs at lower CPMs that range from $3-5 to $15-25 depending upon placement.

Chris explains how the revenue share works. The advertising agencies get their 15% off the top and then Wizzard and the podcasters split the rest 50-50. Wizzard pays the sales force and covers the costs of setting up and running the campaign.

Wizzard published that they supported over one billion downloads last year from the over 8,500 podcasts that use their hosting services. Some have questioned how that could be, so we ask Chris to help us verify those numbers and to understand how 8,500 podcasts produce so many downloads. Chris explains how they count downloads and filter out the spiders and bots. He says that there are some blockbuster podcasts that do really high volumes and just as in other media forms there is a long tail of podcasters, so looking at mean based average per podcast just does not make sense. It’s the old 80-20 rule once again. Chris also clarifies that some recent problems with reporting to podcasters has nothing to do with how the count their download figure.

Chris ends the show by providing some tips for podcasters – The one to remember most is that if you think you want to advertise in your podcast someday, start tagging them now so that ad inserts are easy to do and you don’t have to go back and re-edit your catalog.

It’s good to see organizations like Wizzard taking up the flag and promoting podcasting. Wizzard along with a few others is taking the risk to build the platforms that we need to scale the downloadable media business. We wish them well on their mission to help marketers advertise on an iPod (or a Zune for you Zune fans.)

[tags]Wizzard Media, podcast advertising, podcast hosting, downloadable media[/tags]

I just checked Google analytics for the daily stats at Digital Podcast and I saw the biggest one time increase in daily visitors and page views. Digital Podcast’s traffic jumped up by 80% on Christmas day. I looked at the distribution of search terms for some anomaly, but it wasn’t there. Search terms remained consistent in their distribution.

I think that people got lots of iPods, Zunes and the like for Christmas and went looking for content.

I also think that Christmas day has probably become the biggest day ever for the music industry thanks to iTunes cards. I know for sure that’s the case in my home as my daughter spent her $30 iTunes gift cards before noon and my son spent his by 4pm. That’s the first time either of them has bought music online and it didn’t take long.

No wonder Apple’s stock almost hit $200 per share.

[tags]ipod, Apple, iTunes, Zune, Microsoft[/tags]

This video from The Digital Lounge covers three different sources of free video for your portable player: TiVo, your own DVD collection, and Windows Media Center. Watch and learn how you can easily use the video content you already have to fill up your media library in either the Zune software or iTunes.

[tags]tivo, zune, ipod, video, dvd, ipod movie downloads, zune movie downloads[/tags]

Direct from the Zune Boards, news that the Zune now lets you unsubscribe directly from the device itself. This is a great, simple feature to add. Maybe Apple can learn something from the Zune afterall.

Now you can unsubscribe from a podcast you no longer want directly from the device – another cool feature iPods don’t have! Simply click the center of the middle button while listening to any podcast to see this option!

Via Podcasting News

[tags]Zune[/tags]

According to USA Today,

The Zune 80, Microsoft’s recently announced high-capacity digital music player, is competing with Apple’s entrenched iPod to be the electronic darling for holiday sales. But the Zune 80 is sold out or in limited supply after its first week at leading retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.

Perhaps this generation of Zune stands a better chance against iPods than the last one did.

[tags]zune, microsoft[/tags]

The iPod whipped the first Zune. It wasn’t even close.

Now it’s time for round two and in an effort to differentiate the Zune, Microsoft claims it has added new unique features, enhanced it’s store and re-engineered the Zune hardware and software and the associated digital music store to make them easier to use. The company reworked the device’s navigation button and dropped one of its signature colors, brown, from the list of options. The Zune will be available in black, pink, green and red.

New features for fall include the following:

• Wireless sync. This is one area where the Zune should be able to really differentiate from the iPod if Microsoft can get it right. The new Zune devices will automatically sync over consumers’ home wireless networks . Syncing with the collection on their PC happens via a home wireless network and will start on its own when the device is placed in its dock or plugged in to charge. Alternatively, the sync can be started manually.
• Extended wireless sharing.In a move that sounds good to me, the new Zune will allow you to share select full-length songs, albums, playlists, pictures and audio podcasts from device to device. Consumers can listen to any song received up to three times with no time restrictions, and they can also pass along songs to other friends who have a Zune.
• Import recorded television content. The new Zune software will import broadcast content recorded on Microsoft Windows Media Center for Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, so consumers can sync them onto their Zune media player and watch the them on their Zune
• The Zune Marketplace online store has been restocked and redesigned to make it easier for people to find what they are looking for. The Zune software has also been redesigned with a new look and feel. In addition to offering more than 3 million songs, the updated version of Zune Marketplace will launch with thousands of music videos for sale and over 1,000 of the top audio and video podcasts available for free.
• Zune Social Microsoft is creating a social-networking site, Zune Social, to encourage the sharing of samples of songs online, even for fans who do not own a Zune player. Members of the network will be able to use a small application on their computers to display which songs they have been listening to, and that information can be posted on certain Web sites outside the network or sent by e-mail to friends.

If these new features and web sites are executed well they should make the Zune at least a credible alternative to the iPod. It’s good to see that Microsoft is still working on this project and is pushing the envelope in areas where the Apple is not. I look forward to next wave of battle.

[tags]Zune,Microsoft, Zune vs. iPod[/tags]

According to Engadget,

According to reports from a “source” inside Microsoft, a new batch of Zunes (AKA Zune 2, Draco, Scorpio, etc.) are due out on October 16th (just in time for the holidays), in both flash memory- and hard drive-based forms. The new, smaller, flash Zune (the Draco) will be hitting shelves in pink, red, black, or army green colors, will have a 4GB or 8GB capacity, and will feature a “squircle” (the source’s term, not ours) for navigation, which won’t have a center button but can be pushed, “From any side.” The hard drive-based player (the Scorpio) will be available in 80GB, sports the soon-to-be infamous “squircle,” and touts a screen which the source claims is “awesome” for video.

This sounds like progress, but at this speed they will never catch th e iPod/iPhone. MS needs to pick up the pace if they want this device to really compete.

Microsoft’s new surface computing application is stunning. The application provides for a truly significant advance in the way people interact with media and information. The possibilities for new applications that make life easier, better, faster and lower cost make my head spin. Robert Scoble says that this will cost $5,000 to $10,000 and only be available to commercial customers (hotels, casinos, etc). (Note to self: Open hotel soon).

Here’s a video of the application in action

You can also watch another excellent demo of the video at on10.net. Around the 15 minute mark you can see how the Zune and surface computing can interact to share music and create a shared jukebox.

Microsoft’s description of surface computing

Surface computing breaks down traditional barriers between people and technology, changing the way people interact with all kinds of everyday content, from photos to maps to menus. The intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information by using their hands and natural movements. Users are able to access information either on their own or collaboratively with their friends and families, unlike any experience available today. Surface computing features four key attributes:

• Direct interaction. Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands and interact with content through touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.
• Multi-touch contact. Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger as with a typical touch screen, but up to dozens and dozens of items at once.
• Multi-user experience. The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.
• Object recognition. Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.

Here’s a video of the Zune sharing files with another Zune. Seems like nice user functionality, but I wonder how the RIAA will respond. Maybe MS will just buy the entire recording industry with it’s spare change.

Who will win the MP3 war – Zune or iPod? Tell us what you think at ZuneBunker - the safe place to watch the battle unfold.

 

 Zune File Sharing [1:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I got some videos from Microsoft’s PR firm. Here’s the Zune showing off.

Who will win the MP3 war – Zune or iPod? Tell us what you think at ZuneBunker - the safe place to watch the battle unfold.

 

 Podcast Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download