Agreed - media organisations, with top-down attitudes and old-media thinking continue to invest in podcasting as part of their new media landgrab, without adopting new models for monetization, and without investing time and energy into the relationships that will make podcasting work outside its place as an adjunct to their existing broadcast or publishing output.

Meanwhile, many small to medium-sized businesses and institutions, unhampered by large overheads and “old media” attitudes, continue to find enterprising ways to employ podcasting and to generate revenue from podcasting, using both B2B and B2C models, dosed liberally with the old fashioned “let’s try things out and see what works” methodology.

“According to the survey, 6 million people in the UK have now downloaded a podcast - up from 4.3 million in November 2007. And 3.7 million now say they listen to a podcast each week, up from 1.87 million in last year’s survey.

The average podcast user subscribes to 3.6 podcasts and spends just over an hour a week listening to them. Comedy and music continue to be the two favourite genres.

iTunes remains the preferred software for almost three-quarters of users who subscribe to podcasts, while a fifth simply download directly from the website via their browser.

According to the survey, 79% of people listen to podcasts on their home computer and 66% listen via a portable audio/mp3 player.

Podcasting appears to also have a marginally positive effect on live radio listening. Almost 15% said they listened to more live radio since they began downloading podcasts.

While 10% stated they listened to less live radio after starting to download podcasts, 39% said they were now listening to radio programmes they did not listen to previously.” (Guardian)

Download the research PDF here.

Christian Payne has produced some excellent responses using multiple channels including Seesmic, Qik, Twitter and Skitch - this last of which was a really clever secondary use of video blogging, which sparked another productive thread in the conversation. What is really impressive is that Christian’s considered approach has generated instant sign ups from leading UK creatives, a tangible early result.

In 1972 the advertising industry was seen as “innately immoral” and took steps to become self-regulated. Is PR at the same stage now? Adele McAlear asks the question using the new video network, Phreadz (still closed as yet).

Secret #12
Follow the Conversations and Join In

As much as media and blogger relations drive traffic and increase your user base, we can’t overlook the importance of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Pownce, Jaiku, Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Delicious, Diigo, FriendFeed, Ning, Mixx, Bebo, Get Satisfaction, Google and Yahoo Groups (among many, many others). When executed and managed correctly, and genuinely, the referring numbers can outperform the best articles and posts and the relationships that you create within these networks will prove incredibly valuable throughout the life of your company.

This isn’t about promotion or social network spam. This is about dialog driven by the insight you garner from listening to and reading the people who are talking about your company – with or without your direct participation.

At the time of writing, there are 86 comments, including video comments, so make yourself a cuppa before you start reading!

The comparative study looks at social media trends through three “waves”:

• Wave 1 - September 2006
• Wave 2 - June 2007
• Wave 3 - March 2008

Research highlights:

• Social media is a global phenomenon happening in all markets regardless of wider economic, social and cultural development.
• Asian markets (not including Japan) are leading in terms of participation, creating more content than any other region
• All social media platforms have grown significantly over the three Waves: Video Clips are the quickest growing platform, up from 31% penetration in Wave 1 to 83% in Wave 3
• 57% have joined a Social Network, making it the number one platform for creating and sharing content: 55% of users have uploaded photos, 22% of users have uploaded videos
• The widget economy – 23% of social network users have installed an application – 18% of bloggers have installed applications in their blog templates
• Blogs are a mainstream media world-wide and a collective rival to traditional media (184m bloggers world-wide, China has the largest blogging community in the world with 42m bloggers) – 73% have read a blog, 45% have started a blog
• Social media has strong impacts over brand’s reputation – 34% post opinions about products and brands on their blog – 36% think more positively about companies that have blogs

The report offers additional details on Internet media use:

Video Sharing:

• Brazil leads on 68%, Asian countries dominate (not including Japan)
• Significant variation in involvement (Hungary 16% < Brazil 68%).
• High frequency of involvement: 20% are uploading every day

Watching video clips:

• Growth is universal across all countries (31% to 82% global reach seen in all markets)
• Lowest difference between markets of any social media platform (Range 63% – 99%)
• Very high frequency medium: 71% weekly reach

Downloading podcasts

• Growth massive between Waves 2 and 3 (from 21% to 49% world-wide).
• China is the world’s biggest podcast market (74% use, with an estimated 45m users)
• Actively involved medium: 18% listen and download everyday

Methodology:

Universal McCann Wave 3 survey was conducted on 17,000 internet users in 29 countries and was completed in March 2008.

Source: Universal McCann (pdf)

via Podcasting News

This year, our third annual Podcast Consumer Revealed report (derived from the 2008 Arbitron/Edison Media Research Internet and Multimedia study) details significant gains in both audio and video podcast consumption. The audience for downloadable media is not only growing, but also represents a very attractive target for advertising. Our national data shows that more than one in five Americans have ever downloaded and watched/listened to a podcast, which breaks down further to 18% of Americans having ever listened to an audio podcast, and 16% having ever watched a video podcast. Those numbers are up sharply from last year’s figures, which were 13% and 11%, respectively. Nine percent of Americans 12+ have listened to an audio podcast in the past month, and those 23 million Americans are affluent, spend lots of time (and money!) online, and are increasingly more difficult to target with interruption advertising.

Your comments are requested…

Becky Hogge from the Open Rights Group lead a meaningful session on how TV regulation threatens to spill over to internet.

Dean Whitbread from UKPA moderated a panel on music rights in which speakers from the MCPS-PRS (the UK performing rights organisation representing writers and publishers) and the head of digital for the Association of Indepedent Music laid out the now more affordable and less rigid schemes designed to give podcasters access to their extensive repertoire of music.

Read more here on UK Podcasters Association website.

ORG will discuss how the EU AVMS Directive could impact negatively upon podcasting (if we let it) and generally explain the current issues facing podcasters as they see them. In the second session, we’ll cover new developments in music and podcasting.

There will be an opportunity afterwards to eat, drink and socialise at a local pub.

Attendance is strictly limited to 50, and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Sorry but due to security, no tickets are available “on the door” - all places must be booked in advance by March 22nd 2008.

This event is free to UKPA and ORG members.

Still some places left - click here for details.

Brian Greene and Sinéad Murnane from doop in Dublin, have been making a great success of Talking Voices Ireland. Both join the board of Directors.

Michael Franklin, formerly of TalkSPORT and The Wireless Group joins the board as Financial Director and corporate strategist.

One of the best-known podcasters in the world, Ewan Spence, the man behind the BAFTA-nominated Edinburgh Fringe podcast, presenter of TPN Rock podcast and radio station Leith FM joins Talking Voices. Ewan gives us a UK focus on conference coverage, a sector which has been thriving for us in Ireland.

Janet Parkinson who did so much hard work in establishing Talking Voices has stepped down as Managing Director but remains a stakeholder in the business.

Senior Producer Mark Hunter earlier this year was made an offer he could not refuse - running a Scotland-based company, Podcast Matters, where he takes on the role of MD, and we wish him good luck in his new venture.

And finally, we’re pleased to announce that the company is now operating from fully specified studio premises in Denmark Street, London.

The studio runs a Myriad radio playout system, and has ISDN, internet streaming, audio and video post-production, and very nice views of London’s West End.