Compiled by Jasper Baumann and Tess Connery
Bringing the laughs with Sooshi Mango
Announced earlier this month, Australian comedy troupe Sooshi Mango has joined LiSTNR with the second season of the group’s Sooshi Mango Saucy Meatballs Podcast as well as the back catalogue.
With more than 600 million online views, Sooshi Mango is created by Joe Salanitri, Carlo Salanitri, and Andrew Manfre. The trio are best known for their comedy skits, live shows, videos, and personal take on the big (and not so big) topics of the day.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery spoke with Joe Salinitri and Andrew Manfre about joining LiSTNR and bringing the laughs.
Salinitri: “We’ve been doing the podcast for a while now, and trying to secure ourselves in the podcast space. We love it, we have a great time doing it.
“We were tying things up with Spotify, and I think LiSTNR heard and realised we were available to jump on board. So we got a call from Sam [Cavanagh] after we’d tied things up with Spotify, and then next thing you know, we’re here in the LiSTNR family.”
Manfre: “It happened very, very quickly, so we had to get our skates on. The team has been great, they’re a very helpful and professional outfit. We’re really happy to be on board.”
Season two will be a combination of old and new for Sooshi Mango fans, with the trio branching out while still keeping the heart of the show the same.
Salinitri: “The show was very guest-heavy in the last season. This season, we’re going to go with a few more segments throughout the podcast, and some days without guests – there might be pranks, we have a segment now called Soo Solutions so people can call if they have a problem for us to solve. We’re going to try and get some ethnic dads or ethnic mums involved as well.”
Manfre: “We’re going to make it a bit more interactive to keep it fresh and different. It will still be the old podcast with a whole lot of new flavours.”
When it comes to what the trio are looking for when inviting people on to the podcast as guests, it doesn’t matter where the guest comes from, only that they can spin a good yarn.
Salinitri: “We want to try and find people who interest us, firstly, but secondly, we want anyone with a great story – in entertainment, food, music, whatever it is, we don’t really look for anything in particular, we just want to hear a great story.”
Manfre: “We don’t have any agenda here at Sooshi, we’ll talk to anyone who’s got something to share.”
Looking ahead, the trio are most concerned that they’re bringing a smile to people’s faces, but they’re also aiming high…. Well, not too high.
Salinitri: “We hope to be successful, but at the same time, the number one hope is that people enjoy it. That’s the biggest thing for us, is that everyone that’s listening is enjoying it and maybe get something out of it – whether they get a laugh out of it, whether it brightens their day just a little bit, whatever it is that’s really the key for us.”
Manfre: “We want to expand across, so we reach more people. We think that the more people that listen, the more people will enjoy it. We’re just hoping to touch a bigger, wider audience.”
Salinitri: “People will say we want to be number one in the podcast space. Well, we’re going to be different, so we’re going to be number four!”
Manfre: “Or number three!”
Salinitri: “Or number two!”
Manfre: “Or number one temporarily, then back to number two!”
[Listen to Sooshi Mango Saucy Meatballs Podcast here]
Australian radio producer behind world’s biggest true-crime podcast
A true-crime podcast series produced by former KIIS 1011 radio producer Jaxson McLennan has blasted to the top of the global charts, reaching #1 in every major international market – including Australia.
Scamanda tells the story of American woman Amanda C Riley, who scammed friends, family and strangers out of more than $100,000 US to help pay for her fake cancer treatment.
Scamanda is currently the #1 Apple podcast in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, while also sitting at #1 on the Spotify True Crime charts in the UK, Ireland, and the US.
Over eight weekly episodes, Scamanda lays bare the story of a callous crime that ended when 37-year-old Riley was imprisoned for five-years in May 2022.
Scamanda is the latest podcast from Hollywood movie studio Lionsgate’s newly created off-shoot Lionsgate Sound, which snapped up Melbourne-born McLennan as part of a top-flight team tasked with establishing the new business in 2022.
McLennan says it’s exciting to see the global reaction to the podcast.
“Hopefully getting the podcast out there means we can raise awareness and help put a stop to this kind of crime happening in the future,” he says.
“We’ve already seen a similar scam in Australia, it’s heartbreaking to think that people would use human suffering to con people out of their hard-earned savings.”
Podchape announce new podcast ‘Who? Me.’ hosted by Davina Rankin
TV personality Davina Rankin has launched a weekly podcast which aims to unlock listeners’ personal power.
Who? Me. is a podcast where listeners are encouraged to break down societal expectations and ask themselves the deep questions while hearing from inspiring people who are on their journey back to themselves.
Davina found fame with Married at First Sight and went on to appear on Big Brother and also on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Guests will include DJ Brooke Evers, I’m a Celebrity contestant David Subritzky, Only Fans star Jessika Power & Naturopath Meah Robertson.
Funny Business hosts Robbie Hicks and Lachlan Bradford bring their business knowhow to Reale
The hosts behind business, society, and culture podcast Robbie Hicks and Lachlan Bradford have joined marketing agency, Reale.
Funny Business’ formula consists of a uniquely Aussie sense of humour, coupled with the consistent delivery of insightful and relatable content.
The podcast delivers four diverse episodes weekly, discussing everything from the latest startup advice to overcoming creativity slumps and even exploring the merits of shower beers.
The hosts feature guest episodes that provide ex[ert insights from industry and community leaders, including Andy Lee, Janine Allis, Fraser Lack, Chris Do, Peter Bol and more.
The podcast has seen success with over 500,000 all-time Spotify downloads.
[Listen to Funny Business here]
LiSTNR welcomes the return of Wil Anderson’s Wilosophy
LiSTNR has announced the return of Wilosophy with host and comedian Wil Anderson.
The interview-based podcast is back with regular weekly programming and all new episodes on the podcast streaming network.
Wilosophy, which began in 2014, features the comedian asking smart people stupid questions, all in the hopes of finding the meaning of life. The outcome is compelling conversations that delve deep, resulting in what many guests describe as a bucket list experience.
For the all-new episodes in 2023, Wilosophy is welcoming up-and-coming Australian comics and outstanding international acts including American writer, comedian, and actress Fortune Feimster, fan favourite comedian, actor and writer Cameron James, broadcasting royalty Libbi Gorr, radio darling Liam Stapleton and one of this country’s sharpest writers, James Colley.
On returning with new episodes in 2023, Anderson said: “Right now I’m excited to be talking to comedians — whether they’re household names or people you might not recognise. They’re guests I’m passionate about and admire and I think they’ll have something fascinating to share on the podcast.”
May Podcast Ranker: Hamish & Andy reclaim the top spot
Hamish and Andy have claimed their place at the top of the May Podcast Ranker, lifting from second in the last ranker to topple Casefile True Crime. Rounding out the top three is Mammamia Out Loud.
Of the top three:
• Hamish and Andy: 1,091,847 monthly listeners, 2,620,116 monthly downloads
• Casefile True Crime: 1,005,268 monthly listeners, 2,912,656 monthly downloads
• Mammamia Out Loud: 633,375 monthly listeners, 1,966,669 monthly downloads
The two biggest lifters were ARN’s Jase & Lauren, jumping 64 places to #84, and News Corp’s Shadow Of A Doubt, lifting 54 places to #22.
The biggest dip came from Wondery’s Something Was Wrong.
This month’s top publisher in the podcast ranker was ARN / iHeartMedia, with 4,663,472 monthly listens and 21,953,195 monthly downloads.
SCA’s LiSTNR has come in as top sales representative, with 8,658,233 monthly listeners and 30,688,116 monthly downloads.
