Compiled by Jasper Baumann and Tess Connery
LiSTNR captures the Love Story between Aussies and Taylor Swift in Behind The Hits
As fans prepare for The Eras Tour, LiSTNR’s Behind The Hits podcast has released an episode all about the story of Taylor Swift.
From her first Aussie shows in 2009 to sold out stadium tours, the podcast episode dives into Taylor’s story through exclusive archived interview audio. The podcast also hears from industry pals including Ed Sheeran and Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, as well as a number of Swifties.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery caught up with host of Behind the Hits – Taylor Swift, Nic Kelly to chat about putting the episode together.
When it came to why the team chose to cover Taylor Swift, Kelly said it came down to the fact that she is “literally the biggest walking human headline on the planet right now.”
“In this podcast, we’re not only hearing from her across the multiple eras of her life and career, but from her peers. We spoke to Joe Elliott from Def Leppard, who might be a left-of-centre choice to talk to about Taylor Swift, but I think he helps us highlight just how transcendent she is as a musician, and how much she means to the music industry as a whole.
“She’s basically rewritten the rulebook with her masters being re-recorded to re-release years after they first came out. She’s taught the music industry how to be kinder, and how to be more considerate towards artists and creatives. She’s really been able to use her platform and power, especially over the last five years or so, to rewrite the rulebook on what artists can expect from the music industry and make it a fair place for artists to come after her. On multiple levels, her icon status is there.”
With so much material to cover when it comes to Swift’s career, Kelly said that above all else, what the Behind The Hits team are trying to do is “create a snapshot via audio of a moment in the history of music.”
“It’s a mishmash of stories that you’ve heard and some you haven’t heard, but then we add new context. We did an interview with Paul McCartney not too long ago that was able to add some new context to the scenario, whereas what we’ve done with Taylor – because we can’t get access to her, because she does very few interviews these days – is build a documentary using archival audio. We also spoke to fans and experts, and really pieced together a new framework to talk about these artists.
“We’re trying to bring a fresh lens to their story and do justice to the highs and lows and depths of their career.”
When asked if there were any particular anecdotes or nuggets of information that suck with him during the production of the episode, Kelly points to two facts about Swift’s career.
“The first thing for me was realising just how long she’s been doing this for! Through the research for this podcast – which I did alongside Cameron Adams, our music journalism stalwart, and Georgie Page, our executive producer – we discovered how she actually first was discovered by fans on MySpace. You don’t even think about MySpace as part of the music conversation these days.
“There’s also how important Australia was to her story. Australia was responsible for introducing her to Ed Sheeran, Australia was one of the first places where she had a number one single. She’s been coming out here since 2009.”
Ultimately, Kelly said that he hopes listeners leave the podcast with an understanding of why the Taylor Swift name is as powerful as it is – both at home and around the world.
“The thing with artists like Taylor is that the story has often been told in this very tabloid kind of way – we see the depths of the lows of her career and the more unfortunate moments. The re-recordings and the fallout with Scooter Braun was such a pivotal moment in music history, and it really required her to rewrite the rulebook in a very calculated way.
“I hope people understand just how important she has been to changing the narrative on so many levels of music, not just in terms of giving credibility to pop music. I think in Australia, more so than the US and the UK, we’ve had a bit of a tall poppy attitude towards pop music. I think there’s definitely been a layer of misogyny that has existed towards pop music and musicians as unashamedly pop as Taylor.”
[Listen to Behind The Hits – Taylor Swift here]
Podcast Ranker August 2023: ARN celebrates milestone, LiSTNR claims 8m+ audience
Commercial Radio Australia has released the latest Australian Podcast Ranker tables for performance in the month of August 2023. Increased listening is leading to climbing podcast revenues.
The results comes after it was recently revealed digital audio advertising spend in Australia reached $68.1 million in the June quarter, a 14% jump over the same period a year ago, and up 31% from the 2023 March quarter’s $51.9 million, according to IAB Australia’s Online Advertising Expenditure Report (OAER) prepared by PwC.
Podcast advertising lifted by 24% to $27.5m in the June quarter and rose 39% from $19.8m in the 2023 March quarter. Streaming audio spend grew over 8% to $41m for the June quarter.
The 2023 Infinite Dial Australia study revealed Australia has the most voracious podcasts consumers globally, with monthly Australian podcast listening at 43% of Australians aged 10+ listening monthly.
Podcast Ranker winners August 2023
The biggest mover in the top 10 was Shameless, published and represented by Shameless Media. The podcast was up three spots and into the Top 5 at #4.
The highest “new” entry on the Podcast Ranker was Australian True Crime. It is actually close to 400 episodes old and the Acast series, hosted by Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb, has just been listed for the first in the Ranker.
New in the Top 40 on debut was Your News Now, a bulletin from ARN/iHeart.
LiSTNR’s Secrets She Keeps debuted on the chart at #62.
LiSTNR announces audio partnership with Los Angeles Rams for 2023/24 NFL season
LiSTNR has announced an audio-first partnership in Australia with the famed American NFL team, the Los Angeles Rams.
The partnership brings Aussie and expat fans live coverage of every play, every touchdown, and every moment from the LA Rams’ 2023/2024 NFL season.
In addition to offering live broadcasts of the LA Rams’ games, the audio platform will offer LA Rams fans an extra dose of premium content, by featuring two hit podcasts produced by the LA Rams, including Between the Horns and Rams Revealed, allowing fans to stay up to date with commentary, behind-the-scenes stories, and analysis.
Between the Horns is a weekly, in-season podcast, bringing Rams fans the latest news on the team, while Rams Revealed is hosted by ‘voice of the Rams’ and sports broadcaster J.B. Long as he sits down with Rams players each week.
Under the new partnership, LiSTNR will take a direct feed from the team’s Los Angeles flagship radio station, ESPN LA 710 AM for each LA Rams game, where fans can hear the call of play-by-play from announcer J.B. Long, analyst Maurice Jones-Drew, and sideline reporter D’Marco Farr.
[Listen to the LA Rams coverage on LiSTNR here]
Dr Sneha Wadhwani launches new podcast with LiSTNR debunking myths surrounding women’s health
The most common questions and myths around women’s health will be debunked on LiSTNR’s new podcast with women’s health advocate and GP, Dr Sneha Wadhwani, called Everything from A to V.
Alongside Dr Wadhwani’s expert guests, including Dr Ginni Mansburg, sexologist Georgia Grace, Dr Susan Evans and more, listeners will find answers to questions such as “Why is the women’s bathroom line always so long?”
Everything from A to V sifts through medical facts and fiction, providing women with the knowledge needed to take charge of their health. It explores a range of topics such as menopause, bladder health, STIs, care for ‘down there’, and IVF among others.
Podcast host, Dr Sneha Wadhwani, said: “As a women’s health GP with over 20 years’ experience, I’ve seen science evolve and medicine change exponentially. But despite this, there remains an abundance of health ‘fact’ inaccuracy circulated in social media and by friends and family in the women’s health space. With so many self-purported ‘experts’ in the space, it can be really challenging for women to source reliable, clinically accurate and evidence-based information outside of the consultation.
“Everything from A to V sets out to take this approach from beyond my consultation rooms, into a space which is accessible to all women. To do this well and with the best clinical expertise, and the forefront of medical evidence, I’ve got some of the best women’s health experts joining me to share real evidence-based facts, demystify women’s health and debunking some myths along the way.”
[Listen to Everything from A to V here]
Tanya Hennessy has ‘More To Say’ in her new podcast with Nova
Comedian/presenter Tanya Hennessy is teaming up with Nova Entertainment to bring listeners a new original podcast, More To Say.
The new podcast will explore how she navigates life’s challenges and personal relationships, from the highs and lows of work to her big life goals.
Tanya will also feature guests on her new podcast with her first guest jumping on to join the conversation being her fiancé Tom.
As well as a new podcast, Tanya is also back on the radio airwaves, co-hosting Confidential on Nova alongside News Corp’s Jonathan Moran until the end of the year. Tanya and Jonathan can be heard nationally on Sunday nights from 7pm.
Tanya says, “Over the past two seasons of Hennessy’s Hotline, I have had the opportunity to explore some wild and wonderful stories as well as to entertain and connect with a wide range of listeners. One thing I have realised with some of the topics is that I have more to say…
“So welcome to my new podcast, More to Say! Each ep I will be delving deeper into topics that need more exploration – it’s going to be funny, frank, at times deeply personal and as always, sexy. Looking forward to having you along for the ride.”
Everything Caravan & Camping ventures into the podcast space, hosted by Channel Seven’s Scott Hillier
The weekly ECC Podcast will provide Australian campers, caravanners and 4WDers with the latest news, products and services to help them on their next adventure in Australia or New Zealand.
Scott Hillier will delve into the major issues confronting campers, caravanners and 4WDers, as well as provide recipes from Everything Caravan & Camping chef Harry Fisher and speak to ECC influencers including ECC Off-Grid Travel Series hosts Simon and Liz Bailey from The Lifestyle Pioneers.
“Australian adventurers are always on the lookout for the latest information and services available to help make their holiday or weekend away a memorable one, and the ECC Podcast will deliver that in spades,” said ECC Podcast host Scott Hillier.
“Each week we will have special guests, discuss the topics that the caravan, camping and 4WD community want and need to know about, and we will have some funny stories along the way.
“Whether listeners are at home, work, on the road or at their favourite destination, they can tune in each week to the ECC Podcast.
“And we want to hear from campers, caravans and 4WDers as well, so make sure you tune in and get involved in the Everything Caravan & Camping Podcast.”
The ECC Podcast launches on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, and can be found on all major podcast channels.
iHeartPodcast Network announces season two of The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong
The iHeartPodcast Network Australia has announced the return of The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong for a second season.
Hosted by Tony Armstrong, this season promises to dive deeper into quirky sports stories you’ve never heard before.
This season will cover stories like the surprising mystery of Phar Lap’s heart, the legend of Heather McKay the champion Aussie squash player who only lost twice in 20 years, and the celebratory wave which cost a racing legend a Formula 1 win.
Armstrong said: “This is such a fun podcast, each week I get to sit down and share an unbelievable sports yarn, and the stories in this new season will not disappoint. Tune in, enjoy and then go share the story with your mates and wow them.”
Stephanie Coombes, ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network content director said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing back The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong for its second season. Tony has a natural ability to connect with his audience and the podcast has resonated strongly with listeners. We can’t wait to see where Tony takes us in this exciting new season.”
[Listen to The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong here]
