The AMP agreement made it “the first cross-platform measurement standard in history”. The document defines a podcast, and is intended to set implementation standards for attribution and exposure metrics. He argues that these standards are needed to further drive the industry forward – and could potentially generate as much as a billion dollars in additional revenue. The document, which has been prepared by twelve different companies, will now be taken to standards bodies including the IAB.

“It’s time we took ourselves seriously and created some legitimate standards that would make it a little easier for us all to do our jobs,” Oxford Road’s Dan Granger, who is running the protocol, tells us in this week’s Podnews Weekly Review. He is interviewed by Gilles Martin, who is positive about the “play” definition in the document. “Spotify and YouTube are both in that ballpark, it’s very meaningful to the industry and probably encouraging to others in the sense that already parts of the (AMP agreement) are getting some meaningful traction.”

Opinion: The “Exposure metrics” section of the AMP document calls for podcast apps to share large amounts of data about the content played every thirty seconds – including from consenting users, a hashed email address, and a mobile advertising ID. As our editor James Cridland says, this is another example of podcast app developers being asked to implement features or data collection at their own risk, without having any stake in the success of podcasting. In an opinion piece today, they argue: For good measure, give podcast apps a cut of the revenue.

Feedback so far:
- Glenn Rubenstein of Adopter Media published a blog post in response to the AMP agreement, endorsing the agreement as “an excellent first step”, and suggesting that it is a practical start, although making a set of suggestions. (Rubenstein is an advisor to PodScribe, a member of the AMP Task Force).
- In an email to Podnews, Podtrack’s Robert Freeman points to the existing definition of podcast within the IAB’s specification – “We’ve had a definition in the market for a decade, since September 2016” – meanwhile Mark McCreery isn’t positive, telling us: “When the sun rises in the west, and Apple, Spotify and YouTube decide to share client-side podcast play data with IP addresses, AMP documents will be all that’s doable.” “There are some things to consider in the IAB’s ongoing measurement guideline discussions,” he says. (Both are included in the IAB specification).
- of oxford road media roundtable Brian Barletta of Sounds Profitable describes the definition of a podcast as “a defensive, strong way to start things.” (Barletta is described as a “consultant to AMP Group”). (This episode has not yet been published as an audio podcast, so please watch the YouTube video with your eyes closed…)
- Producer Frank Gullo likes the short-hand definition of “If it works with your eyes closed, it’s a podcast”. “As an audio storyteller, this is what I’ve always strived for. When I’m out in nature or lying in bed in the dark, audio is my go-to. No screens. Just stories and voices.”
- Apple Podcasts did not provide us with any comment. However, the company has a history of listening to feedback, and the inclusion of the video is probably a good example of this. We would hope that they would harmonize their game numbers, which is completely different from the rest of the industry.
- Writing something about AMP agreement? We’re at editor@podnews.net

The Roast, a “video-first, cross-platform podcast company” has been rebranded as Podium. The company publishes This past weekend w/Theo Vaughn has announced the signing of others including just trish. The company is a longtime supporter of Podnews.
- The rebranding of this podcast company to Podium comes as a surprise to podcast company Podium, which works with a number of mission-driven and higher-education podcasts. Podium’s Neil McPhedran told us: “We couldn’t help but notice a podcast company launching this week under the Podium name, which also has a word mark that also looks vaguely familiar. We’ve been a proud, long-time supporter of Podnews, so we can’t help but wonder where they got the brand idea in the first place. We’re reviewing our options.” Podium did not respond to a request for comment.

Castro developer Dustin Black says independent podcast apps aren’t growing as a category. He says the growth of podcasting has occurred almost entirely on platforms like YouTube, and independent podcast apps are still standing. He is concerned that some people are interfering with creator content as a way to differentiate themselves, and asks how to move the industry forward.

The Critics’ Choice Association has announced the Critics’ Choice Creator Awards. There is a set of podcast rewards for entry; Submissions will open in October and close in February next year.

Higher Ed Podcon Awards winners announced. The international awards program is the first to specifically recognize excellence in higher education podcasting.

In the UK, the Audio Academy Festival has announced its first set of speakers. The event is on October 1 in London.

The June US Podcast Ranker was released by Triton Digital. There is no change in the top five sales networks, and What You Need to Know is still #1. The ranker measures only participating publishers, and is based on downloads.