In today’s podcast news roundup, Amazon Music bows transcripts for select podcasts synced with audio playback; BBC Studios launches subscriptions on Apple Podcasts; and more.
PLATFORMS
Amazon Music on Tuesday launched synchronized podcast transcripts in the U.S. for recent episodes of select Amazon original and Wondery podcasts, including “SmartLess,” “Dr. Death” and “Uncommon Ground With Van Jones,” as well as popular podcasts like Exactly Right’s “My Favorite Murder,” Audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie,” the New York Times’ “Modern Love” and “This American Life.” Transcripts also will be available for additional select podcasts from American Public Media, Cadence13, the New York Times, Stitcher, Audiochuck and TED. Podcast transcripts are available in the latest version of the Amazon Music app on iOS and Android. The company says it’s the first time a music service has introduced synchronized podcast transcripts. They’re similar to the lyrics feature introduced by Amazon Music in 2013. While listening, customers can navigate an episode by scrolling through the transcript to find a specific spot, and tap to jump right to it.
SUBscriptIONS
BBC Studios today launched BBC Podcasts Premium, its first subscription podcast service for listeners in the U.S. and Canada. BBC Podcasts Premium offers ad-free listening for popular titles, as well as exclusive access to new original audio series available exclusively on Apple Podcasts for iPhone, iPad and Mac (at this link). A monthly subscription to BBC Podcasts Premium costs $2.99 (U.S.) and $3.99 (Canada). Podcasts available ad-free in the subscription plan include the “BBC Global News Podcast,” Melvyn Bragg’s “In Our Time,” celebrity interview series “Grounded With Louis Theroux,” comedic history show “You’re Dead To Me,” and investigative series such as “Who Killed Emma?,” “Where is George Gibney?,” “Intrigue: Murder In the Lucky Holiday Hotel” and “The Northern Bank Job.” Subscribers also will get exclusive access to new original audio series, including “Nuremberg: The Trial of the Nazi War Criminals,” starring Natalie Dormer (“Game of Thrones”); BBC News’ “5 Minutes On” with real-life stories behind the headlines; “Things Fell Apart,” from bestselling author Jon Ronson (available Nov. 9); and eco-investigation series “Song of the Right Whale” (available early 2022).
DATES
SiriusXM’s Stitcher announced the return of “For Colored Nerds,” the weekly Black culture show hosted by Eric Eddings and Brittany Luse, starting Nov. 16. Each week the hosts will take a deep dive into an aspect of Black culture that’s ripe for dissection, with an initial slate of guests including pop-culture journalists Jason Parham, Tracy Clayton and Josh Gwynn; actor Jay Ellis; and Maya Cade, creator of the Black Film Archive. Listen to the trailer at this link.
C13Originals, the documentary division of Audacy’s Cadence13 podcast studio, announced “Gone South,” a new investigative documentary franchise. “Gone South, Season 1: Who Killed Margaret Coon?” launches its first two episodes on Nov. 3, 2021, on all major podcast platforms. (Listen to the trailer and follow the show via this link.) The first season of the show explores the brutal murder of a crusading sex crimes prosecutor named Margaret Coon, former assistant district attorney in St. Tammany Parish, La. — a crime that remains unsolved 34 years later. The eight-episode “Gone South, Season 1: Who Killed Margaret Coon?” is written and narrated by Jed Lipinski, a former New Orleans crime reporter and producer on Hulu’s “Fyre Fraud,” Netflix’s “The Pharmacist” and Paramount Network’s “Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story.”
Appleon Nov. 3 will release the first three episodes of “Hooked,” a podcast following the story of Tony Hathaway, whose addiction to OxyContin — and later heroin — led him from being a Boeing engineer earning six figures and flying around the world to becoming one of the most prolific bank robbers in U.S. history, hunted by the FBI while hitting 30 Seattle-area banks in one year. “Hooked” is based on original reporting and interviews conducted over three years by Campside Media co-founder and journalist Josh Dean. Listen to the trailer at this link.
Somethin’ Else, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, on Nov. 1 premiered of the new season of investigative podcast series “Power.” This season explores the story behind legendary Playboy founder Hugh Hefner’s rise and the legacy he left behind. Hosted by journalist and author Amy Rose Spiegel, “Power: Hugh Hefner” features conversations with several of the women directly involved with Playboy, including Bunnies who worked in the clubs and model/TV personality Holly Madison. The first episode is available now on all major podcast platforms, via this link.
Imperative Entertainment on Nov. 1 launched “The Agent,” a 12-part podcast series about the true story of Jack Barsky, a former KGB agent and the No. 1 espionage target of the FBI who hid out in the U.S. for 10 years, all the while leading dual lives with family on both sides of the Atlantic. “The Agent” is created, written and produced by Imperative Entertainment’s Jason Hoch. Executive producers include Hoch, Jack Barsky and Alden Ehrenreich. The series is narrated by Ehrenreich (“Solo,” “Hail Caesar!”) with an original score by Jasha Klebe. “The Agent” is available on all major podcast platforms and the Imperative Entertainment Premium Channel on Apple Podcast Subscriptions.
DEALS
LiveOne’s PodcastOne signed a “high seven-figure” renewal deal with podcast host and former Wall Street attorney Jordan Harbinger for “The Jordan Harbinger Show.” The company declined to disclose the length of the renewal. The show launched with PodcastOne in 2018 and is available on PodcastOne, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Facebook and other audio platforms.
