Hello, I'm James Criddon, the radio futurologist,
and every week or so I write a newsletter all
about the future of radio, and this is it in
podcast form. For March 2nd, 2025, Rajar's MIDAS
study and a look ahead to radio days. In the
UK, Rajar has published its MIDAS survey for
quarter four 2024, and it's a study which should
be required reading for anyone interested in
audio consumption. Podcasts got the highest weekly
reach figure yet, 26 % of all British adults,
and they're most consumed by those aged 35 to
54, where they enjoy a 35 % reach. However, podcasts
still only account for 9 % of total time spent
listening to audio, including catch -up radio.
Live radio still is listened to more than seven
times longer. And time spent listening to podcasts
is very interesting to me, and I can't really
see how that's doing from this data. Yes, podcasts
have increased in share of total time spent listening,
but so has the reach of podcasts, so I can't
quite see if people are listening longer. Rajar
does say, though, that the total number of weekly
hours listening to audio has increased by 16
% since winter 2019. The 15 -plus UK population
has increased too, but... only by 10 .4%, incidentally.
So it is a real increase. I'm fascinated at these
numbers every quarter. I find them absolutely
fascinating work. And you should go and take
a look at them. You'll find them linked from
the link that you'll find in the show notes.
Talking about being fascinated by numbers, the
Infinite Dial 2025 from Edison Research is being
revealed in a webinar on March the 20th, which
contains even more helpful and useful numbers
from the US market. And I will definitely be
watching this year. I've got no choice since
I'm also presenting it as well. So excited. You
should join Megan Lazarevic and I as a special
two days after my birthday treat. It's free to
sign up. There's a link in the show notes and
I will see you then. Now, I'm really looking
forward to Radio Days Europe next week. Some
times for your diary are Monday, 4 .05pm to 4
.45pm in track three, the audio landscape of
the future. It says here, what are the big trends
in audio consumption right now? How is audio
production changing? How is it being monetized?
What does it mean for radio and for podcasting?
Is our audience changing the way they listen?
And if so, should we change to meet them? The
world's only radio futurologist, James Credland,
looks at the available data to uncover the likely
path of radio and audio in the future. I'm not
the world's only radio futurologist. There's
a man in Ghana who I did some training to and
thought that radio futurologist was such a good
job title. He would be one too. And why not?
Anyway, it's very much a look at the unique selling
points of radio and audio, what we should be
doing to maximize them. Yes, you can expect a
ton of data, but also some good examples, I hope,
of where we might be going. And then on Tuesday,
one of the last sessions of the conference, 1
.45pm to 2 .30pm in track three, radio station
marketing hits and misses. As marketing budgets
grow smaller, it's never been more important
to ensure that the marketing for your radio station
is focused and effective, whether it's TV spots,
social media or even promotional items. In this
session, the radio futurologist James Cridland,
that's me. who was formerly an advertising copywriter,
shares some of his favourite radio station marketing
with the international audio consultant Francis
Currie and executive creative director at McCann,
Aleka Papadia, discover the hits and the misses
from the point of view of an award -winning creative
and a successful radio programmer and gain new
insights into how to grow your audience. Now
listen, this is a session I have always wanted
to do. I'm super looking forward to it after
finally convincing the folks at Radio Days to
do it, one of whom listens to this podcast. So
I'll just have to be careful what I say. It says
that I'm showing off some of my favourite marketing
now. Favourites doesn't always mean that they're
any good. And I've got one shocker of a waste
of money, which I'm looking forward to showing
off. Let's hope that nobody responsible for it
is in the room, because otherwise that'll be
embarrassing, won't it? Obviously, I've written
both of those presentations by now. And I have
absolutely no stress whatsoever over the next
week or so. But super looking forward to that.
If you are going to Radio Day to Europe, please
drop me an email. It would be wonderful to catch
up. jamesatcrid .net is my email address or jamesatcrid
.land. And that would be fantastic. Elsewhere,
other news. Global's CEO Stephen Myron is stepping
back from his role this month after 16 years
in charge. The media leader interviewed him at
the end of last year and their podcast is worth
a listen. Global is an awe -inspiring company
with a lot to teach the rest of the media. The
BBC's confirmed that BBC Sounds is to close to
international users this spring, which is officially
any time from now to the end of May. I bet it'll
be the end of May, personally. Anyway, they say
UK users who go on holiday outside the UK for
a short period of time will still be able to
use the BBC Sounds app abroad. which is intriguing,
which suggests that all BBC domestic radio will
no longer be available to international listeners,
except BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service, both
of which exist on the new BBC Audio International
product. Although, if you have a look on the
BBC .com website, audio is now a top -level navigation,
which is excellent. It also gains a rail on the
front page as well, so it's good to see that
the BBC's audio is finally giving... being given
much more prominence on the website, as it should
have been. So that's very good. All things change
when you get rid of the things that you can't
make money out of. So congratulations to them.
Now, you might have heard that now and then the
Beatles track that came out last year was made
with AI. And there's a really nice explainer
about how they used AI to make it from none other
than Giles Martin, who ought to know, on YouTube.
I regularly give live demos of AI tools for radio
and podcast creators. Many of them aren't generative
AI making new stuff, but are the AI tools like
the ones Giles shows off. And it's really good
to see such a clear explanation. of what they
did and in australia to follow up from sca's
redundancies last week arn has announced a 40
million dollar cost cutting exercise over the
next three years its australian radio business
was flat last year the company also owns an out
-of -home advertising company in hong kong which
has done really well now here's a fun fact arn
used to own an out -of -home company in australia
as well as a street furniture company called
AdShell. So what might have been? I bet they're
kicking themselves that they sold those companies
now. Anyway, speaking next, as you just heard,
Radio Days Europe in Athens in Greece. Also Radio,
new word, Days, Ireland. which is in Dublin in
Ireland, towards the end of the month. Evolutions
in Chicago, in Illinois, in the US, assuming
it's still a place where anybody wants to fly
to, between March the 31st and April the 3rd.
Then I'll be at Radio Days North America in Toronto
in early May. The podcast show in London in late
May. Podcast Movement in Dallas, Texas, probably
August 18th to the 21st. Still a bit sort of...
Conflicted about that, given what's going on
in the US right now. Radio Days Asia, perhaps,
in September. Still waiting for news on how Radio
Days Asia pans out this year, but it should be
good however it pans out. I'm going to Penn Iron
Radio's 50th and final birthday, which should
be fun, in Bradford. I'll be there somehow. Should
probably book my hotel room for that. Let's hope
that they haven't sold out. And Pod Summit, YYC
in Calgary in Canada. September 19th to the 20th.
That should be good fun too. So looking forward
to all of those. Thank you to everybody who is
a supporter. Buymeacoffee .com slash James Cridland
is the place to go. If you regularly give me
coffee, then you should perhaps consider joining
as a member and just automatically regularly
giving coffee. That would be good. But anyway,
you can do that. You can also follow me on Blue
Sky at james .crid .land or at Mastodon, where
I'm most active, at james at bne .social is where
I am. My website's more detailed about who I
am or what I do. If I can help you, james .crid
.land is the website address. And until next
time, keep listening.