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The
Swedish podcast company, which launched back in April 2014, is
officially pushing into France. CEO Ross Adams hinted at the move when I spoke to him back in December,
around the time of their 35 million Series C funding round that
expansion into non-English language markets were a big part of the
strategy for the next two years. Adams, who helped to launch Spotify in
the UK back in 2008, has brought on another exec from the also-Swedish
music streaming giant to spearhead this French expansion: Yann Thébault,
former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, joins to
lead operations there.
“Last
year was a tipping point for podcast consumption,” Thébault told me.
“Right now in France there are about four million people listening [to
podcasts] on a monthly basis. It’s not a fully developed market yet, but
it’s growing very quickly… there have been a lot of new show launches
in the past year.” That data point, by the way, comes from Médiamétrie’s
‘Écoute des Podcasts’ report from April 2018, which you should check out.
France
also traditionally has a strong radio sector, which is still very much
reflected in the podcast output there. “About 85 percent of the market
is dominated by [radio] replays, which means that about 15 per cent is
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The
Swedish podcast company, which launched back in April 2014, is
officially pushing into France. CEO Ross Adams hinted at the move when I spoke to him back in December,
around the time of their 35 million Series C funding round that
expansion into non-English language markets were a big part of the
strategy for the next two years. Adams, who helped to launch Spotify in
the UK back in 2008, has brought on another exec from the also-Swedish
music streaming giant to spearhead this French expansion: Yann Thébault,
former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, joins to
lead operations there.
“Last
year was a tipping point for podcast consumption,” Thébault told me.
“Right now in France there are about four million people listening [to
podcasts] on a monthly basis. It’s not a fully developed market yet, but
it’s growing very quickly… there have been a lot of new show launches
in the past year.” That data point, by the way, comes from Médiamétrie’s
‘Écoute des Podcasts’ report from April 2018, which you should check out.
France
also traditionally has a strong radio sector, which is still very much
reflected in the podcast output there. “About 85 percent of the market
is dominated by [radio] replays, which means that about 15 per cent is
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
The
Swedish podcast company, which launched back in April 2014, is
officially pushing into France. CEO Ross Adams hinted at the move when I spoke to him back in December,
around the time of their 35 million Series C funding round that
expansion into non-English language markets were a big part of the
strategy for the next two years. Adams, who helped to launch Spotify in
the UK back in 2008, has brought on another exec from the also-Swedish
music streaming giant to spearhead this French expansion: Yann Thébault,
former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, joins to
lead operations there.
“Last
year was a tipping point for podcast consumption,” Thébault told me.
“Right now in France there are about four million people listening [to
podcasts] on a monthly basis. It’s not a fully developed market yet, but
it’s growing very quickly… there have been a lot of new show launches
in the past year.” That data point, by the way, comes from Médiamétrie’s
‘Écoute des Podcasts’ report from April 2018, which you should check out.
France
also traditionally has a strong radio sector, which is still very much
reflected in the podcast output there. “About 85 percent of the market
is dominated by [radio] replays, which means that about 15 per cent is
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
The
Swedish podcast company, which launched back in April 2014, is
officially pushing into France. CEO Ross Adams hinted at the move when I spoke to him back in December,
around the time of their 35 million Series C funding round that
expansion into non-English language markets were a big part of the
strategy for the next two years. Adams, who helped to launch Spotify in
the UK back in 2008, has brought on another exec from the also-Swedish
music streaming giant to spearhead this French expansion: Yann Thébault,
former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, joins to
lead operations there.
“Last
year was a tipping point for podcast consumption,” Thébault told me.
“Right now in France there are about four million people listening [to
podcasts] on a monthly basis. It’s not a fully developed market yet, but
it’s growing very quickly… there have been a lot of new show launches
in the past year.” That data point, by the way, comes from Médiamétrie’s
‘Écoute des Podcasts’ report from April 2018, which you should check out.
France
also traditionally has a strong radio sector, which is still very much
reflected in the podcast output there. “About 85 percent of the market
is dominated by [radio] replays, which means that about 15 per cent is
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
The
Swedish podcast company, which launched back in April 2014, is
officially pushing into France. CEO Ross Adams hinted at the move when I spoke to him back in December,
around the time of their 35 million Series C funding round that
expansion into non-English language markets were a big part of the
strategy for the next two years. Adams, who helped to launch Spotify in
the UK back in 2008, has brought on another exec from the also-Swedish
music streaming giant to spearhead this French expansion: Yann Thébault,
former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, joins to
lead operations there.
“Last
year was a tipping point for podcast consumption,” Thébault told me.
“Right now in France there are about four million people listening [to
podcasts] on a monthly basis. It’s not a fully developed market yet, but
it’s growing very quickly… there have been a lot of new show launches
in the past year.” That data point, by the way, comes from Médiamétrie’s
‘Écoute des Podcasts’ report from April 2018, which you should check out.
France
also traditionally has a strong radio sector, which is still very much
reflected in the podcast output there. “About 85 percent of the market
is dominated by [radio] replays, which means that about 15 per cent is
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
The
Swedish podcast company, which launched back in April 2014, is
officially pushing into France. CEO Ross Adams hinted at the move when I spoke to him back in December,
around the time of their 35 million Series C funding round that
expansion into non-English language markets were a big part of the
strategy for the next two years. Adams, who helped to launch Spotify in
the UK back in 2008, has brought on another exec from the also-Swedish
music streaming giant to spearhead this French expansion: Yann Thébault,
former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, joins to
lead operations there.
“Last
year was a tipping point for podcast consumption,” Thébault told me.
“Right now in France there are about four million people listening [to
podcasts] on a monthly basis. It’s not a fully developed market yet, but
it’s growing very quickly… there have been a lot of new show launches
in the past year.” That data point, by the way, comes from Médiamétrie’s
‘Écoute des Podcasts’ report from April 2018, which you should check out.
France
also traditionally has a strong radio sector, which is still very much
reflected in the podcast output there. “About 85 percent of the market
is dominated by [radio] replays, which means that about 15 per cent is
The
Swedish podcast company, which launched back in April 2014, is
officially pushing into France. CEO Ross Adams hinted at the move when I spoke to him back in December,
around the time of their 35 million Series C funding round that
expansion into non-English language markets were a big part of the
strategy for the next two years. Adams, who helped to launch Spotify in
the UK back in 2008, has brought on another exec from the also-Swedish
music streaming giant to spearhead this French expansion: Yann Thébault,
former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, joins to
lead operations there.
“Last
year was a tipping point for podcast consumption,” Thébault told me.
“Right now in France there are about four million people listening [to
podcasts] on a monthly basis. It’s not a fully developed market yet, but
it’s growing very quickly… there have been a lot of new show launches
in the past year.” That data point, by the way, comes from Médiamétrie’s
‘Écoute des Podcasts’ report from April 2018, which you should check out.
France
also traditionally has a strong radio sector, which is still very much
reflected in the podcast output there. “About 85 percent of the market
is dominated by [radio] replays, which means that about 15 per cent is
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
native and growing quickly.” This is the segment of the market
that Acast is banking on for success in its French operation — they’re
hoping that by entering early, they’ll be the monetisation platform of
choice once the space has expanded and matured a little more. This
approach has certainly worked for them in the UK, which is a comparison
that Thébault referenced in our discussion too: “I see the French market
— I mean, in so far as we can compare market to market — as like the UK
two years ago,” he said.
One
of the biggest trends in original French podcasting, he said, was
feminism, and there are also several new and influential women-run
podcast production houses in France. We profiled one of them, Louie
Media, last summer, and they, along with House of Podcasts, were also recently written up by the Bello Collective. Beyond women and LGBTQ-centred shows like La Poudre, Thébault said that “food,” “crime,” and “social justice” were also content areas rapidly growing in popularity.
Acast
France seems to be starting small. The branch just finalised the
contract with their third employee, a director of sales, who starts work
in April, and Thébault notes that he already has a director of content
working on staff. They plan to increase their headcount more rapidly
“once we secure our first publisher agreement to sell and monetize their
content.” The goal for now, Thébault explained, is to get podcasts on
their platform, both from established media houses and independent
producers. The aim is to spot “tomorrow’s talents,” he said, with the
hope of monetising these smaller shows once they grow in the future.
Thebault
claims that French advertisers are already fairly well informed as to
the benefits of advertising on podcasts — the logic being, they’re well
used to commercial internet radio stations and streaming platforms like
Spotify and Deezer. (Whether you buy into this logic… is your call.)
“In France, the digital audio market represents around twelve million
euros,” he said. “That’s not a huge market but it’s growing very fast.”
The strong representation of feminist and women-centric podcasts works
well with commercial deals too, with luxury good, fashion and beauty all
interested in that segment of the podcast audience.
Small
start for Thébault and Acast France, and they’re betting hard on seeing
a similar podcast growth trajectory there as in the UK and elsewhere. It’s long been reported
that Acast is looking at eventually going list on the Swedish stock
market. Getting into nascent podcast markets like France (and possibly
Germany and Spain next, I would imagine), then, is likely a move to lay
down a substantial European division down the line, which arguably gives
them a growth narrative with some runway.
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native and growing quickly.” This is the segment of the market
that Acast is banking on for success in its French operation — they’re
hoping that by entering early, they’ll be the monetisation platform of
choice once the space has expanded and matured a little more. This
approach has certainly worked for them in the UK, which is a comparison
that Thébault referenced in our discussion too: “I see the French market
— I mean, in so far as we can compare market to market — as like the UK
two years ago,” he said.
One
of the biggest trends in original French podcasting, he said, was
feminism, and there are also several new and influential women-run
podcast production houses in France. We profiled one of them, Louie
Media, last summer, and they, along with House of Podcasts, were also recently written up by the Bello Collective. Beyond women and LGBTQ-centred shows like La Poudre, Thébault said that “food,” “crime,” and “social justice” were also content areas rapidly growing in popularity.
Acast
France seems to be starting small. The branch just finalised the
contract with their third employee, a director of sales, who starts work
in April, and Thébault notes that he already has a director of content
working on staff. They plan to increase their headcount more rapidly
“once we secure our first publisher agreement to sell and monetize their
content.” The goal for now, Thébault explained, is to get podcasts on
their platform, both from established media houses and independent
producers. The aim is to spot “tomorrow’s talents,” he said, with the
hope of monetising these smaller shows once they grow in the future.
Thebault
claims that French advertisers are already fairly well informed as to
the benefits of advertising on podcasts — the logic being, they’re well
used to commercial internet radio stations and streaming platforms like
Spotify and Deezer. (Whether you buy into this logic… is your call.)
“In France, the digital audio market represents around twelve million
euros,” he said. “That’s not a huge market but it’s growing very fast.”
The strong representation of feminist and women-centric podcasts works
well with commercial deals too, with luxury good, fashion and beauty all
interested in that segment of the podcast audience.
Small
start for Thébault and Acast France, and they’re betting hard on seeing
a similar podcast growth trajectory there as in the UK and elsewhere. It’s long been reported
that Acast is looking at eventually going list on the Swedish stock
market. Getting into nascent podcast markets like France (and possibly
Germany and Spain next, I would imagine), then, is likely a move to lay
down a substantial European division down the line, which arguably gives
them a growth narrative with some runway.
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
native and growing quickly.” This is the segment of the market
that Acast is banking on for success in its French operation — they’re
hoping that by entering early, they’ll be the monetisation platform of
choice once the space has expanded and matured a little more. This
approach has certainly worked for them in the UK, which is a comparison
that Thébault referenced in our discussion too: “I see the French market
— I mean, in so far as we can compare market to market — as like the UK
two years ago,” he said.
One
of the biggest trends in original French podcasting, he said, was
feminism, and there are also several new and influential women-run
podcast production houses in France. We profiled one of them, Louie
Media, last summer, and they, along with House of Podcasts, were also recently written up by the Bello Collective. Beyond women and LGBTQ-centred shows like La Poudre, Thébault said that “food,” “crime,” and “social justice” were also content areas rapidly growing in popularity.
Acast
France seems to be starting small. The branch just finalised the
contract with their third employee, a director of sales, who starts work
in April, and Thébault notes that he already has a director of content
working on staff. They plan to increase their headcount more rapidly
“once we secure our first publisher agreement to sell and monetize their
content.” The goal for now, Thébault explained, is to get podcasts on
their platform, both from established media houses and independent
producers. The aim is to spot “tomorrow’s talents,” he said, with the
hope of monetising these smaller shows once they grow in the future.
Thebault
claims that French advertisers are already fairly well informed as to
the benefits of advertising on podcasts — the logic being, they’re well
used to commercial internet radio stations and streaming platforms like
Spotify and Deezer. (Whether you buy into this logic… is your call.)
“In France, the digital audio market represents around twelve million
euros,” he said. “That’s not a huge market but it’s growing very fast.”
The strong representation of feminist and women-centric podcasts works
well with commercial deals too, with luxury good, fashion and beauty all
interested in that segment of the podcast audience.
Small
start for Thébault and Acast France, and they’re betting hard on seeing
a similar podcast growth trajectory there as in the UK and elsewhere. It’s long been reported
that Acast is looking at eventually going list on the Swedish stock
market. Getting into nascent podcast markets like France (and possibly
Germany and Spain next, I would imagine), then, is likely a move to lay
down a substantial European division down the line, which arguably gives
them a growth narrative with some runway.
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
native and growing quickly.” This is the segment of the market
that Acast is banking on for success in its French operation — they’re
hoping that by entering early, they’ll be the monetisation platform of
choice once the space has expanded and matured a little more. This
approach has certainly worked for them in the UK, which is a comparison
that Thébault referenced in our discussion too: “I see the French market
— I mean, in so far as we can compare market to market — as like the UK
two years ago,” he said.
One
of the biggest trends in original French podcasting, he said, was
feminism, and there are also several new and influential women-run
podcast production houses in France. We profiled one of them, Louie
Media, last summer, and they, along with House of Podcasts, were also recently written up by the Bello Collective. Beyond women and LGBTQ-centred shows like La Poudre, Thébault said that “food,” “crime,” and “social justice” were also content areas rapidly growing in popularity.
Acast
France seems to be starting small. The branch just finalised the
contract with their third employee, a director of sales, who starts work
in April, and Thébault notes that he already has a director of content
working on staff. They plan to increase their headcount more rapidly
“once we secure our first publisher agreement to sell and monetize their
content.” The goal for now, Thébault explained, is to get podcasts on
their platform, both from established media houses and independent
producers. The aim is to spot “tomorrow’s talents,” he said, with the
hope of monetising these smaller shows once they grow in the future.
Thebault
claims that French advertisers are already fairly well informed as to
the benefits of advertising on podcasts — the logic being, they’re well
used to commercial internet radio stations and streaming platforms like
Spotify and Deezer. (Whether you buy into this logic… is your call.)
“In France, the digital audio market represents around twelve million
euros,” he said. “That’s not a huge market but it’s growing very fast.”
The strong representation of feminist and women-centric podcasts works
well with commercial deals too, with luxury good, fashion and beauty all
interested in that segment of the podcast audience.
Small
start for Thébault and Acast France, and they’re betting hard on seeing
a similar podcast growth trajectory there as in the UK and elsewhere. It’s long been reported
that Acast is looking at eventually going list on the Swedish stock
market. Getting into nascent podcast markets like France (and possibly
Germany and Spain next, I would imagine), then, is likely a move to lay
down a substantial European division down the line, which arguably gives
them a growth narrative with some runway.
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
native and growing quickly.” This is the segment of the market
that Acast is banking on for success in its French operation — they’re
hoping that by entering early, they’ll be the monetisation platform of
choice once the space has expanded and matured a little more. This
approach has certainly worked for them in the UK, which is a comparison
that Thébault referenced in our discussion too: “I see the French market
— I mean, in so far as we can compare market to market — as like the UK
two years ago,” he said.
One
of the biggest trends in original French podcasting, he said, was
feminism, and there are also several new and influential women-run
podcast production houses in France. We profiled one of them, Louie
Media, last summer, and they, along with House of Podcasts, were also recently written up by the Bello Collective. Beyond women and LGBTQ-centred shows like La Poudre, Thébault said that “food,” “crime,” and “social justice” were also content areas rapidly growing in popularity.
Acast
France seems to be starting small. The branch just finalised the
contract with their third employee, a director of sales, who starts work
in April, and Thébault notes that he already has a director of content
working on staff. They plan to increase their headcount more rapidly
“once we secure our first publisher agreement to sell and monetize their
content.” The goal for now, Thébault explained, is to get podcasts on
their platform, both from established media houses and independent
producers. The aim is to spot “tomorrow’s talents,” he said, with the
hope of monetising these smaller shows once they grow in the future.
Thebault
claims that French advertisers are already fairly well informed as to
the benefits of advertising on podcasts — the logic being, they’re well
used to commercial internet radio stations and streaming platforms like
Spotify and Deezer. (Whether you buy into this logic… is your call.)
“In France, the digital audio market represents around twelve million
euros,” he said. “That’s not a huge market but it’s growing very fast.”
The strong representation of feminist and women-centric podcasts works
well with commercial deals too, with luxury good, fashion and beauty all
interested in that segment of the podcast audience.
Small
start for Thébault and Acast France, and they’re betting hard on seeing
a similar podcast growth trajectory there as in the UK and elsewhere. It’s long been reported
that Acast is looking at eventually going list on the Swedish stock
market. Getting into nascent podcast markets like France (and possibly
Germany and Spain next, I would imagine), then, is likely a move to lay
down a substantial European division down the line, which arguably gives
them a growth narrative with some runway.
PAGE LOG: Block validation: Expected token of type `%s` (%o), instead saw `%s` (%o). StartTag JSHandle@object EndTag JSHandle@object PAGE LOG: Block validation: Block validation failed for `%s` (%o). Content generated by `save` function: %s Content retrieved from post body: %s core/paragraph JSHandle@object
native and growing quickly.” This is the segment of the market
that Acast is banking on for success in its French operation — they’re
hoping that by entering early, they’ll be the monetisation platform of
choice once the space has expanded and matured a little more. This
approach has certainly worked for them in the UK, which is a comparison
that Thébault referenced in our discussion too: “I see the French market
— I mean, in so far as we can compare market to market — as like the UK
two years ago,” he said.
One
of the biggest trends in original French podcasting, he said, was
feminism, and there are also several new and influential women-run
podcast production houses in France. We profiled one of them, Louie
Media, last summer, and they, along with House of Podcasts, were also recently written up by the Bello Collective. Beyond women and LGBTQ-centred shows like La Poudre, Thébault said that “food,” “crime,” and “social justice” were also content areas rapidly growing in popularity.
Acast
France seems to be starting small. The branch just finalised the
contract with their third employee, a director of sales, who starts work
in April, and Thébault notes that he already has a director of content
working on staff. They plan to increase their headcount more rapidly
“once we secure our first publisher agreement to sell and monetize their
content.” The goal for now, Thébault explained, is to get podcasts on
their platform, both from established media houses and independent
producers. The aim is to spot “tomorrow’s talents,” he said, with the
hope of monetising these smaller shows once they grow in the future.
Thebault
claims that French advertisers are already fairly well informed as to
the benefits of advertising on podcasts — the logic being, they’re well
used to commercial internet radio stations and streaming platforms like
Spotify and Deezer. (Whether you buy into this logic… is your call.)
“In France, the digital audio market represents around twelve million
euros,” he said. “That’s not a huge market but it’s growing very fast.”
The strong representation of feminist and women-centric podcasts works
well with commercial deals too, with luxury good, fashion and beauty all
interested in that segment of the podcast audience.
Small
start for Thébault and Acast France, and they’re betting hard on seeing
a similar podcast growth trajectory there as in the UK and elsewhere. It’s long been reported
that Acast is looking at eventually going list on the Swedish stock
market. Getting into nascent podcast markets like France (and possibly
Germany and Spain next, I would imagine), then, is likely a move to lay
down a substantial European division down the line, which arguably gives
them a growth narrative with some runway.
native and growing quickly.” This is the segment of the market
that Acast is banking on for success in its French operation — they’re
hoping that by entering early, they’ll be the monetisation platform of
choice once the space has expanded and matured a little more. This
approach has certainly worked for them in the UK, which is a comparison
that Thébault referenced in our discussion too: “I see the French market
— I mean, in so far as we can compare market to market — as like the UK
two years ago,” he said.
One
of the biggest trends in original French podcasting, he said, was
feminism, and there are also several new and influential women-run
podcast production houses in France. We profiled one of them, Louie
Media, last summer, and they, along with House of Podcasts, were also recently written up by the Bello Collective. Beyond women and LGBTQ-centred shows like La Poudre, Thébault said that “food,” “crime,” and “social justice” were also content areas rapidly growing in popularity.
Acast
France seems to be starting small. The branch just finalised the
contract with their third employee, a director of sales, who starts work
in April, and Thébault notes that he already has a director of content
working on staff. They plan to increase their headcount more rapidly
“once we secure our first publisher agreement to sell and monetize their
content.” The goal for now, Thébault explained, is to get podcasts on
their platform, both from established media houses and independent
producers. The aim is to spot “tomorrow’s talents,” he said, with the
hope of monetising these smaller shows once they grow in the future.
Thebault
claims that French advertisers are already fairly well informed as to
the benefits of advertising on podcasts — the logic being, they’re well
used to commercial internet radio stations and streaming platforms like
Spotify and Deezer. (Whether you buy into this logic… is your call.)
“In France, the digital audio market represents around twelve million
euros,” he said. “That’s not a huge market but it’s growing very fast.”
The strong representation of feminist and women-centric podcasts works
well with commercial deals too, with luxury good, fashion and beauty all
interested in that segment of the podcast audience.
Small
start for Thébault and Acast France, and they’re betting hard on seeing
a similar podcast growth trajectory there as in the UK and elsewhere. It’s long been reported
that Acast is looking at eventually going list on the Swedish stock
market. Getting into nascent podcast markets like France (and possibly
Germany and Spain next, I would imagine), then, is likely a move to lay
down a substantial European division down the line, which arguably gives
them a growth narrative with some runway.
The
Swedish podcast company, which launched back in April 2014, is
officially pushing into France. CEO Ross Adams hinted at the move when I spoke to him back in December,
around the time of their 35 million Series C funding round that
expansion into non-English language markets were a big part of the
strategy for the next two years. Adams, who helped to launch Spotify in
the UK back in 2008, has brought on another exec from the also-Swedish
music streaming giant to spearhead this French expansion: Yann Thébault,
former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, joins to
lead operations there.
“Last
year was a tipping point for podcast consumption,” Thébault told me.
“Right now in France there are about four million people listening [to
podcasts] on a monthly basis. It’s not a fully developed market yet, but
it’s growing very quickly… there have been a lot of new show launches
in the past year.” That data point, by the way, comes from Médiamétrie’s
‘Écoute des Podcasts’ report from April 2018, which you should check out.
France
also traditionally has a strong radio sector, which is still very much
reflected in the podcast output there. “About 85 percent of the market
is dominated by [radio] replays, which means that about 15 per cent is
[podcast]
native and growing quickly.” This is the segment of the market
that Acast is banking on for success in its French operation — they’re
hoping that by entering early, they’ll be the monetisation platform of
choice once the space has expanded and matured a little more. This
approach has certainly worked for them in the UK, which is a comparison
that Thébault referenced in our discussion too: “I see the French market
— I mean, in so far as we can compare market to market — as like the UK
two years ago,” he said.
One
of the biggest trends in original French podcasting, he said, was
feminism, and there are also several new and influential women-run
podcast production houses in France. We profiled one of them, Louie
Media, last summer, and they, along with House of Podcasts, were also recently written up by the Bello Collective. Beyond women and LGBTQ-centred shows like La Poudre, Thébault said that “food,” “crime,” and “social justice” were also content areas rapidly growing in popularity.
Acast
France seems to be starting small. The branch just finalised the
contract with their third employee, a director of sales, who starts work
in April, and Thébault notes that he already has a director of content
working on staff. They plan to increase their headcount more rapidly
“once we secure our first publisher agreement to sell and monetize their
content.” The goal for now, Thébault explained, is to get podcasts on
their platform, both from established media houses and independent
producers. The aim is to spot “tomorrow’s talents,” he said, with the
hope of monetising these smaller shows once they grow in the future.
Thebault
claims that French advertisers are already fairly well informed as to
the benefits of advertising on podcasts — the logic being, they’re well
used to commercial internet radio stations and streaming platforms like
Spotify and Deezer. (Whether you buy into this logic… is your call.)
“In France, the digital audio market represents around twelve million
euros,” he said. “That’s not a huge market but it’s growing very fast.”
The strong representation of feminist and women-centric podcasts works
well with commercial deals too, with luxury good, fashion and beauty all
interested in that segment of the podcast audience.
Small
start for Thébault and Acast France, and they’re betting hard on seeing
a similar podcast growth trajectory there as in the UK and elsewhere. It’s long been reported
that Acast is looking at eventually going list on the Swedish stock
market. Getting into nascent podcast markets like France (and possibly
Germany and Spain next, I would imagine), then, is likely a move to lay
down a substantial European division down the line, which arguably gives
them a growth narrative with some runway.