Amazon’s Wondery Shuts Down Operations in Mexico and Brazil

Amazon’s Wondery has ceased operations in Mexico and Brazil, affecting its original content team. This closure was announced during a staff meeting and coincides with nominations for awards. Meanwhile, new announcements in the podcast industry include the launch of a marketing consultancy and an AI dubbing platform. The Golden Lobes awards are now open for entries, celebrating comedy podcasts.

Amazon’s Wondery has officially ceased operations in both Mexico and Brazil, as confirmed in a brief meeting with staff. This decision notably impacts Sarah Barrett, the company’s Head of Mexico Podcast Content. The closure coincides with the nomination of several Wondery Mexico shows for the prestigious Ondas Globales awards and follows the achievement of their LATAM unit amassing over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube.

An Amazon representative stated, “After a careful review of our priorities and customers’ needs, we’ve made the difficult decision to close Wondery’s Brazil and Mexico original content operations. This decision wasn’t made quickly or easily, and we remain committed to developing immersive storytelling and audio content for audiences.”

In the podcast industry, Christy Mirabal has partnered with Imelda Vergara-Skinder to launch The Listening Party Agency in New York and Los Angeles. This new marketing consultancy aims to elevate the profiles of podcast creators. Additionally, Transistor has integrated podcast comments through the Bluesky platform, allowing for synchronization between users’ Bluesky accounts and their podcast websites.

The newly launched Panjaya is an AI-assisted dubbing platform created specifically for podcast publishers, designed to maintain authenticity by syncing voice and gestures and offering support in 29 languages. Furthermore, Headliner has initiated a template design contest to encourage creative designs using their tool.

“Happy World Radio Day!” is noted, alongside the announcement of entries opening for The Golden Lobes, a new award event honoring comedic podcasts. Podcasters are invited to submit entries across 13 categories for a fee of £25, with winners receiving prizes that include digital badges and subscriptions to notable platforms. Entries are due by March 15, with the awards ceremony scheduled for May 7 in London.

Coleman Insights has advised podcasters against including “podcast” in their titles to avoid unnecessary competition against 700,000 existing shows. The article concludes with a summary of recent podcast data, highlighting that the Bitch Sesh podcast continues to rank highly.

As of February 13, the 1 podcast in Apple Podcasts remains The Mel Robbins Podcast, mirrored in Spotify rankings. Over the past week, 198,013 podcasts uploaded new episodes, reflecting a slight decrease in activity.

In summary, Wondery’s closure in Mexico and Brazil marks a significant shift in its operations, impacting key personnel and shows. The launch of The Listening Party Agency and Panjaya presents new opportunities in the podcasting space. The Golden Lobes awards celebrate comedy podcasts, encouraging broad participation from creators across various platforms. As trends evolve, podcasters are advised to consider title strategies to enhance visibility in a competitive market.

Original Source: podnews.net