PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wizzard Media (NYSE Amex: WZE), the world’s leading podcasting network, today announced the launch of its web based premium podcast subscription service for publishers using the Libsyn platform. This service allows podcast publishers to create paid subscription packages for their premium content and deliver the content via the web, a natural extension to the current mobile App subscription products recently launched by Wizzard.
Publishers can now target the millions of audience members that consume podcasts over the Internet, while at work, at home or in the dorm, via laptops and computers. During the first two weeks of this new service initial sales of subscription packages for premium content via the web already equaled those for mobile App subscription sales for the same content publisher. “We continue to build tools and services for our publishers so that they may reach their audiences and monetize their content no matter where or how the content is enjoyed,” said Chris Spencer, Wizzard Media CEO.
Podcast publishers using Wizzard’s Libsyn platform are now monetizing their free content via advertising both in-content and in-App, and now have the tools to monetize their premium content with reoccurring revenue streams via mobile smart-phone Apps and as of today, through their websites.
Wizzard Media partnered with MediaPass to offer this new service to its publishers. MediaPass gives content publishers the ability to have a subscription model as sophisticated as a major online publication, in a matter of minutes. With the integration of MediaPass, the monetization models that podcast producers are currently enjoying via smartphone Apps, is now extended easily to the web. The potential benefit to the subscription revenue model is that it builds on itself over time through renewals, unlike advertising only models.
“Traditionally, podcast producers were unable to easily charge for their content,” said Matt Mitchell, CEO of MediaPass. “We are excited to partner with the world’s largest podcast publishing network to integrate our service into the Libsyn3 platform. Our subscription technology will immediately and drastically increase producers’ revenue from the sale of premium content.”
“While a lot of current podcast content will continue to be free for audiences, this new feature allows our publishers to boost revenues through customized subscription models, targeting the optimal mix of free and paid content,” says Laurie Sims, President, Wizzard Media. “Implementing this new service is as easy as AdSense and takes less than 15 minutes, delivering to our publishers the benefits of a sophisticated paywall without the immense startup costs.”
About Wizzard Media:
Wizzard Media provides podcast publishers with distribution and monetization services. Our clients include Microsoft, National Geographic, Harvard Business Review, NPR and more than 16,700 others who use Wizzard Media products to measure their podcast audience, deliver popular audio and video entertainment and monetize their content through advertising and App sales. In 2010, the Wizzard Media Network received over 1.6 billion podcast requests from approximately 50 million people worldwide through iPods, iPhones, iPads, iTunes, Blackberrys, Zunes and many other devices and destinations. We are part of a publicly held, Pittsburgh based company with thousands of shareholders and a world-class team. Visit us on the web at www.wizzardsoftware.com/media, email us at contact@wizzard.tv.
About Media Pass:
MediaPass is a fully customizable, turnkey subscription service for web publishers. Using MediaPass, any website can sell recurring subscriptions to their online content, with significant cost savings compared to building this capability in-house or integrating off-the-shelf software. Learn more at www.mediapass.com.
Legal Notice
Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: "Forward-looking Statements" as defined in the Private Securities litigation Reform Act of 1995 may be included in this news release. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. These statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future results or events. We disclaim any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. There are important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to risks associated with changes in general economic and business conditions, actions of our competitors, the extent to which we are able to develop new services and markets for our services, the time and expense involved in such development activities, the level of demand and market acceptance of our services, changes in our business strategies and acts of terror against the United States.
iPod, iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone and iTunes are all registered marks or trade names of Apple, Inc. Zune is a registered mark of Microsoft. Blackberry is a registered mark of Research in Motion. Android, Android Market, AdMob are trademarks of Google.