Acast acquires Podchaser to deliver podcast data and accessibility

Independent podcast company, Acast, has signed an agreement to acquire podcast database, Podchaser.

The planned acquisition aims to strengthen Acast’s commitment to ensuring podcasts are accessible across all platforms. The integration of Podchaser and its data will aim to deliver the industry’s richest set of authoritative, structured metadata.

Ross Adams, Acast’s CEO, said: “As true champions of open podcasting, Acast and Podchaser combined will accelerate the innovation and democratization of the podcasting ecosystem for podcasters, listeners and advertisers everywhere.

"Together we will unlock the vast opportunity that we know exists for open podcasting to not just have parity with the data held by closed, paywalled platforms, but to leap forward and surpass them.”

Podchaser, which will continue to operate as a separate brand and independent business, was founded in 2016 and is home to the leading global podcast database, covering more than 4.5 million podcasts and more than 1.7 billion data points — including hundreds of thousands of ratings and reviews, and the advertisers of the world’s top 5,000 podcasts.

Bradley Davis, CEO at Podchaser, said: “Podchaser and Acast have a shared ethos around supercharging the open podcast ecosystem and creating the best tools possible for listeners, podcasters, and advertisers. It’s this conviction, coupled with Acast’s relentless execution, that makes it the perfect home for Podchaser’s continued mission.”

Through verified listener and podcaster contributions, Podchaser’s database makes it easy for listeners to discover new podcasts and find information about existing ones — across all listening apps — as well as providing trustworthy, transparent data for advertisers and marketing professionals to more efficiently find and reach engaged podcast audiences. In turn, this increased visibility helps creators grow their shows and make more money.

Once integrated, this combination of Podchaser and Acast will push forward innovation, elevating discoverability for all in the industry and providing an even better resource for listeners, advertisers and partners.

The acquisition of Podchaser follows a number of high-profile recent announcements from Acast, including its integration with Facebook owner Meta and podcast giant Marc Maron joining the Acast Creator Network.