Latest news with #digitalaudio
National Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- National Post
Podcast Listening in Canada Reaches 39% of Canadian Adults Monthly as YouTube Surpasses Spotify in Platform Share
Article content Canadian Podcast Growth Surges in 2025, Driven by English Language Audience Gains, News Genre Growth and Steady Listening Patterns Across Platforms Article content NEW YORK — As Canadians turn increasingly to digital audio for news, entertainment, and connection, new data shows the country's podcast appetite has reached unprecedented levels. Article content Triton Digital® Article content , the global technology and services leader in the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries, today released the 2025 edition of the Canadian Podcast Report, offering a comprehensive year-in-review on podcast consumption across the country. The report analyzes listener behavior, platform preferences, genre trends, and the nation's top-performing shows from April 2024 through March 2025, incorporating findings from the Canadian Podcast Listener study by Signal Hill Insights, supported by Ulster Media. Article content 'Podcast listening is growing in Canada, and we are seeing increasing diversity in who is listening, what they're listening to, and how they're accessing content,' said Daryl Battaglia, Senior Vice President of Measurement Products and Strategy at Triton Digital. 'These shifts offer important insights for creators and advertisers looking to reach a broad and evolving audience.' Article content Podcast Listening Growth Across Canada Article content Podcast listening in Canada continued its upward trajectory in 2024, with monthly reach hitting 39%, a 3-percentage-point increase year over year. This growth was driven primarily by English-speaking audiences, whose monthly listening rose by four points. While Francophone listening declined slightly, the national figures reflect continued momentum across the broader listener base. Engagement also deepened: among current listeners, the average number of podcasts consumed weekly increased from 3.5 to 3.9, and average weekly episodes rose from 8.2 to 8.4, signaling stronger content affinity and more frequent listening habits. Article content Downloads by Device and Platform Preferences Article content Over 90% of all podcast downloads in Canada occurred on mobile devices, solidifying mobile's role as the dominant access point. In a major platform shift, YouTube overtook Spotify as the most-used app for podcast listening, indicating how visual integration and cross-platform convenience are reshaping listener behavior. It now has the most listeners, though not necessarily the most overall listening. Article content Who's Listening? Article content Podcast listeners in Canada span every demographic group, with distinct patterns by age, income, and education. Spotify attracts the youngest listeners, while YouTube skews more male. Apple Podcasts has the highest percentage of listeners with household incomes over $100K and post-secondary education. Article content What Are Canadians Listening To? Article content News was the most downloaded podcast genre. True Crime and Comedy rounded out the top three, reinforcing Canadians' appetite for both timely information and compelling storytelling. Genres like Society & Culture (12%) and Sports (7%) remained stable year over year, while the Business genre saw a slight decline, dropping from 4% to 3% in the past year. Article content Top Networks and Shows Article content Among sales networks, SiriusXM Podcast Network led in average weekly downloads, followed by Wondery and CBC/Radio-Canada. The most downloaded podcast in Canada in 2024 was Dateline NBC from NBCUniversal News Group. Article content Spotlight on Canadian-Made Audio Article content Canadian content continues to perform exceptionally. Front Burner (CBC/Radio-Canada) ranked as the top Canadian-made English-language podcast, while Le Radiojournal (Radio-Canada) led in French-language downloads, demonstrating the influence and reach of locally produced journalism. Article content Genre Breakdown & Release Cadence Article content News and Sports podcasts released the highest volume of episodes, mirroring their popularity in downloads. Other genres with frequent new content included Society & Culture (8%) and Comedy (7%), which continue to resonate with Canadian listeners. Article content About Triton Digital Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Contact Article content Article content Article content
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grupo ACIR Selects Sounder and Triton Digital for Brand Suitability and Contextual Targeting
First Latin American and Spanish-Language Partnership for Sounder's Multilingual Audio Intelligence Tools NEW YORK, July 02, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spanish-language digital audio continues to grow in both scale and advertising relevance, but until recently, there's been a gap in tools that support contextual targeting and brand suitability in the market. Triton Digital®, the global technology and services leader in the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries, today announced that Grupo ACIR has selected Sounder's brand suitability and contextual targeting capabilities to bolster its digital audio advertising strategy across its digital properties. The integration is delivered through Triton Digital's technology infrastructure. This marks the first Latin American and Spanish-language implementation of Sounder's technology since its multilingual capabilities launched, giving Grupo ACIR new tools to align its digital content with advertiser expectations in a scalable, automated way. "Brand suitability in audio has been an ongoing conversation, but what's been missing is a way to apply it consistently across languages and content types," said Sharon Taylor, EVP, Podcast and Content Delivery, Triton Digital. "Grupo ACIR came to the table with a clear understanding of the challenges and the opportunity. This partnership shows how we can readily support that need globally." Sounder leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand podcast and audio content at a granular level, and matches it with advertising guidelines and preferences, opening up inventory to contextual targeting opportunities. The move reflects a growing interest from publishers outside the U.S. in tools that support automated brand alignment while preserving editorial control and audience trust. "We've been evaluating ways to better connect advertisers with our content, but we needed something that works for Spanish and works at scale," said Manuel Pérez del Castillo, Director de Calidad y Sistemas at Grupo ACIR. "When we saw that Sounder's technology could handle Spanish accurately, and that we could deploy it through Triton's platform we were already using, it was a straightforward decision. This gives us more visibility into how our content is categorized and opens up new conversations with advertisers who care about brand suitability." Grupo ACIR operates some of the best-known audio brands in Mexico and has expanded its reach through a strategic digital partnership with iHeartRadio. The company's adoption of Sounder and Triton's combined solution comes as advertisers look for more consistency in how audio inventory is evaluated across markets and languages. To learn more about how Triton Digital and Sounder are working with international audio publishers, visit About Triton Digital Triton Digital® is the global technology and services leader to the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries. Operating in more than 80 countries, Triton provides innovative technology that enables broadcasters, podcasters, and online music services to build their audience, maximize revenue, and streamline their day-to-day operations. In addition, Triton powers the global online audio industry with Webcast Metrics®, the leading streaming audio measurement service and Podcast Metrics, one of the first IAB certified podcast measurement services in the industry. With unparalleled integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability, Triton remains committed to connecting audio, audience, and advertisers to continuously fuel the growth of the global audio industry. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact Michael Vaughanmvaughan@ (813) 210-1706 Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Forbes
FiiO Unveils M21 Digital Audio Player With Snapdragon Processor And Android 13
The new FiiO M21 DAP has the latest technology combined with a dash of retro styling. If you've ever fancied buying a digital audio player so you can listen to audiophile-quality music on the move but were put off by the prices of brands like Astell&Kern, this new player from FiiO could be the answer. The prodigious audio brand has announced the global launch of the M21, a powerful and portable digital audio player that's Android-based. Combining flagship hardware elements, rugged design and retro aesthetics, the M21 puts high-resolution audio within reach of many. Sporting a compact 4.7‑inch HD IPS screen, the M21 has a sleek and palm-sized interface with plenty of functionality. It's powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset and runs Android 13 for a quick and responsive performance running both native and streaming apps. The M21 comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which can be expanded to 2 TB by adding a microSD card. At the heart of the M21 are no fewer than four Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips, arranged in a matrix configuration. FiiO says this architecture minimizes crosstalk and noise. Meanwhile, two-stage amplification circuits provide voltage then current gain to create a clean and dynamic sonic profile. The M21 DAP from FiiO is an affordable Android player with the latest digital technology onboard. The M21 introduces 'desktop mode' which is a first for FiiO's entry-level Android players. When connected via its secondary Type‑C power-in port to an external power supply, the M21 bypasses its onboard battery to deliver up to 21 Vpp peak voltage and 950mW per channel into 32Ω loads. FiiO claims that's comparable to high-end desktop DAC/amps. In portable mode, the player's output remains powerful with a 15-hour battery life for a single-ended 3.5mm and 11.5 hours for balanced 4.4mm listening. The Desktop Mode also means the M21 can be used as the streaming component of a high-end hi-fi system. The M21 also uses the updated FiiO Control app which provides full control from a smartphone alongside settings and advanced PEQ filters. FiiO offers a retro cassette-tape-style protective case for the M21 which is available to buy separately. It comes complete with vintage UI and tactile buttons to go completely old school. The FiiO M21 digital player is available to buy now and priced at $329 / £279 / €329.
Digital Trends
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
How to experience lossless audio
There's been a lot of talk lately about lossless audio, and that might have led you think that you need special equipment or an expensive streaming music service to get it. But that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, you probably already own everything you need to hear lossless audio. So let's take a quick look at what lossless audio is, and maybe more importantly, what it isn't, and how you can listen to it. Recommended Videos What is lossless audio? Simply put, lossless audio is any type of digital audio that hasn't been processed using a lossy, destructive form of compression. Lossless doesn't necessarily mean hi-res audio (though most hi-res is often lossless), and it doesn't even mean CD quality (though the term CD quality is used, it implies audio that is lossless). And lossless isn't a special format that belongs to any company or streaming service. Any streaming service that chooses to offer lossless audio can do so (we'll talk about why some services don't offer it, later). Why does lossless audio matter? When audio is recorded and turned into huge collections of zeroes and ones in a studio, engineers use uncompressed forms of digitization. This means that every detail of the audio is captured digitally, at the highest resolution possible. This creates a near-perfect digital recording. Unfortunately, uncompressed digital audio is massive in file size, so it's always compressed before it gets turned into a file that's ready for distribution. There are two kinds of compression. Lossy compression can make audio files truly tiny — up to a tenth of their original size. But to do that, it discards some of the original information. The best versions of lossy compression discard info in a way that most people wouldn't notice. You'd never listen to good lossy compression and say 'this sounds bad.' Lossless compression, on the other hand, makes a smaller audio file without discarding any of the information needed to recreate the recording on your listening equipment. I won't get into the math behind it, but it works. However, there's still no such thing as a free lunch: Lossless files are smaller than uncompressed audio, but still much bigger than lossy — often four times as large. For those who want to know they're getting the best possible listening experience, lossless is worth that tradeoff in file size. How can I tell the difference between lossless and lossy audio? The hope is that you'll be able to tell the difference simply by listening to both, but realistically that may not be possible — especially if you're listening in a noisy environment. The easiest way to tell is look at the audio file on your computer. If the filename ends in .mp3, .aac, or .ogg, it's a lossy file. If it ends in .alac, .aiff, .wav, .flac, or several other extensions, it's lossless. Since most folks listen to streaming music these days, you need to rely on some knowledge about the formats each service uses plus the display in your streaming app's now playing screen. Apple Music, for instance, will show you an indicator when it streams in lossless, hi-res lossless, or Dolby Atmos. If you change the settings to reduce the amount of data it uses, these indicators won't show up, which means you're getting lossy compression. Each music service has its own version of these labels and the ability to control the maximum quality used when streaming. However, not all services offer lossless. Spotify, for example, has so far resisted the lossless trend. Even with a premium subscription, Spotify only streams music using lossy formats. How do get lossless audio? The first step to hearing lossless audio is making sure you have a source of lossless content: A streaming service that offers lossless audio A CD, SACD, or DVD-Audio disc and a working player Blu-ray or UHD Blu-ray with audio recorded in Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio Digital music files saved to your computer, phone, or portable music player, in one of the lossless formats mentioned above The next step is to make sure you have a way to play that lossless content. Streaming service apps like Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, and Qobuz all have built-in decoders that can transform lossless streams into something that can played on your phone or computer. For disc-based music, the CD or Blu-ray player performs the same task. For lossless music stored locally (perhaps ripped from a CD or purchased from a download site), you'll need software that can decode and play it. There are many free apps that do this, regardless if you're on a Mac, PC, iPhone, or Android. Finally, you'll need to make sure that you aren't inadvertently introducing lossy compression because of your choice of headphones, speakers, or earbuds. As convenient as wireless listening is, even the most expensive Bluetooth headphones, earbuds, or speakers use some form of lossy compression when they receive that wireless stream from your phone or computer. There are some rare exceptions, like Qualcomm's aptX Lossless codec, but even then, it can be hard to guarantee that the connection is truly lossless. To ensure your lossless audio stays lossless, you'll need: A wired connection between your disc player, amplifier, and speakers Wireless speakers that use Wi-Fi and receive a direct stream from a platform like Sonos or Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, or Alexa Cast, but not Apple AirPlay 2 A computer or smartphone with a built-in headphone jack or, An external digital-to-analog converter (DAC), plus: wired headphones or earbuds Headphones that support USB Audio via USB-C You probably already have what you need If you already own wired headphones or earbuds, plug them into your laptop or amplifier/receiver and you're good to go. Even if you don't have dedicated wired devices, most wireless headphone also come with a cable you can use for analog wired listening. Because most smartphones don't have headphone jacks anymore, you'll need to buy an external DAC if you want to use your wired headphones or earbuds. The good news is that as long as you aren't fussy about getting audiophile-level hi-res audio compatibility, even something as inexpensive as Apple's lightning- or USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter (typically $9-$11) will do the trick. Gotchas to avoid Here are a few things that can get in the way of lossless listening and should be avoided. Apple AirPlay2: As noted above, your wireless speaker or soundbar may use Wi-Fi, and it may offer the ease and convenience of Apple's AirPlay 2 for wireless streaming, but AirPlay 2 is not lossless audio compatible. It downconverts any audio to 256kbps AAC before sending it to the target speaker. As I said earlier, no one will hear 256kbps AAC and say 'this sounds bad,' but it's not the same as say, 1,411kbps FLAC. Transcoded files: It may be tempting to simply run a lossy MP3 file through a converter and turn it into a lossless format like FLAC or WAV, but unfortunately, that doesn't result in a lossless audio file. All you've done is created a much larger file that still contains no more information than it had when it was an MP3. There are ways to make lossy files sound better — Sony has an algorithm that called DSEE that can 'restore' some of the quality that lossy compression loses, but it can't magically put back the info that was discarded when the MP3 was created. Dolby Atmos Music: This one seems really unfair. We've been led to believe that Dolby Atmos Music represents an entirely new way to enjoy music — one that is more immersive and cinematic. And though that's true, here's another truth: if you're listening to Dolby Atmos Music via the three music services that currently support it (Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music), you're listening to lossy audio. The reason is similar to Spotify's reason for avoiding lossless stereo so far: lossless Dolby Atmos requires huge file sizes. Bigger files mean more bandwidth requirements and that adds up to higher streaming costs for the services. So instead of using the lossless Dolby TrueHD format to transport Dolby Atmos, these services use the lossy Dolby Digital Plus. Again, just like no one is going to complain that Apple's 256kbps AAC sounds bad, you're unlikely to mind how lossy Dolby Atmos Music sounds. But if you ever get a chance to hear lossless Dolby Atmos, I suspect you'll agree it sounds better. You can get lossless Dolby Atmos Music as a digital download, or by buying music on Blu-ray (make sure it specifically says it has Atmos in TrueHD).
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Forbes
Astell&Kern Introduces Its New A&ultima SP4000 Digital Audio Player
The SP4000 is the brand's first DAP that runs a full Android OS so users can download and install ... More streaming apps and other apps. Korean audio brand Astell&Kern has unveiled a new digital audio player. The A&ultima SP4000 is the company's newest flagship digital audio player and follows three years of research and innovation and is built with an advanced Octa circuit architecture and a High Driving Mode. This is the first DAP from Astell&Kern to run the full Android OS, enabling users to directly download and run their favorite streaming apps while sidestepping Android's sampling limitations using Astell&Kern's Direct Path technology. The SP4000 is crafted from 904L stainless steel, which is the same grade used by luxury watch manufacturers, including Rolex. It has a PVD-coated ceramic back and ships with a Perlinger calf-leather case. The Astell&Kern SP4000 has a six-inch display with 2K resolution and touch control. Most digital players process digital and analog signals together inside their DAC. However, the SP4000 reduces the noise of the digital signal input by using the AK4191EQ, a separate digital delta-sigma modulator and then the AK4499EX DAC to process the analog signals separately. The SP4000 has two OPAMPs arranged in parallel for a richer and more detailed sound. This results in increased dynamic range and enhanced sound detail. High Driving Mode provides powerful and stable output and is designed to reproduce even the most delicate sonic details with precision, allowing you to enjoy deeper, clearer, and more immersive music. Using proprietary ESA technology, the SP4000 significantly improves group delay, which is the time difference it takes for various frequencies to pass through an internal system. Each frequency reaches the output device at slightly different times, resulting in slight delays. If group delay varies too much across frequencies, it can affect clarity, imaging and timing. The proprietary ESA technology used in the SP4000 aligns frequency signals so they arrive more uniformly, minimizing frequency distortion and enhancing sound clarity and purity. The new Astell&Kern SP4000 Digital Audio Player is the Korean brand's flagship portable music ... More device. A newly implemented Low Dropout Regulator is used in the SP4000's power supply, which reduces noise by up to 97% compared to previous models. LDO Regulators are high-performance components typically used in medical devices and 5G communication equipment. They help stabilize battery voltage and effectively suppress noise, resulting in cleaner, purer sound. In response to the growing shift toward streaming-based music consumption, Astell&Kern has integrated full Android OS support in the SP4000, including the ability to install any app via the Google Play Store. To overcome Android OS's sampling limitation, Astell & Kern's ADP proprietary customization technology provides bit-perfect, lossless playback even in streaming environments. The upgraded UI in the SP4000 displays on the player's 6-inch touch screen with an immersive animation where artwork appears to slide in and out as the user swipes through albums. The interface retains Astell&Kern's signature Crimson Theme for usability and intuitiveness. The SP4000 is packaged with a premium leather case crafted from Shrunken Calf by Perlinger, Germany's world-renowned leather house. The leather used in the case is made from the soft, delicate hide of calves under one year old. It is processed using a chrome tanning method to preserve its natural texture, then shrunk using special agents instead of heat to retain the organic grain and wrinkles. Perlinger adds proprietary pigments for a deep and vibrant color. The SP4000 from Astell&Kern is made from the same grade of stainless-steel used in luxury watches ... More from companies like Rolex. The new player has 256GB of internal memory with support for microSD cards up to 1.5TB capacities. There is support for dual-band 2.4/5GHz a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, DLNA networking, USB digital audio output, USB-C for data transfer and charging. The SP4000 can be used as a USB DAC for a Mac or Windows-based PC. It also supports native playback of high-res PCM music up to 32-bit, 768kHz and DSD512. The SP4000 supports both aptX Adaptive and LDAC codecs to provide audiophiles with multiple options for 24-bit audio playback over Bluetooth. BT Sink enables the SP4000 to connect to an external device via Bluetooth and to function as a Bluetooth DAC. Music from an external device, such as a smartphone, can now be played back in high-quality, taking full advantage of the SP4000's digital processing power. Qualcomm QC 3.0 fast charging enables the SP4000 to be charged faster and more efficiently than previous models, reaching a full charge in about 4 hours, providing a continuous playback time of around 10 hours. The SP4000 will add Roon Ready support pending completion of testing and final certification by Roon Labs. Pricing & Availability: Astell & Kern's new flagship SP4000 DAP will go on sale this summer, with pricing to be confirmed.
