Acast partners with Initium Media to expand chinese-language podcast reach

Acast, the world's largest independent podcast company, announced a strategic partnership with Initium Media on October 10, 2024 to expand its reach in Chinese-speaking markets across Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe. This collaboration marks a significant step for Acast in tapping into the growing Chinese-language podcasting audience.

Founded in 2015, Initium Media is a Singapore-based Chinese-language digital media outlet that provides in-depth news, opinions and lifestyle content for Chinese readers worldwide. The company moved its headquarters from Hong Kong to Singapore in 2021. According to Initium Media, it currently has over 21,000 active subscribers and more than 100,000 unique visitors per week.

Earlier in 2024, Initium Media launched its first news podcast called "Initium Reports" (端聞), targeting Mandarin-speaking audiences with in-depth discussions on major news stories and ideas. The podcast focuses on narrative journalism and storytelling. This marks Initium Media's initial foray into audio journalism, with plans to expand into investigative reporting and long-form series in the future.

The partnership with Acast is expected to unlock new opportunities for Initium Media's existing and future podcasts. By leveraging Acast's industry-leading podcast technology and advertising capabilities, Initium Media aims to accelerate the growth of its audio content.

Megan Davies, Acast's Managing Director for International, highlighted the strategic importance of this collaboration, stating: "Initium is a media powerhouse with a proven track record of engaging the Chinese diaspora. This collaboration aligns very neatly with our global expansion strategy and will enable us to offer our advertisers unparalleled access to a new, highly valuable audience."

For Initium Media, the partnership brings new possibilities for monetization and audience engagement. Yi Yang, Director of Audio at Initium Media, emphasized the potential impact: "Partnering with Acast empowers our storytelling and allows our team to focus on what they do best — engaging with our audience. As more and more Chinese speakers incorporate podcasts into their daily lives and news consumption, we are pushing boundaries and setting new standards in Chinese-language journalism podcasts."

Yang also noted that Acast's diverse range of monetization tools makes this partnership a significant move for Chinese-language podcasts in exploring new revenue streams.

The collaboration between Acast and Initium Media comes at a time of rapid growth in the global podcasting industry. According to recent studies, podcast listenership has been steadily increasing worldwide, with particular growth observed in Asian markets.

Initium Media's expansion into podcasting reflects a broader trend of digital media companies diversifying their content offerings to reach audiences across multiple platforms. By partnering with Acast, Initium Media gains access to advanced podcast hosting, distribution, and monetization technologies that can help accelerate its growth in the audio space.

For Acast, this partnership represents an opportunity to tap into the vast Chinese-speaking market, which includes not only mainland China but also significant populations in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Chinese diaspora communities around the world. The company's expertise in podcast advertising and technology, combined with Initium Media's strong brand recognition and understanding of Chinese-speaking audiences, creates a potent combination for growth.

Key points of the Acast-Initium Media partnership

• Announced on October 10, 2024
• Aims to expand reach in Chinese-speaking markets across Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe
• Initium Media launched its first news podcast "Initium Reports" (端聞) earlier in 2024
• Initium Media has over 21,000 active subscribers and more than 100,000 unique visitors per week
• Partnership expected to accelerate growth of Chinese-language podcast ecosystem
• Acast to provide podcast technology and advertising capabilities to Initium Media
• Collaboration aligns with Acast's global expansion strategy
• Initium Media plans to expand into investigative reporting and long-form series podcasts