Megaphone (formerly Panoply Media)[6] is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business owned by Spotify. The company provides software for podcast hosting and monetization as well as an ad network to generate additional revenue for podcast publishers.[7] It was formerly an audio content producer started by The Slate Group as Panoply Media,[8][9] and later shifted to focusing solely on software for monetizing, measuring and distributing podcasts of media companies and independent producers.[10][11]
Slate began podcasting in 2005 with the Slate Political Gabfest.[12] Panoply Media launched in Feb 2015 led by Andy Bowers, Brendan Monaghan and Matt Turck within The Slate Group.[1] Panoply acquired dynamic ad-insertion company Audiometric in August 2015,[11] adding key technology leader and eventual CTO, Jason Cox, in the process. Panoply made the Audiometric technology available to other companies in January 2016 under the moniker "Megaphone".[13][10]
As of February 2017, Panoply had published more than 100 podcasts through partnerships with Sports Illustrated, The Huffington Post, New York magazine,[14] Time, Inc., Vox, Real Simple, The Wall Street Journal, and Politico.[15] It has produced branded content for Purina, Umpqua Bank, Prudential and Starbucks.[16] Panoply launched Pinna, an audio subscription platform for families in 2017.
In January 2018, the Slate Group separated its Slate-branded podcasts, such as The Gist, from the rest of the Panoply lineup,[17] for purposes of revenue control as it sought to increase membership in Slate Plus, its premium content service. Accordingly, Slate podcasts no longer carry the Panoply logo and branding.
In September 2018, it was announced that Panoply would cease production of all podcasts and shut down its editorial division in order to focus on podcast hosting, analytics, and monetization technology as well as its ad marketplace known as the Megaphone Targeted Marketplace.[18] Shortly thereafter, Pinna was spun out as a separate company owned by Panoply parent Graham Holdings in early 2019.[19]
In November 2020, Spotify announced its intent to acquire Megaphone from Graham Holdings for US$235 million.[20] The acquisition was completed in December 2020.[21] After the acquisitions of podcast technology companies Whooshkaa in December 2021 and Chartable in February 2022, Spotify announced that these products will be integrated into Megaphone.[22][23] Realm Media acquired Pinna from Graham Holdings in 2023.
