Research firm ranks our favourite pods

Now podcasting has cemented its place as a popular digital medium, there’s growing interest in how to measure that popularity. That interest isn’t just from the advertising industry – so a monetary value can be attached to pods – producers and the audience are also keen on a comprehensive ranking system.

Edison Research publishes advertising spend details for the podcast industry, and it has now published the first list of the world’s 10 most popular podcasts (as at the end of last year).

Topping the list is The Joe Rogan Experience, followed closely by This American Life, and in third place is The New York Times’ news podcast, The Daily.

True crime podcasts My Favourite Murder and Crime Junkie take fourth and fifth slot, and the trivia and fact-based Stuff You Should Know is in sixth place.

The rest of the top 10 is filled with podcasting pioneers Serial, Radiolab, political podcast Pod Save America, and game show podcast Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me.

In another sign that the podcast industry is all grown up, the first podcast awards will be held in

Los Angeles next year.

The Golden Mics have been set up by the newly-formed Podcast Academy, which is made up of a group of podcast publishers and production houses.

Founding members of the academy include executives from Wondery, Stitcher, NPR, PRX, Tenderfoot TV, Spotify, and Sony Music, as well as Criminal’s Lauren Spohrer

It’s not clear what specific categories will be included in the first Golden Mics, but there will be one for general excellence. Nominations will open later this year.