Libsyn acquires Glow as podcast industry continues to consolidate

Libsyn, the publicly traded podcast hosting company, is acquiring Glow, a podcast monetization platform.

The big picture: It’s the latest in a long list of recent podcast roll-ups. The industry is consolidating as podcasting becomes more popular.

Details: The deal will help the creators of the 75,000+ podcasts that Libsyn hosts tap into more subscription revenue.

• Glow’s membership technology includes subscription billing and private feeds.
• Libsyn said in a statement it will integrate Glow as part of its hosting and monetization platform, so that podcasters can access a hosting platform, analytics and measurement, and monetization (both subscription and ads) all in one place.
• The Glow payment system will also allow podcasters to receive donations from listeners, a revenue stream that's becoming more popular as the creator economy booms.
• The deal doesn't include Refer-O-Matic, a Glow product that helps podcasts grow their audiences.

Be smart: Libsyn is rarely mentioned alongside music streaming giants like Spotify or iHeartMedia, in part because it's so specialized. It's one of the few pure-play podcasting companies that's publicly traded, and to date has invested more in building out podcast infrastructure than acquiring splashy exclusive shows.

• Libsyn agreed to acquire podcast advertising company Advertisecast last month. It acquired Auxbus, a podcast creation platform, in February.