Insider launches The Refresh from Insider, the first news podcast to feature up-to-the-minute updates
New show created in partnership with Spooler, a new audio platform that revolutionizes podcasts and allows storytellers to keep pace with today’s news cycle
New York, NY – February 28, 2022 — Insider today announces the launch of The Refresh from Insider, a new audio news brief that reinvents the traditional podcast format by combining the freshness of live broadcast news with the conversational voice and on-demand convenience of today’s most popular news podcasts. The Refresh from Insider was created in partnership with Spooler – an audio platform launched today by a team of podcast industry veterans from Apple, Audible, Megaphone and Slate – and Webex by Cisco has signed on as the inaugural sponsor.
The Refresh from Insider breaks new ground by offering listeners updated, on-demand news in a podcast format on the Insider app and website. The show presents news in a way that is lively and relatable, reflecting the voice which has made Insider one of the most loved and influential news brands in the world. With an attitude that blends freshness with authority, The Refresh from Insider covers the spectrum of news one expects from the Insider brand, from politics and business to health and culture.
The Refresh from Insider is hosted by Rebeca Ibarra, former WNYC host and producer, and Dave Smith, a reporter and editor at Insider. Kerry Donahue, an award-winning journalist and experienced showrunner, is executive producer.
Rebeca Ibarra, Co-Host, The Refresh
Dave Smith, Co-Host, The Refresh
The Refresh from Insider debuts a new technology that delivers updated podcast episodes from individually produced audio segments that can be stitched together into a seamless whole with one-click, creating a polished audio experience that keeps listeners up to date, in real-time.
The show is available weekday mornings on traditional podcast apps and a sophisticated player on Insider.com properties. The player allows listeners to skip segments, scroll through upcoming stories, and select the ones they want to hear.
The Refresh from Insider is the brainchild of Insider CEO Henry Blodget and Andy Bowers, an award-winning journalist and podcast industry pioneer who helped create dozens of podcasts in the last two decades and was called "the godfather of podcasting" by the New York Times Magazine. Bowers joined Insider in June 2021 as head of audio.
As Henry Blodget said, “People love audio news, but podcasts quickly become outdated, so they're not a great way to keep up on what's happening. That's why we created The Refresh from Insider. Our new technology and programming brings you the latest news wherever you are and whenever you want it — like radio, but on your schedule."
Andy Bowers added, “Having a strong editorial voice is crucial, which is why we have developed The Refresh from Insider with a story mix, pace, and, most importantly, two terrific hosts who make what we report as exciting as the new technology that powers the show. The new publishing tools from Spooler bring breaking news to the podcast space within seconds, something that’s never been possible until now.”
New podcast technology thrusts audio news into the digital age
The Refresh from Insider is the first podcast created by Spooler, a first-of-its-kind audio platform transforming how podcasts are produced, distributed, and experienced.
Spooler’s suite of services provides journalists, storytellers, and content producers a better solution to keep up with today’s news cycle while receiving updated content in real time. Through the platform’s proprietary technology, partners can easily assemble, re-sequence, update, and distribute podcast episodes. Notably, Spooler raises the bar in podcast post-production by using Dolby.io Enhance to automate audio enhancements including speech leveling, noise removal, loudness correction, and more in real-time.
Spooler makes it possible for media and publishing partners such as Insider to distribute on-demand audio that offers listeners the most current, up-to-date news and information. It enables partners to build modular “playlist” programs that Spooler automatically stitches together in a way that is seamless and adaptive, resulting in a finished product that sounds as polished as highly-produced podcasts and as smooth as live radio.
James O. Boggs, CEO of Spooler said, “We’re delighted to debut our audio publishing tools with the world-class journalists and storytellers at Insider. The Refresh from Insider is a great example of how Spooler is helping producers create entirely new forms of on-demand audio. And this is just the beginning. We’re excited to offer creators unique tools that will allow them to deliver real-time content for today’s podcast generation.”
The Refresh from Insider is available now on Insider.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio and other podcast platforms.
Spooler investors include its founders and Axel Springer Insider Ventures.
Listen now on Insider.com/TheRefresh.
About Insider:
Insider is one of the world’s most popular and influential news brands. Launched in 2007 as Business Insider, Insider covers the news and stories of interest to the digital generation, from travel and lifestyle to finance and technology, the subjects that first put Business Insider on the map. Insider generates more than 250 million unique monthly visitors across the globe and has hundreds of millions of video views each month. Insider has 14 editions around the world in seven languages.
About Spooler:
Spooler is an audio platform founded by industry veterans James O. Boggs, formerly Head of Podcasts at Apple; Andy Bowers, co-founder of Slate Audio and Megaphone; and Henry Blodget, co-founder and CEO of Insider. Founded in 2021 to transform the podcast experience, Spooler provides a solution for journalists and storytellers to update content in real time and keep up with the pace of the always-on news cycles. The platform’s proprietary technology offers its partners the ability to edit, assemble, and rearrange podcast segments as well as automatically sequence background music and host identification. Partners can build modular “playlist” programs that can be easily and quickly stitched together in a way that is seamless and adaptive, resulting in a finished product that sounds as polished as highly-produced podcasts and as seamless as live radio.
LEARN MORE AT spooler.fm.