Podnews Daily - podcast industry news

Sponsored by Magellan AI. Real spend signals helped Blue Wire close one of their biggest deals of the year. See how they did it Some of the best performing podcasts for advertisers are tried and trusted shows that have been established for more than five years. That's according to Oxford Road's ORBIT data, which draws on $1.6bn+ in ad campaigns. Top performing shows include The Tim Ferris Show, Young and Profiting with Hala Taha, and Crime Junkie - all of whom have been podcasting since before March 2020, and out-perform newer shows. The Washington Post knew that its AI-produced podcasts were going to be poor after internal tests but launched them anyway, reports Futurism. A piece in LAist quotes Gabriel Soto from Edison Research - 1 in 5 podcast consumers say they've listened to an AI-narrated podcast; but many prefer the human connection, he says. The new features in Apple Podcasts makes the app "finally good again", says HowToGeek. The automated chapter feature is "really slick", according to none other than Podcasting 2.0's Dave Jones, who says that he's now using Apple Podcasts for his work-related podcasts. (You get the new features by updating your device to v26.2 - chapters and timed links are also visible on Mac using 26.2 as well). > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereTry Audyllic - Podcast sound — Your podcast sounds great, but not like radio. That’s because it’s missing broadcast processing. Audyllic adds authentic Optimod processing automatically. Make every episode sound pro. Audyllic.com🎧 Grow Your Podcast On Player FM — Player.FM’s new self-serve ad portal can help you grow your show, boost engagement, and drive downloads with flexible pricing. Book your next campaign now!Real Audience Growth for Creators — Reach More Listeners and Viewers! Grow Your Podcast with Proven Results. 🚀 AudienceLift.com, Guaranteed Growth for Audio & Video Podcasts. Try it Now!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, Sounds Profitable, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, The Podglomerate, PAVE Studios, Resound, Cohost, Companion Arts, Podscribe, SALT, Magid, Simplecast, Audiohook, RedCircle, audioBoom, Steve Lack: Audio, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Knucklehead Media Group, Acast, Evergreen Podcasts, Podpage websites, Disctopia, We Edit PodcastsSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Compliance Podcast Network, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Tink Media, Gilded Audio, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, The Roost, Truefans, Voxtopica, SoundStack, Storyboard, Huberman Lab, PodAnalyst, Frequency, Gumball, Jonekiri, Podium , The Podcast Haven, Red Seat Ventures, PodVault, Castbox, POW PR, Ausha, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Double Elvis Productions, Ossa Collective, Optimal Living Daily, Blubrry, Rhapsody Voices, Zvook, Lemonada Media, Headliner, matchmaker.fm, Oxford Road, Transistor, Podcast Taxi, Wondery, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Heartcast Media50, Diversion Podcasts, Jam Street Media, Rephonic, Castos, Content10x, Hear.Here.Singapore, Podcast Partnership, StreamGuys, Ad Results Media, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, Sonix, Revolver Podcasts, Adopter Media, Podigy, Lower Street, Podcast Movement, School of Podcasting, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: SOCIAL . CUT

Sponsored by Magellan AI. When buyers asked for proof, Blue Wire delivered. Audience data backed their pitches and unlocked new partnerships. Discover their strategy 2025's best true crime podcasts have been announced by the true crime review podcast Crime Writers On. The podcast has reviewed more than a thousand true-crime and crime-adjacent podcasts. We publish the full list today. iOS podcast app Castro has blocked Inception Point AI podcasts from its app search results. In a blog post, Castro's Dustin Bluck says that Inception Point AI "seems to be keying on popular searches in order to flood search results and deceive users." Is the accusation fair? A search in Apple Podcasts for Charlie Kirk brings up four shows from Inception Point AI in the results - Charlie Kirk Biography Flash, Charlie Kirk, Charlie Kirk Death and Charlie Kirk Manhunt. The company's CEO, Jeanine Wright - who is a former legal attorney - has been clear about the company's SEO policy, saying in an interview for the Podnews Weekly Review podcast: "When people typed Charlie Kirk into Apple and Spotify, we were three of the top five shows - even beating out the Daily Mail." Only one of those shows makes any mention of AI in the audio; another claims it has "personal interviews" and "a team of expert researchers and journalists". As of checking today, Inception Point AI's biography channel contains 733 shows; the vast majority of which are, according to the company, not checked by humans before publishing. Apple released iOS v26.2 at the end of last week. In Apple Podcasts, it rolls out automated chapters for every podcast, as well as "timed links", which is particularly helpful for guests, allowing links to their podcasts to appear when they're mentioned in the audio. We've updated our FAQ. The v26.2 update also includes more than 25 different security fixes, so we'd suggest you update as soon as you're able to. To update your iPhone or iPad to v26.2, open the Settings app, choose "General" then "Software Update", and pull down the screen to check for the latest. (Do it from a fast wifi connection!) > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad here🎯Are you getting new clients from your podcast?💰 — Subscribe to the FREE Podcasting Business School newsletter and get fresh tips every Thursday for podcast growth & listener to client conversion strategies. Join over 4,000+ Pod Pals on this list.List of 75+ Brands Actively Buying Podcast Ads — Access 75+ handpicked brands that are currently sponsoring podcasts -- each with the email of the right contact to pitch to. Grab it for free now.Free: Podcast Marketing Playbook — Learn what the top shows do differently. Free playbook from the team behind 100M+ downloads.Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, Sounds Profitable, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, The Podglomerate, Podscribe, Magid, Cohost, PAVE Studios, Resound, Simplecast, audioBoom, Audiohook, Companion Arts, RedCircle, SALT, Steve Lack: Audio, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Knucklehead Media Group, Acast, Evergreen Podcasts, Podpage websites, Disctopia, We Edit PodcastsSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Compliance Podcast Network, SoundStack, Gilded Audio, Jonekiri, Truefans, Voxtopica, PodAnalyst, PodVault, Gumball, Castbox, The Podcast Haven, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, POW PR, Red Seat Ventures, Ausha, Podium , Tink Media, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Storyboard, Frequency, The Roost, Huberman Lab, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Heartcast Media50, Rephonic, Ossa Collective, Lemonada Media, Castos, Blubrry, Zvook, Headliner, Optimal Living Daily, Transistor, Podcast Taxi, Double Elvis Productions, Diversion Podcasts, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Jam Street Media, Rhapsody Voices, matchmaker.fm, Wondery, Oxford Road, Hear.Here.Singapore, StreamGuys, Ad Results Media, Content10x, Podcast Partnership, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, Podigy, School of Podcasting, Sonix, Podcast Movement, Revolver Podcasts, Lower Street, Adopter Media, Signal Hill Insights, Edison ResearchOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: David von Diemar

Sponsored by Magellan AI. Competitive and ad load insight helped Mynt Agency dodge clutter and guide brands to stronger placements. Check out their strategy In the US, there are almost twice as many men creating podcasts as women, according to The Creators 2025, a new study from Sounds Profitable into the creator ecosystem for podcasting, which became available to all yesterday. The full report is a free download. While there is woefully poor gender balance in podcast creation, there is growing creator participation from multicultural communities, the study suggests, with the number of Hispanic, Black and Asian creators outpacing White creators. White creators also are less likely to create video. The data also shows that one in three podcast creators quit. That figure is higher for those aged 55+, or for those who identify LGBTQ+. “Women aren’t quitting podcasting more than men — they’re just not starting. That’s an entry problem, not a commitment problem,” said Sounds Profitable’s Tom Webster, suggesting that there are structural barriers to entry. “We lose something when voices opt out before they ever opt in.” Good news for fans of Nerdette - the show is to relaunch as an independent production, called Happy to Be Here. Nerdette was the casualty of cuts at WBEZ announced in April 2024; the host, Greta Johnsen, was able to use the old Nerdette feed for this new show. The Fiction Podcast Weekly newsletter is now independent. Expect resources and news for fiction podcast makers. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereHappy Holidays from John Wordock Media — Did your podcast or network underperform this year? Make 2026 better. Consultant John Wordock lives where content strategy meets audience and revenue. So contact him today. All meetings confidential.Free Tap-to-Share Podcast Beacon for Podfest — Headed to Podfest? Get a free event-use Podcast Beacon to instantly share your show with one tap. Try it at Podfest, then share feedback or a post to upgrade to a permanent Conntap device—free!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, Sounds Profitable, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, The Podglomerate, Simplecast, Audiohook, SALT, RedCircle, Companion Arts, Resound, audioBoom, Steve Lack: Audio, Podscribe, Magid, PAVE Studios, Cohost, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Knucklehead Media Group, Disctopia, We Edit Podcasts, Podpage websites, Acast, Evergreen PodcastsSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Storyboard, Gumball, Gilded Audio, Podium , PodVault, Red Seat Ventures, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Voxtopica, The Roost, Castbox, Compliance Podcast Network, Tink Media, The Podcast Haven, Jonekiri, PodAnalyst, POW PR, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Frequency, SoundStack, Ausha, Huberman Lab, Truefans, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Diversion Podcasts, Podcast Taxi, Heartcast Media50, Blubrry, Ossa Collective, Transistor, Optimal Living Daily, Headliner, matchmaker.fm, Oxford Road, Zvook, Jam Street Media, Lemonada Media, Rephonic, Wondery, Rhapsody Voices, Castos, Double Elvis Productions, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Ad Results Media, Content10x, Podcast Partnership, Hear.Here.Singapore, StreamGuys, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, Podigy, Lower Street, School of Podcasting, Sonix, Podcast Movement, Revolver Podcasts, Adopter Media, Signal Hill Insights, Edison ResearchOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Jake Nackos/Albert Dera

Sponsored by Magellan AI. Mynt Agency's shortcut to smarter podcast planning is simple: better data, not guesswork. Learn Mynt's approachReady to shape how top agencies and brands measure audio in 2026? Join the team at Magellan AI as a Measurement Success Manager. The inductees of the 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame have been announced, recognising what the organisers call “visionary creators, innovators, and advocates whose work has shaped the modern podcasting landscape”. The Hall of Fame Ceremony is at PodFest, Jan 16 2026; the evening will be hosted by John Lee Dumas, founder and host of Entrepreneurs on Fire. This year’s inductees are: \ Mark Asquith, Founder of Captivate \ Arielle Nisenblatt, founder, EarBuds Podcast Collective \ Dan Carlin, Creator, Hardcore History \ James Cridland, Editor, Podnews \ Pat Flynn, Founder, Smart Passive Income\ Julie Samuels, President/CEO Tech:NYC, Senior Staff Podcast Troll Attorney, EFF \ Veronica Belmont, CNET’s Buzz Out Loud, Sword & Laser, Mahalo Daily, co-host of Tekzilla \ Sarah van Mosel, former VP, Sponsorship at New York Public Radio, Acast, Stitcher, iHeart, SiriusXM \ Paul Colligan, President, Podcast Partnership \ Kerri Hoffman, CEO, PRX \ Dan Miller, host, 48 Days to the Work You Love, in memoriam - to be presented by Dave Ramsey Speaking of which: Podfest’s pricing goes up on Friday. As a Podnews newsletter subscriber, you can save a further 10% over here. Libsyn has published its new pricing on its website. Its “bare essentials” plan has been removed. YouTube’s Neal Mohan has been named TIME’s 2025 CEO of the Year. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad herePodcast Growth & Monetization tips every Thursday! — Subscribe to the FREE Podcasting Business School newsletter and get fresh tips every Thursday for podcast growth, monetization, and online business strategies. Join over 4,000+ Pod Pals on this list.List of 75+ Brands Actively Buying Podcast Ads — Access 75+ handpicked brands that are currently sponsoring podcasts -- each with the email of the right contact to pitch to. Grab it for free now.Precision Denoising with Auphonic — Select exactly where noise is removed in your recording and which model is used. Clean speech, music, and ambience differently with precision. More control. More creative freedom. Try it now!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, Sounds Profitable, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, The Podglomerate, SALT, Audiohook, Companion Arts, Simplecast, Steve Lack: Audio, Cohost, Podscribe, audioBoom, RedCircle, Magid, PAVE Studios, Resound, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Podpage websites, Evergreen Podcasts, Acast, We Edit Podcasts, Disctopia, Knucklehead Media GroupSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, The Podcast Haven, Ausha, Gilded Audio, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Storyboard, Tink Media, Podium , Huberman Lab, The Roost, PodVault, PodAnalyst, SoundStack, POW PR, Voxtopica, Red Seat Ventures, Frequency, Jonekiri, Truefans, Gumball, Compliance Podcast Network, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Castbox, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Castos, Heartcast Media50, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Oxford Road, Optimal Living Daily, Blubrry, Jam Street Media, Rephonic, Double Elvis Productions, Headliner, Ossa Collective, Zvook, Lemonada Media, Rhapsody Voices, Transistor, matchmaker.fm, Diversion Podcasts, Wondery, Podcast Taxi, StreamGuys, Podcast Partnership, Hear.Here.Singapore, Ad Results Media, Content10x, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, School of Podcasting, Sonix, Podigy, Podcast Movement, Adopter Media, Revolver Podcasts, Lower Street, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Podcast Hall of Fame

Sponsored by Magellan AI. Ready to shape how top agencies and brands measure audio in 2026? Join the Measurement Success team at Magellan AI. Apply now Just days after the announcement of the Golden Globes podcast nominees, the NYC Podcast Awards have been announced. The organisers say it is “launching in direct opposition to the download-first culture dominating podcasting. The Libby Awards recognize craft: sound design, writing, acting, engineering -- and the creators themselves -- as highly as audience size.” You’ve until Jan 10 to enter. Global investment in podcasting is not matched to consumption, according to a new study today from NumberEight. The research shows that the US leads spend, while Australia, Germany and France are expansion opportunities for buyers looking for incremental reach. The data shows differences in culture and personas, and shows additional data to help buyers scale. The work was done in collaboration with Barometer, AdsWizz, and Sounds Profitable. UK podcast company Goalhanger filed its accounts for the seven months of June-Dec 2024 (the company has changed its financial year). These are a UK legal requirement but don’t tell us much, since you don’t have to show profit and loss for this type of company. But - spoiler - it’s in profit; it ended Dec 2024 with just over £5mn (USD $6.7mn) in the bank. In May, it had £2.7mn. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereFrustrated at the time taken to edit? — Save hours and scale faster. Seven Million Bikes Podcasts is the trusted production partner for creators and agencies worldwide. Reliable turnaround, pro quality, and pricing that makes sense.🎧 Grow Your Podcast On Player FM — Player.FM’s new self-serve ad portal can help you grow your show, boost engagement, and drive downloads with flexible pricing. Book your next campaign now!The Creators 2025 — The latest study from Sounds Profitable debuts Dec 10th with new data on audio and video creators, as well as lapsed creators who are no longer making podcasts. Join Tom Webster for this free webinar!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, Sounds Profitable, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Cloud10, Podscribe, Cohost, Audiohook, Simplecast, Resound, RedCircle, Companion Arts, audioBoom, SALT, Steve Lack: Audio, PAVE Studios, Magid, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Knucklehead Media Group, Podpage websites, Acast, We Edit Podcasts, Evergreen Podcasts, DisctopiaSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Red Seat Ventures, Voxtopica, Jonekiri, The Roost, Ausha, Gilded Audio, Frequency, Compliance Podcast Network, Podium , Huberman Lab, POW PR, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, PodAnalyst, Gumball, The Podcast Haven, Tink Media, PodVault, Truefans, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, SoundStack, Castbox, Storyboard, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Blubrry, Castos, Transistor, Rhapsody Voices, Oxford Road, Ossa Collective, Headliner, Wondery, Jam Street Media, Rephonic, Lemonada Media, matchmaker.fm, Optimal Living Daily, Heartcast Media50, Double Elvis Productions, Zvook, Podcast Taxi, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Diversion Podcasts, StreamGuys, Podcast Partnership, Content10x, Hear.Here.Singapore, Ad Results Media, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, Podigy, Sonix, Lower Street, Adopter Media, Revolver Podcasts, School of Podcasting, Podcast Movement, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.