Podnews Daily - podcast industry news

Sponsored by Riverside. Riverside now offers Podcast Hosting, included free on all plans. Record, edit, and publish to Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and more, all from one platform. You’ll also get built-in analytics and a podcast website to help you grow your show. Go give it a try! More Americans are listening to podcasts every month than ever before, according to The Infinite Dial 2026 from Edison Research at SSRS. The research, with support from SiriusXM Media, was released yesterday afternoon and co-presented by VP Megan Lazovick and Editor of Podnews, James Cridland. It also shows the significant growth of online audio for Americans age 55+. You can watch the full presentation and download all the slides here. YouTube announced new “top podcast lineups”. A blog post, which has a YouTube podcasts logo on it, says: "To further serve advertisers looking to tap into the podcast momentum on YouTube, today we’re introducing our US Top Podcasts lineup across key verticals - Sports, News, Comedy, True Crime and Society & Culture - enabling brands to tailor their approach to key podcast verticals.” (We're not quite sure what this means). Steve Ackerman has been appointed a Non-Executive Director of The Podcast Show. Most recently Executive Vice President and Head of Global Podcasts at Sony Music Entertainment, he has had more than thirty years experience across audio in the UK and US. He’s interviewed this week about his new role in the Podnews Weekly Review. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereGrow & Monetize Your Health & Wellness Podcast — Learn proven growth and monetization strategies directly from the leading experts and top podcasters. Tune in to Mics to Millions to grow your audience, turn your show into a revenue machine, & more. 2026 Women Podcasters Awards — If you are a woman Podcaster, Producer or Expert Guest, you are invited to submit your nomination today. Our mission is to elevate women's voices globally and within the podcasting industry.AudienceLift.com = Podcast Growth 🌟 — AudienceLift.com = Podcast Growth 🌟 More listeners. More charts. More growth. The smarter way to grow your podcast starts here.Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, The Podglomerate, Magid, Simplecast, The Content Creator's Accountant, RedCircle, audioBoom, Podscribe, Cohost, PAVE Studios, Libsyn, Audiohook, Jar Podcast Solutions, Awesound, We Edit Podcasts, Podpage websites, AcastSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Jonekiri, Huberman Lab, Podium , Red Seat Ventures, Frequency, Locked On Podcast Network, Araeya Media, Ausha, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, PodAnalyst, POW PR, SoundStack, Voxtopica, Tink Media, The Roost, Companion Arts, The Podcast Haven, Truefans, Castbox, Compliance Podcast Network, Health Podcast Network, Rephonic, Transistor, Rhapsody Voices, Lemonada Media, Jam Street Media, CreatorX, Headliner, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Double Elvis Productions, Diversion Podcasts, Content10x, Podcast Partnership, Cleanfeed, Lower Street, School of Podcasting, Adopter Media, Podigy, Revolver Podcasts, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.

Sponsored by Riverside. Riverside now offers Podcast Hosting, included free on all plans. Record, edit, and publish to Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and more, all from one platform. You’ll also get built-in analytics and a podcast website to help you grow your show. Go give it a try! “Podcasting isn’t broken - the system behind it is”. A new podcast hosting and production website, Rebel Audio, has been launched with $3.8 million in funding. Jared Gutstadt, the CEO and Founder, calls the system “the first native AI tool built for the podcast community”. It offers hosting and distribution (including video), and AI voice cloning for host-read ads. In Singapore, podcasts are more influential than influencers. Acast has shared new data focusing on the Singapore podcast market, saying that 69% of listeners have considered a brand for the first time because of a podcast, and podcasts are more credible than YouTubers and journalists. Today: the webinar of The Infinite Dial 2026 is at 2pm ET - you can register to watch for free here. The data includes a new monthly number for the number of Americans aged 12+ who consume podcasts. Hosted by Megan Lazovick of Edison Research at SSRS and our Editor, James Cridland, be the first to update your sales deck by watching at 2pm. > > > 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🎧 ➡️ 💰Podcast Content To Clients Workshop — If you want to use your podcast to attract new clients and grow your online business this Podcasting Business School workshop is for you! Join us for this 4-day virtual workshop April 21st-24th.🚨 Final Chance to Book March Podcast Ads — Only 3 days left to lock in self-serve campaigns running 3/16-3/31 on Player FM! Boost downloads, grow your audience, and get your show discovered. Don’t wait!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Cloud10, Libsyn, Podscribe, Audiohook, Simplecast, RedCircle, audioBoom, Magid, PAVE Studios, Cohost, The Content Creator's Accountant, Jar Podcast Solutions, Awesound, We Edit Podcasts, Podpage websites, AcastSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, The Podcast Haven, PodAnalyst, Podium , Frequency, Red Seat Ventures, SoundStack, Truefans, Compliance Podcast Network, Araeya Media, Huberman Lab, Locked On Podcast Network, Tink Media, Ausha, Castbox, Voxtopica, The Roost, POW PR, Companion Arts, Jonekiri, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Health Podcast Network, Rephonic, Double Elvis Productions, Lemonada Media, Transistor, Headliner, Rhapsody Voices, Sonic Influencer Marketing, CreatorX, Jam Street Media, Diversion Podcasts, Podcast Partnership, Content10x, Cleanfeed, Adopter Media, Lower Street, Revolver Podcasts, School of Podcasting, Podigy, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.

Sponsored by Riverside. Riverside now offers Podcast Hosting. Record in studio-quality, edit with ease, and publish your podcast to reach listeners worldwide, all from one platform. Host where you record. Libsyn’s podcast ad revenue grew 48% last year, the company has announced; downloads are up 17%, and the company served 4.5 billion ad impressions in 2025 - up 46%. The number of creators monetising on the platform has increased more than 2.5x. The company announced that the Libsyn Audience Network is now broadly available: a way for advertisers to buy across Libsyn shows. Libsyn is making its SXSW debut next week at Podcast Movement Evolutions and the iHeartPodcasts Hotel; they’re also founding sponsor of Oxford Road’s Indie PaC Awards. In a major change in the UK, the Elis James and John Robins show will be the first podcast that is commercially available under a new BBC Audio Release policy. The new commercial opportunities include the back catalogue of the popular show, which won Best Comedy Show in the British Podcast Awards last October. It’s made by Significant Productions, and will be monetised by Audio Always. The new BBC policy was announced in October last year. A significant amount of BBC radio output is made by independent programme makers. The new policy allows those “indies” to own the RSS feed for third-party platforms (like Apple or Spotify), and place ads into those podcasts. The shows will continue to be ad-free on BBC radio and within the BBC Sounds app. In return, the policy requires a minimum of 10% of revenue to the BBC, promotional trails to BBC Sounds in the podcast, and clear explanations “as may be supplied or directed by the BBC”. It’s a very limited trial: only twelve shows will get this treatment, and only two per supplier. Audible announced “localised experiences” in a further 11 new countries. Listeners in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt will all have local-language recommendations and billing, and will be cross-promoted from their local Amazon sites. The company claims it has grown its number of members by 800% in the last ten years; and the company projects that number will double again in just three years. (Audible funds a number of exclusive podcasts). > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereGrow & Monetize Your Health & Wellness Podcast — Learn proven growth and monetization strategies directly from the leading experts and top podcasters. Tune in to Mics to Millions to grow your audience, turn your show into a revenue machine, & more.Behind-the-scenes of a podcast-to-YouTube move — Titles, thumbnails, packaging, experiments, and honest results — shared in real time, not hindsight, in newsletter format. AudienceLift.com - YouTube Growth + Subs 🌟 — 🌟 AudienceLift.com – YouTube Growth + Subs Get real subscribers, more views, and lasting channel growth. Your shortcut to YouTube success. Book Now!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Cloud10, Magid, PAVE Studios, Simplecast, Podscribe, audioBoom, RedCircle, Libsyn, Cohost, The Content Creator's Accountant, Audiohook, Jar Podcast Solutions, Awesound, Podpage websites, We Edit Podcasts, AcastSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, POW PR, The Roost, Red Seat Ventures, Companion Arts, Castbox, Frequency, Jonekiri, Araeya Media, Tink Media, Podium , The Podcast Haven, Compliance Podcast Network, Truefans, Ausha, Voxtopica, Locked On Podcast Network, Huberman Lab, SoundStack, PodAnalyst, Health Podcast Network, Headliner, Transistor, CreatorX, Diversion Podcasts, Jam Street Media, Rhapsody Voices, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Rephonic, Double Elvis Productions, Lemonada Media, Content10x, Podcast Partnership, Cleanfeed, Lower Street, Podigy, Adopter Media, School of Podcasting, Revolver Podcasts, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Podcast Movement 2024

Sponsored by Riverside. Riverside now offers Podcast Hosting. Record, edit, and publish to Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and more, all from the same platform. Host where you record. Podcast hosting company Podbean has abruptly pulled its dynamic ad insertion tool across the whole of Europe. No notice was given; the affected countries imply that there is a concern with GDPR compliance. The company launched PodAds in 2019. “We rely on dynamic insertion,” one customer told us, “and without prior warning, this has a huge impact on us”. The company told Podnews that the decision was "based on a combination of evolving global privacy regulations and a shift in our internal product focus." Podbean is also removing its Livestream product as of June. The livestream service has more than 65,000 shows, according to the company’s website. The company tells us it is being sunset as it "reallocates resources toward AI features". How much of your podcast do people listen to? Bumper analysed more than 100,000 episodes to discover that the average (on Apple and Spotify) is 76%. (But, for shows under half an hour, it’s 85%). And - how many people listen to podcasts every month in the US? You’ll be the first to know if you watch the webinar of The Infinite Dial 2026 this Thursday (2pm ET). It’s free; the data will be presented by VP of Edison Research at SSRS, Megan Lazovick, and Podnews’s Editor, James Cridland. You can register here. > > > 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.🎧 Grow Your Podcast with Player FM — Reach highly engaged podcast listeners with Player FM’s self-serve ads. Boost downloads, grow subscribers, and stay in control with flexible pricing. Launch your campaign today!The New Zealand Podcasting Summit, May 9, 2026 — The New Zealand Podcasting Summit turns 5! Join us Sat May 9 2026. The day-long event for NZ’s podcast producers, presenters, practitioners, & providers. Come and network, learn, share, & collaborate Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Cloud10, The Content Creator's Accountant, Simplecast, Magid, PAVE Studios, Podscribe, RedCircle, audioBoom, Cohost, Libsyn, Audiohook, Jar Podcast Solutions, Awesound, Podpage websites, We Edit Podcasts, AcastSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Locked On Podcast Network, POW PR, Red Seat Ventures, Frequency, Ausha, Castbox, Truefans, SoundStack, Voxtopica, Compliance Podcast Network, Araeya Media, Huberman Lab, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, The Podcast Haven, The Roost, PodAnalyst, Tink Media, Jonekiri, Podium , Companion Arts, Health Podcast Network, Double Elvis Productions, CreatorX, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Transistor, Diversion Podcasts, Headliner, Lemonada Media, Rhapsody Voices, Jam Street Media, Rephonic, Podcast Partnership, Content10x, Cleanfeed, Lower Street, Podigy, School of Podcasting, Revolver Podcasts, Adopter Media, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Kryštof Zajíček

Sponsored by Riverside. Riverside now offers Podcast Hosting. Record, edit, and publish to Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and more, all from the same platform. Host where you record. When should you say you use AI in your podcast? RSS.com’s Alberto Betella has produced a new website called ’should I disclose’ to help creators know whether they should label their podcast episodes as AI-generated. The guidelines suggest disclosure is based on substance, rather than merely tools. It has an interactive questionnaire asking you six questions to help; and also links to platform guidelines. When contacted by Podnews, Eric Nuzum from Magnificent Noise said that the website is “asking all the right questions”. However, he told us: "All podcasts require two things from their creators: passion and curiosity. AI can imitate the effects of those things, but it cannot be passionate or creative. So if anyone chooses to do the activities that the site suggests requires disclosure, I’m having trouble imagining it will ever achieve any audience impact worth considering." John McDermott from Caloroga Shark Media, which produces content using AI as part of the process, tells us that "If an AI voice reads a story well, and allows something to get produced, I think it is a plus. I’m happy to disclose anything - I just don’t want to be unnecessarily penalized for it." "Podcasting has been a medium built on authenticity and connection,” Amplifi Media’s Steven Goldstein told us. Adding that the website is helpful, he said: "In my view, the issue isn’t whether AI is used. The issue is whether the audience is intentionally misled. Listener trust is foundational to the medium. Transparency matters." Inception Point AI was also contacted for comment, but the company had not responded by press time. Apple Podcasts was launched as an app on iPhone in June 2012. It wasn’t the first podcast app - and there was one that was launched three years earlier: with some features that we take for granted today. That app was Google Listen, the first podcast app experiment by Google. In a new article today as part of our history collection, we unveil the v2 design that was never launched, its inevitable pivot to video, and the astonishing engagement figures that the app got - even if that didn’t save it from the Google graveyard. On Purpose with Jay Shetty is to leave iHeartMedia in July. The show was conspicuously absent from the recent iHeart/Netflix deal. “We love Jay — we have enormous respect for him and what we’ve accomplished together, including both doubling his audience and his revenue, but as sometimes happens with professional relationships, we’re going in different directions,” the company said in an email to advertisers. > > > 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⚠️ Don't Make These Podcasting Mistakes — Most podcasts fail in the first year — not from lack of talent, but bad decisions. Dave Jackson has 20 years of hard-won lessons so you don't have to learn them the hard way. Press PLAY on The Greatest Mixtape Podcast — your backstage pass to the world of iconic tracks and hidden musical gems. Join us on an audio journey as we explore the songs that have defined generations, inspired movements and transformed lives. 🚀 AUDIENCELIFT = LISTENS + SUBSCRIBERS! — Audiencelift advertises your podcast to the right audience with links to listen, follow, and opt in for push notifications! It's perfect if you want to grow and engage your audience. Learn more! Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Cloud10, The Content Creator's Accountant, RedCircle, Audiohook, Cohost, Magid, Libsyn, Simplecast, Podscribe, PAVE Studios, audioBoom, Jar Podcast Solutions, Awesound, Acast, Podpage websites, We Edit PodcastsSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, SoundStack, Ausha, Frequency, Truefans, The Roost, PodAnalyst, Voxtopica, Jonekiri, Tink Media, Podium , Huberman Lab, Castbox, Locked On Podcast Network, Araeya Media, The Podcast Haven, Companion Arts, POW PR, Red Seat Ventures, Compliance Podcast Network, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Health Podcast Network, Headliner, Jam Street Media, Double Elvis Productions, Rephonic, CreatorX, Lemonada Media, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Diversion Podcasts, Transistor, Rhapsody Voices, Content10x, Podcast Partnership, Cleanfeed, Adopter Media, Revolver Podcasts, Podigy, Lower Street, School of Podcasting, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Lukas