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Sponsored by Magellan AI. Renewal and response signals helped Boll & Branch fine-tune campaigns and lift ROI. Get the full story with Magellan AI Why would anyone knowingly buy ads on a platform that works up to 25% worse? New research today from Oxford Road suggests that, in spite of the hype around YouTube, ads on YouTube shows are less effective than on audio-only podcasts. The data is based on more than a thousand campaigns - and shows that video comes at a heavy cost to advertisers, who might be better buying audio instead. The data is also covered in the Wall Street Journal today. Initial Group has acquired podcast and YouTube producer Silver Tribe Media. No terms were given; the company will be called Initial Digital. Silver Tribe’s clients include Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios, and Colin Cowherd’s The Volume, among others. Now, short-form video is coming to books. Audible is adding swipeable vertical videos in its app, including trailers, author interviews, and behind-the-scenes clips, for select publishers. Here's an example of what you might see. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereBroadcast Radio Auto-Process — Well-produced ≠ broadcast processed. Audyllic uses Orban Optimod to add the radio processing layer your podcast is missing. That's what keeps people listening. Try free: audyllic.comGood Podcasts Grow. Great Ones Scale — Even chart-toppers need smarter growth. AudienceLift.com drives measurable expansion across Major Audio and Video Platforms. 🌟 For creators who want more than “good enough. Try it Now!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, Sounds Profitable, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, The Podglomerate, Companion Arts, audioBoom, Simplecast, Podscribe, Cohost, PAVE Studios, Audiohook, RedCircle, Resound, SALT, Steve Lack: Audio, Magid, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Evergreen Podcasts, We Edit Podcasts, Acast, Podpage websites, Knucklehead Media Group, DisctopiaSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, SoundStack, PodAnalyst, PodVault, Castbox, The Podcast Haven, Voxtopica, Jonekiri, Ausha, Red Seat Ventures, Tink Media, Gilded Audio, The Roost, Storyboard, Frequency, Gumball, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Podium , Huberman Lab, Compliance Podcast Network, POW PR, Truefans, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Jam Street Media, Castos, Transistor, Oxford Road, matchmaker.fm, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Optimal Living Daily, Blubrry, Podcast Taxi, Diversion Podcasts, Double Elvis Productions, Heartcast Media50, Ossa Collective, Rhapsody Voices, Zvook, Wondery, Headliner, Lemonada Media, Rephonic, Podcast Partnership, StreamGuys, Content10x, Ad Results Media, Hear.Here.Singapore, She Podcasts, Cleanfeed, Sonix, Adopter Media, Podigy, Lower Street, Podcast Movement, School of Podcasting, Revolver Podcasts, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Oxford Rd

Sponsored by Magellan AI. Boll & Branch stepped beyond their core audience and saw returns climb. See how they scaled with Magellan AI Netflix and iHeartMedia have announced an exclusive video partnership for top iHeartPodcasts. iHeart continues to retain audio-only rights and distribution; but the 14 announced shows will be removed from YouTube. Some of the shows that are not part of the deal include On Purpose with Jay Shetty with 16mn views over the past 30 days, but which isn't headed to Netflix. Nor is Club Shay Shay (20mn), Drink Champs (2.2mn), or Las Culturistas (3mn). One of iHeart's biggest shows is also obviously missing: Stuff You Should Know doesn't currently make video versions of its podcast. (There are more shows to be announced though.) How big is Netflix? In 2023, Podnews built a tool using Netflix's own data to help compare the size of Netflix shows to podcasts; our own Podnews Weekly Review is bigger than 1-in-5 of all the shows on Netflix, despite only getting 26,500 downloads a month. Good news from the UK: after a lobbying campaign by AudioUK, the UK Government has granted a seat on the Creative Industries Council to podcasting and audio, representing a significant recognition of the creative, cultural and economic value of podcasting and audio. It will allow the industry to engage directly with policymakers. The BBC's future funding model from 2028 is the subject of a green paper and public consultation from the UK government. (In the UK, "green papers" propose policy ideas for discussion and consultation). Radiocentre, the UK commercial radio trade body, has suggested that ad funding should be ruled-out; earlier this year, after considerable industry pressure, the BBC abandoned plans to place ads in its podcasts in the UK. The BBC currently earns most of its funding from a $233 "licence fee" directly from UK households - which raises $5bn per year. This week, US President Donald Trump announced plans to sue the BBC for $10bn for a misleading edit of a speech in a TV program which did not air in the US. > > > 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.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, PodMatch, Sounds Profitable, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Cloud10, Resound, RedCircle, Steve Lack: Audio, Audiohook, Podscribe, audioBoom, Companion Arts, PAVE Studios, Simplecast, Magid, SALT, Cohost, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Podpage websites, Disctopia, Knucklehead Media Group, We Edit Podcasts, Evergreen Podcasts, AcastSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Truefans, Jonekiri, Gilded Audio, Storyboard, Podium , ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Ausha, Huberman Lab, Compliance Podcast Network, Frequency, The Podcast Haven, Voxtopica, PodVault, Tink Media, Castbox, PodAnalyst, The Roost, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Gumball, POW PR, Red Seat Ventures, SoundStack, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Oxford Road, Jam Street Media, Rephonic, matchmaker.fm, Ossa Collective, Headliner, Diversion Podcasts, Blubrry, Transistor, Castos, Lemonada Media, Double Elvis Productions, Optimal Living Daily, Zvook, Rhapsody Voices, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Heartcast Media50, Wondery, Podcast Taxi, StreamGuys, Hear.Here.Singapore, Podcast Partnership, Ad Results Media, Content10x, She Podcasts, Cleanfeed, Sonix, Podcast Movement, School of Podcasting, Adopter Media, Podigy, Revolver Podcasts, Lower Street, Signal Hill Insights, Edison ResearchOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.

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, Sounds Profitable, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, The Podglomerate, audioBoom, Audiohook, SALT, Cohost, Resound, RedCircle, Podscribe, Companion Arts, Magid, PAVE Studios, Simplecast, Steve Lack: Audio, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Knucklehead Media Group, Disctopia, Acast, Podpage websites, We Edit Podcasts, Evergreen PodcastsSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Red Seat Ventures, SoundStack, Voxtopica, Huberman Lab, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Podium , Truefans, Jonekiri, The Podcast Haven, Gilded Audio, The Roost, PodAnalyst, Compliance Podcast Network, Gumball, Frequency, Castbox, Ausha, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, PodVault, POW PR, Storyboard, Tink Media, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Zvook, Castos, Wondery, Headliner, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Optimal Living Daily, Oxford Road, Double Elvis Productions, Rephonic, Jam Street Media, Ossa Collective, Lemonada Media, Podcast Taxi, Diversion Podcasts, matchmaker.fm, Rhapsody Voices, Heartcast Media50, Blubrry, Transistor, StreamGuys, Hear.Here.Singapore, Podcast Partnership, Ad Results Media, Content10x, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, Lower Street, School of Podcasting, Sonix, Adopter Media, Revolver Podcasts, Podcast Movement, Podigy, 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, Cohost, Magid, Simplecast, Podscribe, Audiohook, audioBoom, RedCircle, SALT, Steve Lack: Audio, Companion Arts, PAVE Studios, Resound, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Knucklehead Media Group, Podpage websites, Disctopia, We Edit Podcasts, Evergreen Podcasts, AcastSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Voxtopica, Red Seat Ventures, Tink Media, Truefans, Podium , Gilded Audio, POW PR, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Storyboard, Huberman Lab, Castbox, SoundStack, Frequency, PodVault, The Podcast Haven, Compliance Podcast Network, Gumball, Ausha, PodAnalyst, The Roost, Jonekiri, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Lemonada Media, Zvook, Ossa Collective, Double Elvis Productions, Castos, Blubrry, Oxford Road, Headliner, Heartcast Media50, Transistor, Podcast Taxi, Rephonic, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Optimal Living Daily, Jam Street Media, Diversion Podcasts, Wondery, Rhapsody Voices, matchmaker.fm, Hear.Here.Singapore, Podcast Partnership, StreamGuys, Content10x, Ad Results Media, She Podcasts, Cleanfeed, Adopter Media, Revolver Podcasts, Sonix, School of Podcasting, Podigy, Lower Street, Podcast Movement, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur 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, audioBoom, Simplecast, Magid, RedCircle, Podscribe, Cohost, Companion Arts, Steve Lack: Audio, Audiohook, SALT, PAVE Studios, Resound, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Podpage websites, We Edit Podcasts, Disctopia, Knucklehead Media Group, Evergreen Podcasts, AcastSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, PodAnalyst, Red Seat Ventures, Gumball, Voxtopica, The Roost, POW PR, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Huberman Lab, Truefans, SoundStack, Tink Media, Gilded Audio, Compliance Podcast Network, Podium , The Podcast Haven, PodVault, Frequency, Storyboard, Jonekiri, Castbox, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Ausha, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Heartcast Media50, Double Elvis Productions, Optimal Living Daily, Ossa Collective, Lemonada Media, Jam Street Media, Headliner, Rephonic, Wondery, Diversion Podcasts, Blubrry, Oxford Road, Rhapsody Voices, Transistor, Podcast Taxi, Sonic Influencer Marketing, matchmaker.fm, Castos, Zvook, Content10x, Hear.Here.Singapore, Ad Results Media, StreamGuys, Podcast Partnership, She Podcasts, Cleanfeed, Podcast Movement, Adopter Media, School of Podcasting, Podigy, Lower Street, Sonix, Revolver Podcasts, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Jake Nackos/Albert Dera