<p>Back in November, our Independent Podcaster Report found that only 15% of creators were actively monetising their shows. Of those that did, the majority were running ads and sponsorship. </p><p>If you missed it, ​<a href="https://alitu.com/creator/content-creation/the-independent-podcaster-report-2025/" target="_blank">the full report is here</a>​.</p><p>This week on Podcraft, we got into the thornier side of that: can ads erode audience trust? Are they an annoyance? And how many is too many?</p><p>We picked apart some other claims, too: </p><ul><li>AI voices will become indistinguishable from real hosts</li><li>One viral clip can change everything</li><li>YouTube rewards podcasters more than podcast apps do</li><li>If you don't have 5+ hours a week, don't start a podcast</li><li>Your podcast idea isn't unique</li><li>If you're not getting feedback, your podcast isn't memorable</li></ul><p></p><p><strong>Podcraft is brought to you by <a href="https://alitu.com/?utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_medium=podcraft&amp;utm_campaign=shownotes" target="_blank">Alitu</a> and <a href="https://www.thepodcasthost.com/podcraft-podcast/" target="_blank">The Podcast Host</a></strong></p>