Acast’s Smart Recommendations launched for ad buyers

Sponsored by RedCircle. Talking into a mic for free? That’s a choice. Getting paid for it? That’s a business.

• Acast has launched its first AI-powered tool (that’s Acast Intelligence to you): Smart Recommendations, an AI-powered podcast ad planner. The tool takes natural language to allow advertisers to turn a desire to reach, for example, “men living in capital cities in Australia interested in craft beer” into a curated set of podcasts to advertise in.
• In the UK, the BBC has announced a partnership with the Crossed Wires podcast festival in Sheffield, to run a weekend of free shows in early July. Free tickets will be available at the end of next week.
• We may have an end to Kast Media’s bankruptcy proceedings, which we’ve been covering for over a year. The company’s plan to emerge from bankruptcy was confirmed by a court yesterday.
  • Meanwhile, Kast Media published its accounts for April 2025 as part of the bankruptcy proceedings. The company made $11,455.05 in advertising, and $3,748.63 from Apple Podcasts premium subscriptions. After paying CEO Colin Thomson’s salary and freelancers, the company lost $11,500 in the month.

> > > 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

• The Undercover Intern Can No Longer Intern Safely — If you know anyone at the BBC, PBS, or—at worst—CBS, please ask them to listen to his home-improvement pilot podcast and commission a full TV or cinema series. This is urgent; no time-wasters, please.
• Audiencelift: Grow on Major Podcast Platforms Now — 📈Ready to grow? Audiencelift helps podcasters reach real audiences and increase downloads across Major Podcast Platforms. Launch your first campaign with Audiencelift Today!
• The Advertising Landscape - Trust and Attention — Discover why podcast ads win attention & trust compared to other media. Join Tom Webster 6/4 at 2PM ET for data on podcast advertising's unique power + actionable strategies for brands & creators.

Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Sounds Profitable, Cloud10, Podscribe, Steve Lack: Audio, audioBoom, Cohost, Resound, SALT, RedCircle, Audiohook, Simplecast, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, We Edit Podcasts, Disctopia, Podpage websites, Knucklehead Media Group, Evergreen Podcasts, Acast

Silver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Compliance Podcast Network, Podium , Jonekiri, Gilded Audio, POW PR, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, SoundStack, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Storyboard, Frequency, Truefans, Ausha, The Roost, Castbox, The Podcast Haven, Red Seat Ventures, Huberman Lab, Gumball, Voxtopica, Tink Media, Podcastpage, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Castos, Oxford Road, Wondery, Headliner, Blubrry, Diversion Podcasts, Jam Street Media, Ossa Collective, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Rhapsody Voices, Transistor, Optimal Living Daily, Rephonic, Heartcast Media50, Zvook, Lemonada Media, matchmaker.fm, Double Elvis Productions, Podcast Taxi, StreamGuys, Content10x, Hear.Here.Singapore, Ad Results Media, Podcast Partnership, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, School of Podcasting, Adopter Media, Lower Street, Sonix, Podigy, Podcast Movement, Revolver Podcasts, Edison Research, Signal Hill Insights

Our supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.

Image: James Cridland