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

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

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

Image: James Cridland