Sounds Profitable
Bryan Barletta
The pace of change the podcast industry is undergoing is staggering. The implications for podcasters, hosting providers, podcast listening app developers, and advertisers and agencies are enormous. And so is the growth potential. Presented as a companion to the weekly newsletter of the same name, our podcast provides you with direct access to our narrated articles, interviews with industry experts, bleeding-edge research, and can't miss industry news recaps. That Sounds Profitable, right? Assumptions and conventional wisdom will be challenged. Easy answers with no proof of efficacy will be exposed. Because the thinking that got podcast advertising close to a billion dollars annually will need to be drastically overhauled to bring in the tens or hundreds of billions of dollars podcast advertising deserves.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 19, 2025 • 5min
YouTube Shorts Collabs Upgraded, Spotify’s Q2 Report, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: What likely depressed Spotify's ad business this past quarter, YouTube adds a collaborator-focused update to Shorts ads, and Wondercraft has a new conversation-based AI to quickly produce content. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
Aug 18, 2025 • 6min
Sounds Profitable x Podcast Movement, Dentsu's Indian Podcast Investment, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Sounds Profitable and Podcast Movement merge, Dentsu is opening a podcast network in India, and Billboard looks at the numbers for Taylor Swift's last podcast appearance. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
Aug 15, 2025 • 12min
Taylor Swift's Podcast Strategy, Audio's Continued Importance, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: Taylor Swift debuted her new album's name and artwork on a podcast, a look at the resiliency of audio storytelling, Tom Webster reflects on the "video is everything" media narrative, an update to The Podscape is here, and Oxford Road has a new report on the lift provided by running ads on YouTube podcasts.Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
Aug 14, 2025 • 7min
Audio Podcasting's Next Evolution, New Podscape Update, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: the new Podscape is now here, Jen Moss writes about the decline of audio storytelling being exaggerated, Tom Webster reflects on podcasting's flexibility in the video age, and The Hollywood Reporter has a special issue just for podcasting.Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
Aug 13, 2025 • 8min
Video Drives Lift, Remembering Young Marketers, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Oxford Road has a new study on YouTube podcast ad lift, Taylor Swift's album announcement on a podcast is about to happen, marketers are finding podcasts ads rock (because they do), and the ad industry has an entry-level problem for college grads. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
Aug 13, 2025 • 6min
What Is A Podcast Supposed To Be?
Despite what scary headlines may say, video and audio podcasting have a more symbiotic relationship than one might think. Written and narrated by Tom WebsterEdited by Bryan Barletta and Gavin GaddisAudio editing by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here on Sounds Profitable.
Aug 12, 2025 • 6min
Taylor Swift's Podcast Announcement, Downy-branded Audio Drama, & More.
Today in the business of podcasting: sports podcasting has grown so much video podcasts are starting to look like independent TV studios, podcasting remains a bright spot of iHeartMedia's earnings calls, Taylor Swift uses a podcast to announce her new album, and Procter & Gamble uses an audio fiction podcast to promote a new version of Downy. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
Aug 11, 2025 • 7min
How B2B Uses Podcast Ads, Seattle's Audio Fiction Scene, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Age of Audio to be screened in the Sounds Profitable lounge @ Podcast Movement, how B2B startups are using podcast ads to grow, regulatory bodies in the UK argue YouTube is so big its advertising should be regulated like a broadcaster, Seattle's audio drama scene is booming, and The Hill publishes an op-ed about how MeidasTouch Podcast is outpacing The Joe Rogan Experience. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
Aug 8, 2025 • 9min
Amazon Restructures Wondery, Spotify Launches Audiobooks Plus, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: Amazon announces restructuring of Wondery, Spotify adds Audiobooks Plus add-on to US market, a look at podcasting's ability to plus-up social media ad buys, and a look back at what might have went wrong with Meghan Markle's podcasting efforts. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
Aug 7, 2025 • 6min
Apple's Best Podcasts of '25 (So Far), Audioboom's Video Boom, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Tom Webster on how podcasts compliment social media marketing campaigns, video podcasting grows at Audioboom, and industry responses to Wondery's restructuring. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.
