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
Jul 30, 2025 • 7min
Podcast Ads Drive Action, Local Radio Reporting Returning, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Sounds Profitable has published a new report called Driving to Action, Andreessen Horowitz is looking to pay $400k to build out a podcast network, how broadcasters are adapting to young sports fans' desire for instant clips and highlights, and a Fox affiliate in Grand Rapids is the latest Scripps TV station to assign designated neighborhood reporters. Find links to every article mentioned by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com, or clicking here to go straight to today's installment.
Jul 29, 2025 • 6min
Spotify Hypes Audiobooks, Overwhelming Ad Load, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Spotify promotes audiobook listening with music language, a Reddit thread on /r/podcasts strikes up conversations about egregious pre-rolls, why settle for likes when brands can foster love, and Google rebuffs Pew report claiming AI summary search results are causing a decrease in clicks to webpages. Find links to every article mentioned by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com, or clicking here to go straight to today's installment.
Jul 28, 2025 • 6min
Comedy as a PR Tool, U.S. Tops Acast Q2 Markets, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Acast crosses milestone with the U.S. becoming their highest-contributing single podcast market, Maximum Effort produces a satirical comedy ad for Astronomer, and Adweek looks at the growth and hiring spree happening with smaller, indie ad agencies.Register now for our upcoming webinar!Find links to every article mentioned by going to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or click here to go direct to today's issue.
Jul 25, 2025 • 11min
Remembering Audio in Video Boom, Podcasting's Late-Night Appeal, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: Why Sharon Taylor argues podcasting is losing sight of its audio roots, what Tom Webster learned from the longest-running one-person show in Vegas, an interview with OpusClip's Louis Roberts, and what the death of TheLate Show means for podcasting. Find links to every article mentioned by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or clicking here to go straight to today's entry.
Jul 24, 2025 • 5min
Looking @ Super Listeners, Recognizing Comedy Podcasts & More
Today in the business of podcasting: a look at Spotify's "super-listeners", what Tom Webster learned from a magician that applies to podcasting, and the Just for Laughs festival is awarding a Podcast of the Year during this year's festival. Find links to every article mentioned by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or clicking here to go straight to today's entry.
Jul 23, 2025 • 6min
How Podcasts Are Overtaking Late-Night, Apple on Listener Privacy, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Apple details how they protect listener privacy in listening reports, Steve Goldsten writes on how podcasting has largely usurped the classic late-night talk show, Sharon Taylor argues why video podcasting narratives leave audio behind, and an interview with OpusClip's Louis Roberts. Find links to every article mentioned by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to head straight to today's entry.
Jul 23, 2025 • 10min
What I Learned From The Longest-running One-Person Show in Vegas
Audience engagement is the true magic that makes shows stick, who better to learn from than actual magicians? Written and narrated by Tom WebsterEdited by Bryan Barletta and Gavin GaddisAudio editing by Gavin GaddisRegister for Sounds Profitable's next research webinar.Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable.
Jul 22, 2025 • 7min
Modern Podcast Monetization, AI @ Ad Awards, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: what the death of The Late Show might say about linear TV in general, a look at Joe Budden's income streams, advertising awards race to tighten up generative AI guidelines after Cannes Lions, Spotify launches Audiobooks+ in European markets and Canada, and 6AM City seeks to automate local newsletter production with Good Daily's AI. Find links to every article mentioned by heading to The Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here for today's episode post.
Jul 21, 2025 • 6min
Apple Podcasts Data Upgrade, Public Broadcast Funding, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Apple Podcasts have new listener reports (and Dan Misener has a suggestion for a future one), The New York Times looks at the audience of multi-hour chat podcasts, an overlook at how public broadcasting is impacted by the Senate rescinding $1b in funding, Nicolle Wallce's MSNBC podcast now is aired on MSNBC proper, and Sounds Profitable won the 2025 Content Marketing Institute award for Best Data Storytelling.Find links to every article mentioned by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here for today's specific post.
Jul 18, 2025 • 11min
Audioboom Acquires Adelicious, Podcasting's Growth Mindset, & More
This week in the business of podcasting.Audioboom has acquired AdeliciousSelling the health & fitness podcast mindsetContent creators shut out of the Emmys for a second year runningThe power of podcast search optimizationGoogle is indexing InstagramVideo podcasting and YouTube production is creating jobs in an otherwise hurting Hollywood.Find links to every article discussed by heading to the Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com, or clicking here to head straight to the post for today's episode.
