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
Oct 22, 2025 • 7min
A Blindingly Obvious Opportunity for Podcast Revenue Growth
Podcasting's reach has grown quite a bit over the years, but several fruitful demographics still remain untapped. Written and narrated by Tom WebsterEdited by Bryan Barletta and Gavin GaddisAudio editing by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here on Sounds Profitable.
Oct 21, 2025 • 6min
IAB Moves Newsfronts, Spooler x Pantheon Media, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Spooler and Pantheon discuss their collaboration, why Netflix should buy Spotify, a look at audio's discussion during Programmatic I/O in New York, what Joining a netowk does (and does not) do for your podcast, and the IAB is moving NewFront 2026 to earlier in the year.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.
Oct 20, 2025 • 7min
NRF Projects Healthy Holidays, Research Fueling Creativity, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: the collaboration that goes into making The Hidden Third, using research as your podcast creative partner, legacy media's dismissive attitude towards content creators might be their downfall, media buyers are anxious about setting 2026 budgets given 2025's volatility, and U.S. consumers expect to spend upwards of $900 on average this holiday shopping season.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.
Oct 17, 2025 • 8min
Spotify's Video Distribution Deals, Students Critique AI Podcasts, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Spotify distributes video podcasts to Netflix and Samsung TV Plus, LiveRead.io and Companion discuss their collaboration, NYU students discuss AI generated podcasts, and how advertisers were advertising to advertisers at Advertising Week New York.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.
Oct 16, 2025 • 7min
Advertising to Advertisers, The Ringer 🔜 Samsung TVs, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Spotify launches first FAST channel, ICE ads keep appearing on incongruous content in streaming services, advertisers advertise to advertisers at AWNY, an op-ed on South African podcast advertising, and the Signal Awards winners are now live. 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.
Oct 16, 2025 • 5min
What Makes Armchair Expert a Great Podcast
A breakdown of the simple psychology behind Dax Shepard’s interview style.Written and narrated by Tom WebsterEdited by Bryan Barletta and Gavin GaddisAudio editing by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here on Sounds Profitable.
Oct 15, 2025 • 7min
Measurement's Upfront Moment, $1,600 Netflix Subscribers, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Measurement is having a moment at IAB Upfronts, MrBeast launches clipping company, the divide with content creators and AI, Netflix's $1,600 subscribers, SSRS acquires Edison Research. 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.
Oct 14, 2025 • 6min
Spotify’s Netflix Podcast Partnership, New EU Podcast Law, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Spotify to air video podcasts on Netflix, LiveRead.io and Companion talk collaboration, students discuss AI generated podcasts, new EU law on political advertisements, and YouTube introduces AI powered multimodal measurement.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.
Oct 10, 2025 • 12min
Recapping Advertising Week NYC, Spotify's in ChatGPT, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: what happened at Advertising Week New York, Tom Webster talks parasocial relationships with podcast AI ads, Spotify is now integrated into ChatGPT queries, and an interview with Greg Glenday. 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.
Oct 9, 2025 • 7min
Amazon DSP x Microsoft, Podcasting Without Borders, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Amazon is taking over Microsoft's DSP, Tom Webster on how AI could be used to leverage existing parasocial relationships, a conversation with Acast CEO Greg Glenday, why Poppies Studios is opening a creator studio near Burbank, and podcasts seem to be a popular lunch activity given listen-time trends. 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.
