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 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.
Oct 8, 2025 • 6min
Creators as Power Brokers, Companies Eye Audioboom, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: how creators are becoming power brokers at events like Advertising Week New York, Spotify talks the power of fandom, Twitch could be video podcasting's training ground, and iHeart might be making a play for Audioboom. 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 7, 2025 • 5min
ChatGPT Integrates Spotify, Alex Cooper Launches Ad Agency, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: ChatGPT debuts Spotify integration, Alex Cooper's new creative agency lands Google as first client, and reflections on what new generative AI video tools mean for content advertising.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 6, 2025 • 6min
Flightcast Launches, 8/10 Spaniards Listen to Podcasts, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Flightcast debuts, ICE ads appearing more places that one wouldn't expect, PodcastOne's fiscal Q2 report is live, 8 out of 10 people in Spain listen to podcasts regularly, and what videos AI search engines seem to flock to. 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 3, 2025 • 11min
Spotify on Amazon DSP, Podcast Movement Panels on YouTube, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: the Podcast Movement Archive is now live, Spotify names co-CEOs as Ek steps down, how to block bad ads, IAB Podcast Upfront developments, rise of the creator conglomerates.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 2, 2025 • 5min
Golden Globes Podcast Eligibility, Podcast Campaigns Bring Reach, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: Podcast Movement 2025 panels are now live for free on YouTube, the 83rd Golden Globes eligibility only includes the top 25 podcasts for Best Podcast, shifting ad dollars to podcasting increases reach without increasing cost, and Prebid has HTTP GET integration and server requirements up for public comment.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 1, 2025 • 7min
PRX Acquires Soundrise, Spotify's on Amazon DSP, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: PRX has acquired Soundrise, Spotify has a lot of new news, Rooster Teeth joins the growing community of creator-owned publishers, SoundStack launches HLS streaming capabilities, and coverage of Podcast Upfront influencer discussion.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.
Sep 30, 2025 • 6min
Creator Executive Collaboration, Ek Steps Down, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Daniel Ek is stepping down from CEO of Spotify, YouTube creator conglomerate executives share intel, a tease of today's Podcast Upfront, what podcasts and milkshakes have in common, and a new podcast category comes to Tribeca Festival. 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.
Sep 29, 2025 • 8min
IAB Upgrades Podcast Outlook, Pods Promoting Movies, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: tariffs are causing brands to back away from the US (something podcasting could leverage), a defense of journalism in podcasting, how press-shy stars are finding their way to podcasts, the IAB upgrades their podcast ad revenue outlook for podcasting, and Pew Research has new podcast audience data. 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.
Sep 19, 2025 • 14min
Canada's Growing Podcast Scene, Reframing Short-Form Clips, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: podcasting is maturing and changing landscape, Canada's growing podcast audience (including new Canadians), how short-form clips might be cannibalizing podcast audiences, Amazon signs SiriusXM to AmazonDSP, and YouTube is soon to test out their own version of dynamic ad insertion for video. 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.
