Podnews Daily - podcast industry news

Sponsored by Beamly. Still renting your listeners? Own your members, content and income with Beamly - 0% platform fees and no lock‑in. Start free today 64% of the hosts of the most popular US podcasts of 2024 were men - and the top shows are significantly less diverse than the top movies, TV or music, a report from USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative says. Shows with video are more likely to have male hosts; the worst gender balance is with business and technology podcasts, where men host 92% of shows. Women-hosted podcasts are more than twice as likely to have female guests - but even so, guests on women-hosted podcasts are still 54% male. The document describes the lack of non-white hosts as “woeful”. The study notes that true crime shows are most likely to be hosted by women - who host 53% of the top shows. That good news is slightly blunted by the fact that these shows are the least diverse at 90% white, and, of course, “stories focus on grisly acts often committed against women”. Podcast Movement will be free to attend this March, at SXSW in Austin TX, it’s been announced in Sounds Profitable; with details of a new format, and the event’s values. “If you loved the hotel-based format of Podcast Movement, 2026 is going to feel like a departure,” says Bryan Barletta. The piece also outlines the event’s approach to diversity. (Podnews has a 50% business partnership with Podcast Movement). Spotify’s Megaphone has renewed its IAB Podcast Measurement Guidelines Certification. The company was already on v2.2; the new certification was added to the IAB’s website yesterday. Parent company Spotify abruptly pulled all IAB certification in April last year; only to change its mind two months later. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereBook Some Time with John Wordock — Hope to end 2025 strong? 20-year pro John Wordock lives where content strategy meets audience and revenue. He works with everyone, from networks to newbies. So book a confidential meeting today.🎧 Grow Your Podcast On Player FM — Player.FM’s new self-serve ad portal can help you grow your show, boost engagement, and drive downloads with flexible pricing. Book your next campaign now!Podcast Guesting UnSummit FREE Event Nov 18/19 — Join 10 experts for 10 live mini-workshops + 10 free resources. Walk away with your podcast guesting strategy done—bio, pitch, system, stories, promo & more... Less watching. More doing. Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Sounds Profitable, Cloud10, RedCircle, Cohost, PAVE Studios, Audiohook, Podscribe, Resound, Simplecast, SALT, Steve Lack: Audio, audioBoom, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Knucklehead Media Group, Acast, Podpage websites, We Edit Podcasts, Disctopia, Evergreen PodcastsSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Voxtopica, Jonekiri, Truefans, Red Seat Ventures, Ausha, PodAnalyst, Huberman Lab, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, SoundStack, Compliance Podcast Network, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Gilded Audio, POW PR, Gumball, Podium , Frequency, Storyboard, Castbox, The Roost, The Podcast Haven, Tink Media, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Diversion Podcasts, Wondery, Headliner, Double Elvis Productions, Podcast Taxi, Heartcast Media50, Transistor, Zvook, Optimal Living Daily, Oxford Road, Jam Street Media, matchmaker.fm, Rephonic, Ossa Collective, Rhapsody Voices, Lemonada Media, Castos, Blubrry, Content10x, StreamGuys, Hear.Here.Singapore, Podcast Partnership, Ad Results Media, She Podcasts, Cleanfeed, School of Podcasting, Revolver Podcasts, Lower Street, Podigy, Sonix, Adopter Media, Podcast Movement, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Nathan Dumlao

A recent study reveals that video production for podcasts significantly boosts costs and staffing needs, yet it may also enhance audience engagement. Meanwhile, Threads is testing out a new feature allowing prettier podcast links, potentially reaching its 400 million monthly users. In other news, Stingray has acquired TuneIn, sparking discussions about the future of live radio and podcast databases. Interestingly, a true crime podcast recently played a crucial role in solving a murder case, proving the real-world impact of audio storytelling.

TikTok is launching into podcasting with a new network featuring 25 shows hosted by its creators. Partnering with iHeartMedia, they're developing cutting-edge podcast studios in major cities. iHeart's financials reveal a booming podcast industry, boasting a significant revenue increase of 22.5%. Despite a revenue dip in their multi-platform group, iHeart remains optimistic about podcasting's profitability. Meanwhile, a study shows strong listener retention, reinforcing the growth of this dynamic media landscape.

Sponsored by Beamly. You don’t need more tools. You need one that works. Beamly. 85% of indie podcasters aren’t making money, according to The Independent Podcaster Report 2025, published today by Alitu. But - this isn’t bad news: only 9% of those who took part consider revenue and profitability as their primary measure of success. Clear evidence - if we needed it - that we’re not all in it for the money. Most spend 4-5 hours working on each episode. The biggest threats to podcasting is increased competition and the use of AI, the study says. At the BBC, the Director General (CEO) Tim Davie, and the Head of News Deborah Turness, have resigned after allegations of bias were published by the right-wing Telegraph newspaper. One specific allegation is that the BBC's flagship Panorama programme misleadingly edited two parts of a Donald Trump speech together, so the US President appeared to be encouraging the Capitol Hill riot of January 2021. The BBC is one of the largest podcasters in the UK, with an equivalent total of 154mn podcast downloads a month (including on-demand radio), and launched a BBC Verify service in 2023 to “combat the growth of disinformation”. The Audio Dramatists Resource Guide 2026-2027 has been published. The guide “connects audio dramatists with production companies actively seeking scripts, along with a wealth of development opportunities, contests, and fellowships across the US, UK, Canada, and beyond.” > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad herePodcast Growth & Monetization tips every Thursday! — Subscribe to the FREE Podcasting Business School newsletter and get fresh tips every Thursday for podcast growth, monetization, and online business strategies. Join over 4,000+ Pod Pals on this list.Good Podcasts Grow. Great Ones Scale — Even chart-toppers need smarter growth. AudienceLift.com drives measurable expansion across Major Audio and Video Platforms. 🌟 For creators who want more than “good enough. Try it Now!Podcasting for Business Conference — Ready to transform your podcast into a powerful business asset? Join top voices in podcasting, branding, and media innovation for two power-packed days, November 11–12, 2025.Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, Sounds Profitable, The Podglomerate, PAVE Studios, SALT, RedCircle, audioBoom, Simplecast, Steve Lack: Audio, Audiohook, Resound, Podscribe, Cohost, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Disctopia, Podpage websites, We Edit Podcasts, Evergreen Podcasts, Acast, Knucklehead Media GroupSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Compliance Podcast Network, PodAnalyst, Storyboard, Gilded Audio, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Truefans, Castbox, Gumball, Frequency, SoundStack, The Roost, Red Seat Ventures, The Podcast Haven, Huberman Lab, Voxtopica, Ausha, Tink Media, Podium , Jonekiri, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, POW PR, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Sonic Influencer Marketing, matchmaker.fm, Blubrry, Oxford Road, Podcast Taxi, Jam Street Media, Castos, Headliner, Double Elvis Productions, Lemonada Media, Rhapsody Voices, Wondery, Heartcast Media50, Ossa Collective, Zvook, Optimal Living Daily, Rephonic, Diversion Podcasts, Transistor, StreamGuys, Hear.Here.Singapore, Content10x, Podcast Partnership, Ad Results Media, She Podcasts, Cleanfeed, Sonix, Lower Street, Adopter Media, Podcast Movement, Revolver Podcasts, Podigy, School of Podcasting, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.

Sponsored by Beamly. Stacking tools to run your podcast? Beamly gives you hosting, website, memberships, products and courses in one platform - at one price. Simplify your podcast stack and focus on your content. Elsie Escobar has announced that she has left Libsyn. Inducted into the Podcasting Hall of Fame in 2017, she had worked for Libsyn for almost nineteen years. We reported on the sudden closure of The Feed yesterday, which she had been hosting since July 2013. “I feel immense gratitude and pride — for the people, the lessons, and the legacy we co-created.” CoHost launched the New Listener Metric in its podcast analytics service. The new metric measures the number of unique listeners tuning in for the first time, allowing publishers to track genuine audience growth. Advertisers using Amazon DSP now have access to iHeart’s streaming audio portfolio, after a deal between the two companies. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereSchedule John Wordock for 2026 — Planning for 2026? John Wordock is scheduling new clients. Award-winner. Revenue-minded. Content leader at WSJ Podcasts and Cumulus Podcast Network. Book a confidential meeting today. Podcasting for Business Conference — Ready to transform your podcast into a powerful business asset? Join top voices in podcasting, branding, and media innovation for two power-packed days, November 11–12, 2025.History Shorts Podcast — Daily bite-sized history stories and conversations with leading voices in history today - perfect for commutes, coffee breaks, or quick brain boosts. Subscribe now and make history your daily habit!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, Sounds Profitable, The Podglomerate, audioBoom, SALT, RedCircle, Resound, Simplecast, Audiohook, PAVE Studios, Steve Lack: Audio, Cohost, Podscribe, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Disctopia, Podpage websites, Knucklehead Media Group, Evergreen Podcasts, Acast, We Edit PodcastsSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Tink Media, Huberman Lab, The Roost, Jonekiri, Compliance Podcast Network, SoundStack, Voxtopica, Frequency, Truefans, Gumball, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Castbox, Podium , POW PR, Red Seat Ventures, PodAnalyst, Gilded Audio, The Podcast Haven, Storyboard, Ausha, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Optimal Living Daily, Zvook, Transistor, Headliner, Lemonada Media, Double Elvis Productions, Rephonic, Castos, matchmaker.fm, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Wondery, Rhapsody Voices, Blubrry, Ossa Collective, Jam Street Media, Podcast Taxi, Diversion Podcasts, Heartcast Media50, Oxford Road, Content10x, Ad Results Media, Podcast Partnership, Hear.Here.Singapore, StreamGuys, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, Lower Street, Adopter Media, Sonix, Podigy, School of Podcasting, Podcast Movement, Revolver Podcasts, Signal Hill Insights, Edison ResearchOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.

Sponsored by Beamly. Your podcast deserves more than a page. Beamly lets you create a full website in minutes for your episodes, videos, blog and memberships - All in one place. Get yours now Video and podcasting can work really well together - when promoting each other, says new research from Sounds Profitable and Owl & Co. 16% of podcast listeners have purchased a streaming subscription after hearing about a show they want to watch - and 44% of listeners to a podcast about a TV show or movie talk to their friends about the TV show. The Daily reaches twice as many listeners as Joe Rogan, according to Podscribe’s rankings for the month of October 2025. The Daily, Crime Junkie and The Joe Rogan Experience held their positions in the top 3, reaching 11.1mn, 10.8mn and 6.2mn listeners. The Charlie Kirk Show, which jumped to #9 last month, has dipped to #25, after its monthly audience more than halved - it’s down to 2mn. Podtrac’s rankings for October are also released. Year-on-year, every participating publisher’s global RSS numbers are down by around 8%. RØDE has announced the RØDECaster Video S, a smaller video mixer. It includes automatic video switching based on who’s speaking; and is $499. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereBroadcast Radio Auto-Process — Well-produced ≠ broadcast processed. Audyllic uses Orban Optimod to add the radio processing layer your podcast is missing. That's what keeps people listening. Try free: audyllic.comAds don’t sell themselves. (But we do.) — BackBeat Media has been matching podcasters with great sponsors for over 20 years. Got 10k+ downloads an episode? Let’s talk. Rethink your relationship with alcohol — The Big Drink Rethink explores sobriety culture, fresh perspectives & the deeper role alcohol plays in our lives, blending lived experience, psychological insight, and powerful tools for change.Podcasting for Business Conference — Ready to transform your podcast into a powerful business asset? Join top voices in podcasting, branding, and media innovation for two power-packed days, November 11–12, 2025.Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, Sounds Profitable, The Podglomerate, Cloud10, Resound, Cohost, PAVE Studios, Audiohook, Simplecast, Steve Lack: Audio, Podscribe, audioBoom, RedCircle, SALT, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Disctopia, Knucklehead Media Group, Podpage websites, We Edit Podcasts, Evergreen Podcasts, AcastSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Red Seat Ventures, Castbox, Voxtopica, Huberman Lab, Truefans, Compliance Podcast Network, SoundStack, The Podcast Haven, Jonekiri, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Storyboard, POW PR, Gilded Audio, Podium , Gumball, PodAnalyst, Tink Media, Ausha, The Roost, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Frequency, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Optimal Living Daily, Ossa Collective, Rephonic, Rhapsody Voices, matchmaker.fm, Lemonada Media, Zvook, Blubrry, Transistor, Heartcast Media50, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Headliner, Wondery, Castos, Podcast Taxi, Double Elvis Productions, Jam Street Media, Oxford Road, Diversion Podcasts, Content10x, Ad Results Media, StreamGuys, Podcast Partnership, Hear.Here.Singapore, Cleanfeed, She Podcasts, Podigy, Lower Street, School of Podcasting, Podcast Movement, Adopter Media, Revolver Podcasts, Sonix, Signal Hill Insights, Edison ResearchOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.Image: Kevin Woblick

Exciting news for podcast creators! Apple Podcasts is launching automated chapters with iOS 26.2, making navigation a breeze. Timed Links will also debut, letting listeners easily access mentioned media. Plus, there's a deep dive into Spotify's Q2 results, showcasing subscriber growth and rising video podcast trends. The discussion highlights Fireside's financial struggles and intriguing new podcast releases like 'Hindsight: The Fracture.' Tune in for essential updates and insights in the podcast industry!

Sponsored by Beamly. Stop giving platforms a cut. Beamly lets you host your premium podcast, sell memberships, and take payments with 0% platform fees. You own your content, members and income. Learn morePodnews now has 2026 availability! Sponsorships and editorial focus placements have just been made available. With a high number of repeat advertisers, we quickly sell out: so to secure your spot and reach over 33,000 serious podcasters, contact our Head of Sales, Kristy Scott, at sales@podnews.net Acast has released Podcast Pulse 2025, its second set of data into global podcast listeners, for the brands who wish to reach them. The report contains useful data for all of podcasting, and useful phrases to help explain our medium: “Podcasts are sought, not served” is a favourite of ours. Audio remains the main consumption channel for podcasts, the company says, even though more people use video podcasts than audio ones; and more people consume the ads in podcasts than on other media, including streaming music, YouTube and radio. We’ve discovered that in MacOS 26 (released in mid September) the Apple Podcasts app got a brand new feature: the same beautiful “read-along” transcript experience that’s existed for a while for iPhone and iPad. The company supports thirteen languages for transcripts: they’re automatically generated, or you can supply your own. We’ve updated our full FAQ. Everyone agrees that host-read ads work best on podcasts: but they’re hard to review for tone or accuracy without human beings listening to every ad to compare them to the script or to talking-points. One of the largest podcast ad platforms, RedCircle has launched Mic Check, an AI tool to give an instant quality-check for host-read ads, before the ad ever airs. The company calls it a tool for “scaling authenticity”. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereAudyllic.com Video + Audio Radio Quality — Why does radio sound different? Broadcast processing. Your podcast is missing that layer—even if perfectly produced. Audyllic adds Orban Optimod processing automatically. audyllic.com🎙️ Boost Your Podcast Audience with Player FM — Player FM’s self-serve ad portal helps increase your reach, engagement, and downloads. Tailor your campaigns to your goals and budget. Launch your campaign today!Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, Sounds Profitable, The Podglomerate, Cloud10, RedCircle, Simplecast, Cohost, PAVE Studios, audioBoom, Resound, Steve Lack: Audio, SALT, Audiohook, Podscribe, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Acast, We Edit Podcasts, Podpage websites, Knucklehead Media Group, Evergreen Podcasts, DisctopiaSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Jonekiri, Red Seat Ventures, Voxtopica, Gumball, Compliance Podcast Network, SoundStack, Frequency, Storyboard, Tink Media, The Roost, PodAnalyst, Castbox, Huberman Lab, Ausha, POW PR, Truefans, Podium , Gilded Audio, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, The Podcast Haven, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Wondery, Oxford Road, Jam Street Media, Headliner, Double Elvis Productions, Diversion Podcasts, Transistor, Blubrry, Lemonada Media, Optimal Living Daily, Ossa Collective, Rephonic, Zvook, Rhapsody Voices, matchmaker.fm, Podcast Taxi, Castos, Heartcast Media50, Podcast Partnership, Content10x, StreamGuys, Hear.Here.Singapore, Ad Results Media, She Podcasts, Cleanfeed, Lower Street, School of Podcasting, Adopter Media, Sonix, Podcast Movement, Revolver Podcasts, Podigy, Signal Hill Insights, Edison ResearchOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.

Discover Podcast Magic, a new tool that allows you to capture podcast moments effortlessly via email. In France, a shift in podcast measurement methods could change the industry landscape. Plus, learn about PodChapters, which uses AI to create enhanced podcast chapters. The podcasting hosting market is thriving, with Spotify leading the pack. Exciting announcements include the return of Air Check Radio Stories and a new season of Crown and Controversy focusing on Prince Andrew’s recent controversies.

Sponsored by Supporting Cast. 🎃 Happy Halloween from all of us at Supporting Cast! Don’t be tricked 👻, treat yourself 🍭 and (s)witch 🧙‍♀️ to the subscription platform trusted by the world's top podcasters. ✨ Conjure up a meeting today to discuss 🧙‍♂️💰Our podcast version today includes music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay. Audiochuck has signed with Red Seat Ventures for ad sales representation for Audiochuck’s podcasts. The podcasts were with SiriusXM. The deal with the Crime Junkie publisher, apparently worth $150mn, also includes a FAST channel on video streaming platforms FOX One and Tubi. Both Tubi and Red Seat Ventures are owned by FOX. Triton Digital published the Canada Podcast Ranker for September It lists participating publishers only; CBC has six shows in the top ten. YouTube is getting a reorg. No layoffs are part of the plans for now, though they are looking for voluntary buyouts. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.Classifieds - your job or ad hereSchedule John Wordock for 2026 — Planning for 2026? John Wordock is scheduling new clients. Award-winner. Revenue-minded. Content leader at WSJ Podcasts and Cumulus Podcast Network. Book a confidential meeting today. AudienceLift.com = Podcast Growth 🌟 — AudienceLift.com = Podcast Growth 🌟 More listeners. More charts. More growth. The smarter way to grow your podcast starts here.Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Mamamia, PodMatch, The $100 MBA, The Podglomerate, Sounds Profitable, Cloud10, SALT, Podscribe, PAVE Studios, RedCircle, audioBoom, Simplecast, Audiohook, Cohost, Resound, Steve Lack: Audio, Riverside.fm, Jar Podcast Solutions, Podchaser, Awesound, Podpage websites, We Edit Podcasts, Knucklehead Media Group, Disctopia, Acast, Evergreen PodcastsSilver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Goalhanger, Sounds Debatable, Magellan AI, Jonekiri, Compliance Podcast Network, The Podcast Haven, Castbox, Frequency, Storyboard, Voxtopica, Red Seat Ventures, Podium , SoundStack, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, The Roost, Ask Ralph Christian Finance, PodAnalyst, Tink Media, Huberman Lab, POW PR, Truefans, Gilded Audio, Ausha, Gumball, Beamly, Message Heard, Health Podcast Network, Ossa Collective, Zvook, Wondery, matchmaker.fm, Castos, Jam Street Media, Headliner, Lemonada Media, Sonic Influencer Marketing, Transistor, Heartcast Media50, Rhapsody Voices, Double Elvis Productions, Rephonic, Blubrry, Podcast Taxi, Oxford Road, Optimal Living Daily, Diversion Podcasts, Content10x, Podcast Partnership, Ad Results Media, StreamGuys, Hear.Here.Singapore, She Podcasts, Cleanfeed, School of Podcasting, Podcast Movement, Adopter Media, Sonix, Podigy, Lower Street, Revolver Podcasts, Edison Research, Signal Hill InsightsOur supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.