Podcast appearances and mentions of tom webster

Engaged Views and Disengaged Truths - Pods Like Us Chronicles — Episode Show NotesHost: Martin "Marv" QuibellEpisode SummaryMarv opens with a look at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing (kicking off Saturday 22 August 2026), including a robot smashing Usain Bolt's 100m record and a musing on what happens when you put an LLM inside a humanoid robot. Then it's on to the week's podcast industry news: audiobook/podcast crossover, YouTube's changing definition of a "view," Spotify's new ad and skip-ahead features, AI's growing role in podcast discovery (and its occasional gaslighting), a tribute to John C. Dvorak, and more.In This EpisodeIndustry ReadsFrank Racioppi's Forbes piece on the audiobook/podcast listener overlap, and Noiser's audio drama adaptations of Dickens, Conan Doyle, and AustenCody McLaughlin's Substack interview with Brad Pipkin (IAB Tech Lab) on whether podcasting is becoming "the evolution of television"Frank Racioppi's spotlight articles on This Podcast Will Kill You and Auntie PleaseJohn McDermott's Random Thoughts newsletter — praise for School of Podcasting's episode, Apple Podcast embedding woes, YouTube's payout threshold change, and the headaches of vertical video repurposingSam Illingworth's viral Substack post (40,534 views, 575 comments, 364 restacks) and his follow-up on LLMs "gaslighting" users — plus the finding that a Substack upload of Moby Dick was flagged 44% AI-writtenStephanie Fuccio's two Substack pieces on using Stephen King's On Writing as inspiration for better show notes and titlingPlatform & Business NewsSpotify's new "unskippable" ads on its own shows, with skippability elsewhere governed by contract clauses (via Podnews Daily)Inception Point AI has rebranded as Liquify AI (parent of Liquid Studios), covered by the New York TimesYouTube redefines "view" as an "engaged view," roughly aligned with the IAB/AMP consumption-length standard — and doubles the download threshold for ad payouts from 4,000 to 8,000Megaphone's advertising issues, and Flightpath's new "Automation Playbook" tool, via Podnews DailySounds Profitable's That Stupid Radio episode — Tom Webster's story of a nine-button Italian radio rendered useless when its app stopped workingPodcasting Craft & CommunityPodmastery: Neal Veglio on checking your show name isn't taken — and the underrated problem of how your title sounds when spoken aloud (Marv's own "misheard lyrics" comparison to Sister Sledge's We Are Family)School of Podcasting: Dave Jackson on YouTube/Spotify changes and a potted history of Spotify in podcastingIn and Around Podcasting: Rob and Elsie trace the history of skipping — from 1930s reel-to-reel to Spotify's new "Skip Ahead" button — plus Overcast updates, a tribute to John C. Dvorak, and Ana Xavier's sit-down with Barack ObamaInto the Podverse: Tony on AI-driven podcast discovery (asking ClaudeAI, ChatGPT, Gemini, Siri, and Alexa for show recommendations), video podcasting, hosting migration risks, and how to vet download-growth offers from unsolicited emailsDan Murphy (SiriusXM co-founder) on his new book, They Pay For WaterComicbook Nation CornerA nod to Connor Casey's "Christ on a crouton cracker" line from December 2023, and a bit of nostalgia for the old news-desk format

This week in the business of podcasting:SXSW will make podcasting a core pillar in 2027 with its first-ever four-day Podcast Festival, and Podcast Movement Evolutions returns to Austin that same week for two free days at the SKYBOX on 6th.Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster argues podcasting's real gap is the lack of a default, as dedicated hardware fades and 57% of Americans aged 12 to 34 now live in homes with no radio.Point-to-Point Marketing and Strategic Solutions Research announced the Podcast Study 2026, a listener research project on discovery, loyalty, and monetization that debuts at the Sounds Profitable Business Summit on September 14.YouTube is redefining the "view" as an "engaged view," a change that runs about 7% lower across 300,000 podcast episodes and could reshape CPMs and sponsorship math for video podcasts.To find links to these, and every article covered in this week's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week in the business of podcasting:SXSW will make podcasting a core pillar in 2027 with its first-ever four-day Podcast Festival, and Podcast Movement Evolutions returns to Austin that same week for two free days at the SKYBOX on 6th.Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster argues podcasting's real gap is the lack of a default, as dedicated hardware fades and 57% of Americans aged 12 to 34 now live in homes with no radio.Point-to-Point Marketing and Strategic Solutions Research announced the Podcast Study 2026, a listener research project on discovery, loyalty, and monetization that debuts at the Sounds Profitable Business Summit on September 14.YouTube is redefining the "view" as an "engaged view," a change that runs about 7% lower across 300,000 podcast episodes and could reshape CPMs and sponsorship math for video podcasts.To find links to these, and every article covered in this week's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:SXSW will make podcasting a core pillar in 2027 with its first-ever four-day Podcast Festival, and Podcast Movement Evolutions returns to Austin that same week for two free days at the SKYBOX on 6th.Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster argues podcasting's real gap is the lack of a default, as dedicated hardware fades and 57% of Americans aged 12 to 34 now live in homes with no radio.YouTube is redefining the "view" as an "engaged view," a shift that runs about 7% lower across 300,000 podcast episodes and could reshape CPMs and sponsorship math for video podcasts.Magellan AI released its first H1 2026 podcast advertising benchmarks for Ireland, showing 33% year-over-year spend growth, financial services on top, and a 5.71% average ad load.Flightpath shipped Automation Playbooks to fight unreliable ad delivery, responding to an ad-tech platform change it says threatens publishers with revenue losses of up to 50%.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:SXSW will make podcasting a core pillar in 2027 with its first-ever four-day Podcast Festival, and Podcast Movement Evolutions returns to Austin that same week for two free days at the SKYBOX on 6th.Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster argues podcasting's real gap is the lack of a default, as dedicated hardware fades and 57% of Americans aged 12 to 34 now live in homes with no radio.YouTube is redefining the "view" as an "engaged view," a shift that runs about 7% lower across 300,000 podcast episodes and could reshape CPMs and sponsorship math for video podcasts.Magellan AI released its first H1 2026 podcast advertising benchmarks for Ireland, showing 33% year-over-year spend growth, financial services on top, and a 5.71% average ad load.Flightpath shipped Automation Playbooks to fight unreliable ad delivery, responding to an ad-tech platform change it says threatens publishers with revenue losses of up to 50%.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster walks through Podcast Movement's five-day takeover of Terminal 5 in New York City, from the inaugural Sounds Profitable Business Summit to a creator conference spanning more than 80 sessions across five stages.Sport Social's Ryan Barker makes the case that official club podcasts are the natural landing spot for betting sponsorship money as the Premier League phases out front-of-shirt gambling deals in 2026/27.Quill and CoHost CEO Fatima Zaidi explains why branded podcasts get cut, and lays out the named audience, defined behavior change, and single accountable owner that lasting shows share.Nielsen agreed to acquire media verification company DoubleVerify in a $2.15 billion all-cash deal, pairing audience data with verification tooling across a stack that explicitly includes audio.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster walks through Podcast Movement's five-day takeover of Terminal 5 in New York City, from the inaugural Sounds Profitable Business Summit to a creator conference spanning more than 80 sessions across five stages.Sport Social's Ryan Barker makes the case that official club podcasts are the natural landing spot for betting sponsorship money as the Premier League phases out front-of-shirt gambling deals in 2026/27.Quill and CoHost CEO Fatima Zaidi explains why branded podcasts get cut, and lays out the named audience, defined behavior change, and single accountable owner that lasting shows share.Nielsen agreed to acquire media verification company DoubleVerify in a $2.15 billion all-cash deal, pairing audience data with verification tooling across a stack that explicitly includes audio.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster details Sounds Profitable's five-day takeover of New York City's Terminal 5 in September, spanning the partner-only Business Summit, the IAB Podcast Upfront after party, and Podcast Movement NYC.Quill and CoHost CEO Fatima Zaidi argues brand podcasts fail from unclear purpose rather than small budgets, and offers a three-part test for building shows that survive budget cuts.Alex Cooper's Unwell takes its first outside investment from Patrick Whitesell's firm WTSL at a $500 million valuation, signaling continued investor appetite for podcast creator IP.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster details Sounds Profitable's five-day takeover of New York City's Terminal 5 in September, spanning the partner-only Business Summit, the IAB Podcast Upfront after party, and Podcast Movement NYC.Quill and CoHost CEO Fatima Zaidi argues brand podcasts fail from unclear purpose rather than small budgets, and offers a three-part test for building shows that survive budget cuts.Alex Cooper's Unwell takes its first outside investment from Patrick Whitesell's firm WTSL at a $500 million valuation, signaling continued investor appetite for podcast creator IP.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Register for Podcast Movement 2026In this week's Sounds Profitable newsletter, Tom Webster breaks down the company's most ambitious week yet: five days taking over Terminal 5 in New York this September, running three different events for three different audiences under one roof. He walks through the Business Summit bringing the buy side and sell side of podcasting into one room, the official IAB Podcast Upfront after party, and the reimagined Podcast Movement creator days at just $199 for two full days in Manhattan. Along the way he makes the case for why not a single minute of stage time is for sale, how the partners underwrite it all, and the small idea he's proudest of, a four o'clock block built for the person who doesn't already know everyone in the room.Written by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin Gaddis"Find the full article here.

Register for Podcast Movement 2026In this week's Sounds Profitable newsletter, Tom Webster breaks down the company's most ambitious week yet: five days taking over Terminal 5 in New York this September, running three different events for three different audiences under one roof. He walks through the Business Summit bringing the buy side and sell side of podcasting into one room, the official IAB Podcast Upfront after party, and the reimagined Podcast Movement creator days at just $199 for two full days in Manhattan. Along the way he makes the case for why not a single minute of stage time is for sale, how the partners underwrite it all, and the small idea he's proudest of, a four o'clock block built for the person who doesn't already know everyone in the room.Written by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin Gaddis"Find the full article here.

Today in the business of podcasting:Sounds Profitable's Ask a Marketer webinar on August 18 brings Right Side Up's Krystina Rubino and Quo's Tori Murray together with Tom Webster to break down The Podcast Atlas, a survey of 5,061 U.S. consumers on how creator-based advertising performs across audio, video, social, and newsletters. The two buyers sort which research findings actually move a media plan.The FCC voted 2-1 to repeal the 39% national TV ownership cap, clearing the way for broadcast station-group consolidation and shifting oversight to antitrust courts. Larger groups gain leverage in retransmission talks and more inventory for FAST channels and connected-TV advertising.RSS.com launched a Max plan that publishes video podcasts to Apple Podcasts via HLS streaming with dynamically inserted programmatic ads from episode one. Creators keep 70% of ad revenue with no audience threshold, unlike YouTube's 1,000-subscriber and 4,000-watch-hour requirements.Nielsen agreed to acquire media-verification company DoubleVerify for $2.15 billion in an all-cash deal at $13.60 per share. The combined company spans TV, streaming, digital, social, mobile, and audio measurement with more than $4 billion in annual revenue.The ANA, the 4As, and the IAB are aligning for the first time in nearly a decade on AI governance, retail media standards, and workforce development, culminating in an Industry Leadership Summit this October. The group's AI-governance and measurement work could shape standards that reach audio advertising.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Sounds Profitable's Ask a Marketer webinar on August 18 brings Right Side Up's Krystina Rubino and Quo's Tori Murray together with Tom Webster to break down The Podcast Atlas, a survey of 5,061 U.S. consumers on how creator-based advertising performs across audio, video, social, and newsletters. The two buyers sort which research findings actually move a media plan.The FCC voted 2-1 to repeal the 39% national TV ownership cap, clearing the way for broadcast station-group consolidation and shifting oversight to antitrust courts. Larger groups gain leverage in retransmission talks and more inventory for FAST channels and connected-TV advertising.RSS.com launched a Max plan that publishes video podcasts to Apple Podcasts via HLS streaming with dynamically inserted programmatic ads from episode one. Creators keep 70% of ad revenue with no audience threshold, unlike YouTube's 1,000-subscriber and 4,000-watch-hour requirements.Nielsen agreed to acquire media-verification company DoubleVerify for $2.15 billion in an all-cash deal at $13.60 per share. The combined company spans TV, streaming, digital, social, mobile, and audio measurement with more than $4 billion in annual revenue.The ANA, the 4As, and the IAB are aligning for the first time in nearly a decade on AI governance, retail media standards, and workforce development, culminating in an Industry Leadership Summit this October. The group's AI-governance and measurement work could shape standards that reach audio advertising.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster makes the case that a podcast newsletter is the one channel where creators gather unmediated audience feedback, separating the work of promotion from the work of understanding what listeners actually need.The industry reacts to The AMP Accords, which define a podcast, a play, and an ad impression, with Bryan Barletta, Dan Granger, James Cridland, and Steve Goldstein weighing in on adoption, economics, and whether Apple Podcasts and Overcast will share exposure data.Nick Cicero of Mondo Metrics argues podcasters undervalue social clips, and that sports teams solved this a decade ago by packaging clip distribution alongside full-episode integrations in a single sponsorship deal.Ofcom's Media Nations 2026 report details U.K. podcast and speech-audio listening, with 53% of adults tuning in to speech audio and YouTube leading as the most-used audio platform.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster makes the case that a podcast newsletter is the one channel where creators gather unmediated audience feedback, separating the work of promotion from the work of understanding what listeners actually need.The industry reacts to The AMP Accords, which define a podcast, a play, and an ad impression, with Bryan Barletta, Dan Granger, James Cridland, and Steve Goldstein weighing in on adoption, economics, and whether Apple Podcasts and Overcast will share exposure data.Nick Cicero of Mondo Metrics argues podcasters undervalue social clips, and that sports teams solved this a decade ago by packaging clip distribution alongside full-episode integrations in a single sponsorship deal.Ofcom's Media Nations 2026 report details U.K. podcast and speech-audio listening, with 53% of adults tuning in to speech audio and YouTube leading as the most-used audio platform.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

The best real estate to own in podcasting, says Tom Webster. Sponsored by SpotsNow. Want to fill more ad space? SpotsNow's AI Search routes advertisers to the right shows by audience fit, at the time of planning. Set up a free account, list your shows, and requests land straight in your ad sales inbox. Book a demo today https://podnews.net/cc/3615 Visit https://podnews.net/update/podcast-newsletters for the story links in full, and to get our daily newsletter.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster closes out The Podcast Atlas series by arguing the email newsletter is the only piece of real estate a podcast creator actually owns, giving shows a direct line to listeners that survives algorithm changes.Mondo Metrics founder Nick Cicero explains what podcasters can learn from the sports social industry about selling social clips as sponsorship inventory rather than giving them away.Ofcom's Media Nations 2026 report finds 53% of U.K. adults listen to speech audio, YouTube is now the most-used platform for any audio content, and only 45% of listeners think podcasts carry too many adverts.Steve Goldstein writes for RAIN News that the download is an obsolete metric that can inflate audience figures by up to 50%, and that verified impression metrics could unlock $1 billion to $2 billion in new ad revenue.SiriusXM launches a $5-per-month Sports Pass on September 1, bundling NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games with local Audacy stations, ESPN Radio, and hundreds of sports podcasts.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster closes out The Podcast Atlas series by arguing the email newsletter is the only piece of real estate a podcast creator actually owns, giving shows a direct line to listeners that survives algorithm changes.Mondo Metrics founder Nick Cicero explains what podcasters can learn from the sports social industry about selling social clips as sponsorship inventory rather than giving them away.Ofcom's Media Nations 2026 report finds 53% of U.K. adults listen to speech audio, YouTube is now the most-used platform for any audio content, and only 45% of listeners think podcasts carry too many adverts.Steve Goldstein writes for RAIN News that the download is an obsolete metric that can inflate audience figures by up to 50%, and that verified impression metrics could unlock $1 billion to $2 billion in new ad revenue.SiriusXM launches a $5-per-month Sports Pass on September 1, bundling NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games with local Audacy stations, ESPN Radio, and hundreds of sports podcasts.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

In the final stop on The Podcast Atlas article series, Tom Webster makes the case that a podcast newsletter is the most valuable piece of owned media a creator can build, and the one channel no platform or host can take away. Drawing on Sounds Profitable research, he unpacks why 61% of listeners still haven't subscribed, why existing subscribers convert to listening at 87%, and why the real prize isn't promotion but permission and a feedback loop that makes your show better every week. If you care about podcast audience growth, email newsletters, and turning first-party audience data into episodes people actually want, this is the best real estate to own in podcasting.Download The Podcast AtlasWritten by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin Gaddis"Find the full article here.

In the final stop on The Podcast Atlas article series, Tom Webster makes the case that a podcast newsletter is the most valuable piece of owned media a creator can build, and the one channel no platform or host can take away. Drawing on Sounds Profitable research, he unpacks why 61% of listeners still haven't subscribed, why existing subscribers convert to listening at 87%, and why the real prize isn't promotion but permission and a feedback loop that makes your show better every week. If you care about podcast audience growth, email newsletters, and turning first-party audience data into episodes people actually want, this is the best real estate to own in podcasting.Download The Podcast AtlasWritten by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin Gaddis"Find the full article here.

Podcasting 2.0 July 24th 2026 Episode 266 - "Research Velocity" Show Notes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This week in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's fourth Podcast Atlas installment argues social platforms are the denominator of podcast advertising, with YouTube reaching 82% of monthly podcast listeners and Facebook 80%, and makes the case that audio and social should be planned together rather than pitted against each other.New research from Sound Insights and Sounds Profitable finds UK podcast advertising priced at roughly £0.18 per listener-hour versus £0.94 in the US, a 5.2x gap, even as podcast ad recall among 18 to 34 year olds hits 86% and outpaces broadcast TV.Comscore expanded its Proximic contextual targeting to Spotify, SiriusXM, Triton Digital, Acast, and Libsyn, enabling episode-level targeting so buyers can purchase podcast ads through the same programmatic tools they use for CTV and display.Steve Raizes warns that brands copying employee creator programs like Starbucks' Green Apron Creators are taking on unpriced obligations, from unsettled copyright ownership and overtime exposure to likeness rights that outlast employment.Podcast advertisers are increasingly valuing a creator's cross-platform reach across YouTube, social, video, and live events over raw download counts, with Acast's Ricardo Neto noting mid-tier creators at 50,000 weekly downloads now drawing buyer attention.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's fourth Podcast Atlas installment argues social platforms are the denominator of podcast advertising, with YouTube reaching 82% of monthly podcast listeners and Facebook 80%, and makes the case that audio and social should be planned together rather than pitted against each other.New research from Sound Insights and Sounds Profitable finds UK podcast advertising priced at roughly £0.18 per listener-hour versus £0.94 in the US, a 5.2x gap, even as podcast ad recall among 18 to 34 year olds hits 86% and outpaces broadcast TV.Comscore expanded its Proximic contextual targeting to Spotify, SiriusXM, Triton Digital, Acast, and Libsyn, enabling episode-level targeting so buyers can purchase podcast ads through the same programmatic tools they use for CTV and display.Steve Raizes warns that brands copying employee creator programs like Starbucks' Green Apron Creators are taking on unpriced obligations, from unsettled copyright ownership and overtime exposure to likeness rights that outlast employment.Podcast advertisers are increasingly valuing a creator's cross-platform reach across YouTube, social, video, and live events over raw download counts, with Acast's Ricardo Neto noting mid-tier creators at 50,000 weekly downloads now drawing buyer attention.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Podcasting 2.0 July 24th 2026 Episode 266 - "Research Velocity" Show Notes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thought processThought processToday in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's fourth Podcast Atlas installment frames social platforms as the denominator of podcast advertising, with YouTube reaching 82% of monthly podcast listeners and Facebook 80%, and argues audio builds trust while social delivers the frequency and retargeting every campaign multiplies against.New research from Sound Insights and Sounds Profitable finds UK podcast advertising priced at £0.18 per listener-hour versus £0.94 in the US, a 5.2x gap despite comparable reach, with podcast ad recall among 18 to 34 year olds hitting 86% and outpacing broadcast TV.Acast reported Q2 2026 net sales of SEK 775.6m, up 28% year over year and 29% organically, with adjusted EBITDA margin expanding to 7% from 3% as CEO Greg Glenday says the strategy of scaling revenue ahead of costs is working as intended.Comscore expanded its Proximic contextual targeting to Spotify, SiriusXM, Triton Digital, Acast, and Libsyn, enabling episode-level targeting so buyers can purchase podcast ads through the same programmatic tools they use for CTV and display.New Edison Research data finds 65% of US fiction audiobook listeners would be likely to try an AI-narrated title and 61% could not distinguish the AI voice from a human, even as trust concerns and informed wariness about AI-voiced podcasts persist among college educated listeners.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Thought processThought processToday in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's fourth Podcast Atlas installment frames social platforms as the denominator of podcast advertising, with YouTube reaching 82% of monthly podcast listeners and Facebook 80%, and argues audio builds trust while social delivers the frequency and retargeting every campaign multiplies against.New research from Sound Insights and Sounds Profitable finds UK podcast advertising priced at £0.18 per listener-hour versus £0.94 in the US, a 5.2x gap despite comparable reach, with podcast ad recall among 18 to 34 year olds hitting 86% and outpacing broadcast TV.Acast reported Q2 2026 net sales of SEK 775.6m, up 28% year over year and 29% organically, with adjusted EBITDA margin expanding to 7% from 3% as CEO Greg Glenday says the strategy of scaling revenue ahead of costs is working as intended.Comscore expanded its Proximic contextual targeting to Spotify, SiriusXM, Triton Digital, Acast, and Libsyn, enabling episode-level targeting so buyers can purchase podcast ads through the same programmatic tools they use for CTV and display.New Edison Research data finds 65% of US fiction audiobook listeners would be likely to try an AI-narrated title and 61% could not distinguish the AI voice from a human, even as trust concerns and informed wariness about AI-voiced podcasts persist among college educated listeners.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's latest Podcast Atlas installment examines podcast clips as a discovery engine, finding 89% of listeners watch clips on social platforms and roughly a third go on to become full-episode listeners.DAX U.S. President Brian Conlon argues the "shrinking attention span" is a myth, pointing to Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026 finding that 45% of Americans age 12 and older listened to a podcast in the past week, the highest level ever recorded.Six Colors previews the iOS 27 public beta, including Apple Podcasts video expanding to macOS and Apple TV and a rebuilt Siri that can retrieve old podcast episodes by description.Creator economy newsletter Scalable reports brand safety concerns among enterprise marketers have dropped from 50% in 2023 to just 10% in 2025, with the industry shifting focus to brand fit instead.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's latest Podcast Atlas installment examines podcast clips as a discovery engine, finding 89% of listeners watch clips on social platforms and roughly a third go on to become full-episode listeners.DAX U.S. President Brian Conlon argues the "shrinking attention span" is a myth, pointing to Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026 finding that 45% of Americans age 12 and older listened to a podcast in the past week, the highest level ever recorded.Six Colors previews the iOS 27 public beta, including Apple Podcasts video expanding to macOS and Apple TV and a rebuilt Siri that can retrieve old podcast episodes by description.Creator economy newsletter Scalable reports brand safety concerns among enterprise marketers have dropped from 50% in 2023 to just 10% in 2025, with the industry shifting focus to brand fit instead.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's latest Podcast Atlas installment digs into podcast clips as the industry's discovery engine, finding that 89% of listeners watch clips on social platforms and roughly a third convert into full-episode listeners.Amazon DSP adds Triton Digital as a programmatic partner, giving buyers access to Triton's global audio and podcast inventory paired with Amazon's first-party shopping and streaming data.A new WARC Media report pegs YouTube's 2025 ad revenue at $40.4 billion, but growth is decelerating even as podcast viewership on the platform surges 70% year-over-year.Digiday explores creators breaking into Hollywood with box-office hits and private equity backing, while flagging IP ownership as the ceiling on how far that crossover can go.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's latest Podcast Atlas installment digs into podcast clips as the industry's discovery engine, finding that 89% of listeners watch clips on social platforms and roughly a third convert into full-episode listeners.Amazon DSP adds Triton Digital as a programmatic partner, giving buyers access to Triton's global audio and podcast inventory paired with Amazon's first-party shopping and streaming data.A new WARC Media report pegs YouTube's 2025 ad revenue at $40.4 billion, but growth is decelerating even as podcast viewership on the platform surges 70% year-over-year.Digiday explores creators breaking into Hollywood with box-office hits and private equity backing, while flagging IP ownership as the ceiling on how far that crossover can go.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Podcast Movement 2026 opens public voting on conference sessions for the first time, with nearly 800 submissions from more than 500 speakers. Voting runs through July 21, and 50% of the New York City conference's schedule will be decided by community vote.Tom Webster publishes The Podcast Atlas, Part Two: What The Screen Adds, with five findings on video podcasting as an ad environment, including a shorter path to purchase and the highest attention levels of any format in the study.Bloomberg's Soundbite checks in on Apple Podcasts' video rollout four months after launch, finding encouraging early numbers from Acast and Transistor.fm but analytics that can't yet separate audio plays from video plays.Owl & Co's Streamonomics previews Q2 earnings season through engagement data across nine platforms, showing Netflix viewing hours declining while Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube keep growing.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Podcast Movement 2026 opens public voting on conference sessions for the first time, with nearly 800 submissions from more than 500 speakers. Voting runs through July 21, and 50% of the New York City conference's schedule will be decided by community vote.Tom Webster publishes The Podcast Atlas, Part Two: What The Screen Adds, with five findings on video podcasting as an ad environment, including a shorter path to purchase and the highest attention levels of any format in the study.Bloomberg's Soundbite checks in on Apple Podcasts' video rollout four months after launch, finding encouraging early numbers from Acast and Transistor.fm but analytics that can't yet separate audio plays from video plays.Owl & Co's Streamonomics previews Q2 earnings season through engagement data across nine platforms, showing Netflix viewing hours declining while Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube keep growing.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's The Podcast Atlas, Part Two: What The Screen Adds compares how video and audio podcast ads perform among each format's most engaged users. Video shortens the path to purchase, with 15% of video users buying immediately after seeing an ad versus 10% for audio.Bloomberg's Soundbite newsletter checks in on Apple Podcasts' video rollout four months after launch, finding encouraging but muddy early numbers as analytics can't yet separate audio plays from video plays.Owl & Co's Streamonomics newsletter previews Q2 earnings season through engagement data, with Netflix viewing hours falling while Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube keep growing.In a sponsored Digiday post, Tatari argues streaming in-show sponsorships beat standard placements on efficiency, with a 62% higher response rate despite CPMs running 2 to 3 times higher.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster's The Podcast Atlas, Part Two: What The Screen Adds compares how video and audio podcast ads perform among each format's most engaged users. Video shortens the path to purchase, with 15% of video users buying immediately after seeing an ad versus 10% for audio.Bloomberg's Soundbite newsletter checks in on Apple Podcasts' video rollout four months after launch, finding encouraging but muddy early numbers as analytics can't yet separate audio plays from video plays.Owl & Co's Streamonomics newsletter previews Q2 earnings season through engagement data, with Netflix viewing hours falling while Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube keep growing.In a sponsored Digiday post, Tatari argues streaming in-show sponsorships beat standard placements on efficiency, with a 62% higher response rate despite CPMs running 2 to 3 times higher.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week, Tom Webster cracks open the Podcast Atlas to look at video podcasting's strengths in advertising. The Podcast Atlas finds video podcast ads outperform audio on purchase intent and post-ad actions, 15% for video versus 10% for audio, while matching or beating audio on trust, commanding the highest attentive viewership of any format, and topping YouTube ads on five of six receptivity measures.Written by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here.

This week, Tom Webster cracks open the Podcast Atlas to look at video podcasting's strengths in advertising. The Podcast Atlas finds video podcast ads outperform audio on purchase intent and post-ad actions, 15% for video versus 10% for audio, while matching or beating audio on trust, commanding the highest attentive viewership of any format, and topping YouTube ads on five of six receptivity measures.Written by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here.

This week in the business of podcasting:Sounds Profitable released The Podcast Atlas, a study of more than 5,000 U.S. consumers mapping the creator economy into five territories: audio, video, short-form clips, newsletters, and social platforms.Tom Webster's follow-up analysis, The Format That Travels, uses the Atlas data to argue audio wins the ad environment battle, capturing 78% of hands-busy listening moments and topping every platform on listener trust and ad receptivity.Miroma Group acquired audio advertising agency Ad Results Media, marking a major U.S. expansion move that folds ARM's podcast-native performance advertising expertise into Miroma's broader agency portfolio.Ben Robins' latest Purchase Funnel installment digs into UK podcast ad conversion data, finding strong purchase rates among younger listeners but a notable gap among listeners 55 and older compared with other platforms.Cannes Lions recaps from Next Audio's Lemya Soltani and Sounds Profitable's Bryan Barletta highlight how podcast networking events can be run on a shoestring budget, alongside a new Sounds Profitable YouTube panel on why niche podcast communities can outperform broad-reach shows on advertiser metrics.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week in the business of podcasting:Sounds Profitable released The Podcast Atlas, a study of more than 5,000 U.S. consumers mapping the creator economy into five territories: audio, video, short-form clips, newsletters, and social platforms.Tom Webster's follow-up analysis, The Format That Travels, uses the Atlas data to argue audio wins the ad environment battle, capturing 78% of hands-busy listening moments and topping every platform on listener trust and ad receptivity.Miroma Group acquired audio advertising agency Ad Results Media, marking a major U.S. expansion move that folds ARM's podcast-native performance advertising expertise into Miroma's broader agency portfolio.Ben Robins' latest Purchase Funnel installment digs into UK podcast ad conversion data, finding strong purchase rates among younger listeners but a notable gap among listeners 55 and older compared with other platforms.Cannes Lions recaps from Next Audio's Lemya Soltani and Sounds Profitable's Bryan Barletta highlight how podcast networking events can be run on a shoestring budget, alongside a new Sounds Profitable YouTube panel on why niche podcast communities can outperform broad-reach shows on advertiser metrics.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Reminder: Sounds Profitable's latest research, The Podcast Atlas, will debut tomorrow, July 1, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern in a live webinar hosted by Tom Webster. Registration is free and open now, grab your virtual seat!Miroma Group has acquired performance audio advertising agency Ad Results Media, with CEO Jordan Fox framing the deal as a major U.S. expansion that brings ARM's podcast-native performance advertising into Miroma's broader portfolio.Ben Robins' latest UK Advertising Landscape installment finds 44% of UK podcast listeners aged 18 to 34 made a purchase after hearing a podcast ad, and flags the 55-plus demographic as a meaningful untapped opportunity for podcast advertisers.YouTube has retired BrandConnect in favor of Creator Partnerships built into Google Ads, monetizing brand amplification of creator content while controlling discovery, distribution, and measurement rather than taking a commission on creator deals.Podnews editor James Cridland tests whether HLS streaming improves podcast consumption measurement, concluding the data is clearer than traditional downloads but that browser buffering and inconsistent play definitions across apps still limit meaningful measurement gains.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Reminder: Sounds Profitable's latest research, The Podcast Atlas, will debut tomorrow, July 1, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern in a live webinar hosted by Tom Webster. Registration is free and open now, grab your virtual seat!Miroma Group has acquired performance audio advertising agency Ad Results Media, with CEO Jordan Fox framing the deal as a major U.S. expansion that brings ARM's podcast-native performance advertising into Miroma's broader portfolio.Ben Robins' latest UK Advertising Landscape installment finds 44% of UK podcast listeners aged 18 to 34 made a purchase after hearing a podcast ad, and flags the 55-plus demographic as a meaningful untapped opportunity for podcast advertisers.YouTube has retired BrandConnect in favor of Creator Partnerships built into Google Ads, monetizing brand amplification of creator content while controlling discovery, distribution, and measurement rather than taking a commission on creator deals.Podnews editor James Cridland tests whether HLS streaming improves podcast consumption measurement, concluding the data is clearer than traditional downloads but that browser buffering and inconsistent play definitions across apps still limit meaningful measurement gains.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Register here for the Podcast Atlas debut webinar next week!Two new Sounds Profitable studies reshape the discovery conversation: the Podcast Discovery Playbook 2026, co-published with JAR Podcast Solutions, finds 61% of listeners discover shows through YouTube and social media, while Tom Webster's A New Map for Podcasting and the forthcoming Podcast Atlas argue that platform-native vertical clips, not trailers, drive discovery for audiences under 35.Two industry leaders weigh in on SoundsProfitable.com: Triton Digital's Mattia Verzella explains why cross-channel CPM comparisons mislead publishers and details the floor-pricing "triangle of sadness," and Voxtopica's Richard Fawal argues that mission-driven podcasters at nonprofits, universities, and government agencies deserve research, pricing, and recognition the industry has yet to provide.New data digs into audio's ad effectiveness: the YouGov U.S. Podcast Advertising Report 2026 finds podcast ads are the most-skipped yet least-annoying format, with 60% of listeners taking action after hearing one, while Sounds Profitable and Veritonic launch a free preview of Veritonic Instant Insights to test whether video ad creative holds up as audio before launch.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Register here for the Podcast Atlas debut webinar next week!Two new Sounds Profitable studies reshape the discovery conversation: the Podcast Discovery Playbook 2026, co-published with JAR Podcast Solutions, finds 61% of listeners discover shows through YouTube and social media, while Tom Webster's A New Map for Podcasting and the forthcoming Podcast Atlas argue that platform-native vertical clips, not trailers, drive discovery for audiences under 35.Two industry leaders weigh in on SoundsProfitable.com: Triton Digital's Mattia Verzella explains why cross-channel CPM comparisons mislead publishers and details the floor-pricing "triangle of sadness," and Voxtopica's Richard Fawal argues that mission-driven podcasters at nonprofits, universities, and government agencies deserve research, pricing, and recognition the industry has yet to provide.New data digs into audio's ad effectiveness: the YouGov U.S. Podcast Advertising Report 2026 finds podcast ads are the most-skipped yet least-annoying format, with 60% of listeners taking action after hearing one, while Sounds Profitable and Veritonic launch a free preview of Veritonic Instant Insights to test whether video ad creative holds up as audio before launch.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Register here for the Podcast Atlas debut webinar next week!Tom Webster previews The Podcast Atlas, a new Sounds Profitable research report debuting at Vidcon that maps how audiences move across audio, video, clips, social, and newsletters, finding that vertical clips from platform-native creators drive podcast discovery for listeners under 35 far more than trailers or podcast ads.Richard Fawal, founder and CEO of Voxtopica, argues that mission-driven podcasters at nonprofits, universities, and government agencies are overlooked by the industry, and calls for research, benchmarks, and pricing that recognize their impact beyond downloads and CPMs.A global study of 1,262 campaigns from the Effie x System1 Databank, presented by Mark Ritson at Cannes Lions 2026, finds that campaigns using audio delivered 75% higher profits, 81% greater trust, and 19% more customer acquisition, with profits roughly doubling when audio is paired with emotional creative.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Register here for the Podcast Atlas debut webinar next week!Tom Webster previews The Podcast Atlas, a new Sounds Profitable research report debuting at Vidcon that maps how audiences move across audio, video, clips, social, and newsletters, finding that vertical clips from platform-native creators drive podcast discovery for listeners under 35 far more than trailers or podcast ads.Richard Fawal, founder and CEO of Voxtopica, argues that mission-driven podcasters at nonprofits, universities, and government agencies are overlooked by the industry, and calls for research, benchmarks, and pricing that recognize their impact beyond downloads and CPMs.A global study of 1,262 campaigns from the Effie x System1 Databank, presented by Mark Ritson at Cannes Lions 2026, finds that campaigns using audio delivered 75% higher profits, 81% greater trust, and 19% more customer acquisition, with profits roughly doubling when audio is paired with emotional creative.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Podcast Movement is coming to New York City! Tickets are now on sale for the two events running September 14-18: the Sounds Profitable Business Summit and Podcast Movement NYC. The open call for Podcast Movement 2026 speakers is open until Tuesday, June 30. The era of growing a podcast audience by making people curious about podcasting is over — the people who were going to discover the medium on its own merits already have. New research shows YouTube and social feeds now dominate how listeners find shows, but the single most effective discovery tool is still a friend's recommendation. The practical upshot: stop over-investing in the channels ranked lowest by your own listeners, and start making your show easy to describe, share, and recommend.Tom Webster argues that LLMs have advanced faster than most people realize, and that pretending otherwise is magical thinking. He traces his own journey from basic prompt use to running local models on a home server, all without a coding background, to show that these tools are accessible to anyone willing to engage. And he has some pointed advice for anyone still on the fence about embracing AI in their work.Written by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here.

Podcast Movement is coming to New York City! Tickets are now on sale for the two events running September 14-18: the Sounds Profitable Business Summit and Podcast Movement NYC. The open call for Podcast Movement 2026 speakers is open until Tuesday, June 30. The era of growing a podcast audience by making people curious about podcasting is over — the people who were going to discover the medium on its own merits already have. New research shows YouTube and social feeds now dominate how listeners find shows, but the single most effective discovery tool is still a friend's recommendation. The practical upshot: stop over-investing in the channels ranked lowest by your own listeners, and start making your show easy to describe, share, and recommend.Tom Webster argues that LLMs have advanced faster than most people realize, and that pretending otherwise is magical thinking. He traces his own journey from basic prompt use to running local models on a home server, all without a coding background, to show that these tools are accessible to anyone willing to engage. And he has some pointed advice for anyone still on the fence about embracing AI in their work.Written by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here.

Today in the business of podcasting:SXSW 2027's PanelPicker application period opens June 23, with live AMAs scheduled and Podcast Movement Evolutions confirmed to return Monday through Wednesday of the event.The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting unveiled its first unified impression framework for audio and video podcasting, ratifying four cross-platform exposure definitions to give advertisers and publishers a shared basis for measuring podcast inventory across audio and video.Tom Webster's latest Sounds Profitable article reflects on a year of deepening AI use, arguing that the real question for creators is not whether AI was involved but whether they are proud of what they made.Both Sport Social Network and Quill + CoHost have new articles this week in the Sounds Profitable thought leadership article series. To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster reflects on a year of rapid AI adoption — from pasting into ChatGPT to running open-source language models on a home server — arguing that the real question for creators is not whether they use AI, but whether they stand behind what they publish.The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP) Task Force has released its first unified impression framework, defining Podcast Play, Podcast Audience, Ad Impression, and Ad Audience to enable cross-platform comparison of audio and video podcast inventory for the first time.SXSW 2027's PanelPicker submission process opens June 23, with live AMAs and office hours scheduled through July, and Podcast Movement Evolutions confirmed to return for the conference.DIRECTV Advertising's Drew Groner argues that sports rights fragmentation across streaming apps has undermined the reach of national ad buys for local and regional sports fans, while CBC Podcasts opens a pitch call for a new narrative sports feed.Podscribe's May 2026 Industry Ranker shows Crime Junkie and The Daily holding the top two spots for audio reach, The Oprah Podcast jumping from #7 to #4, and Shopify leading advertiser spend across ten industries represented in the top ten.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This year at Cannes Lions, Sounds Profitable is a sponsor of the Little Black Book Beach! Our partners will receive up to 3 tickets for access to the beach all week. Be sure to fill out this Google Form so we can register you and your team for the beach! Also, we have a custom graphic generator for those looking to announce they're headed to France in a couple of weeks with some flair.Tom Webster argues that LLMs have advanced faster than most people realize, and that pretending otherwise is magical thinking. He traces his own journey from basic prompt use to running local models on a home server, all without a coding background, to show that these tools are accessible to anyone willing to engage. And he has some pointed advice for anyone still on the fence about embracing AI in their work.Written by Tom WebsterEdited and narrated by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here.

Grab your custom Cannes Lions attendee announcement graphic for free here!Today in the business of podcasting:A roundup of all the top stories from The Podcast Show London last week. New data from Sounds Profitable's Advertising Landscape 2025 study shows that AM/FM radio Primes and podcast Primes have only a 1.4% overlap, challenging the idea that the two formats compete for the same audience. Tom Webster argues that sellers holding both types of inventory are offering two nearly non-duplicated engaged audiences in a single buy — a stronger combined asset than the competitive framing has allowed advertisers to see.The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP), a 12-member industry task force organized by Oxford Road and including Spotify, SiriusXM Media, BetterHelp, DraftKings, and others, has publicly emerged after meeting since July 2025 to address podcast measurement and definition challenges. The group's three focus areas are standardizing impression metrics, developing cross-platform performance measurement, and agreeing on a universal definition of a podcast.A new Signal Hill Insights Pulse Report, conducted with FlightStory, finds that 45% of monthly podcast consumers in the U.K. have used a smart TV to listen to or watch podcasts in the past month, making smart TVs the second most-used device ahead of computers. More than half of video podcast viewers in the U.K. watch during prime time (7–11 p.m.), and the data suggests video podcasting is growing podcasting's overall audience share by replacing other video consumption rather than cannibalizing audio listening.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.