Sounds Profitable - podcast cover

Sounds Profitable

Bryan Barlettaart19.com
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.
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Episodes

2026 Ambies Winners, Podcasts Top Spoken Word Share of Ear, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: Digiday looks at how much of podcasting's audience exclusively consumes video, Ambies 2026 winners, podcasts finally overtake AM/FM radio in daily spoken word share of ear from Edison Research, and CMOs share their stressors when it comes to spend. Click here for the website version of today's newsletter with every link mentioned in the podcast.

Feb 25, 20266 minEp. 815

Two People on a Couch

The language used to describe podcast behavior matters, and some of it needs updating. Written by Tom Webster Edited by Gavin Gaddis Audio narration and editing by Gavin Gaddis Register for Evolutions by Podcast Movement @ SXSW Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable....

Feb 25, 20269 minEp. 814

Ambies Livestreaming Tonight, Australia's Podcast Growth, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: Jay Nachlis on Apple Podcasts adding video, Steven Goldstein on the mentality needed for video podcasting, Australian podcast advertising benchmarks for Q4 2025, and a look at official TV companion podcasts. Click here for the website version of today's newsletter with every link mentioned in the podcast.

Feb 24, 20268 minEp. 813

🔎Podcast Ad Skipping, Cannes Lions Upgrades Creator Program, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: Bumper shows how existing podcast analytics can indicate how many people are skipping ads (not as many as you'd think), LIONS Creators is moving to the beach for this year's Cannes Lions, Magellan AI has published January's top fifteen spenders in podcast advertising, and a discussion on how generative AI affects monetization for content creators. Click here to find the links to every article mentioned on Sounds Profitable's website....

Feb 23, 20266 minEp. 812

Video Upgrade 🔜 Apple Podcasts, 2025 U.S. Podcast Report, & More

This week in the business of podcasting: Apple announces HLS video podcast streaming with select hosting platforms, a roundup of stories from Sounds Profitable partners, Triton Digital has their new U.S. Podcast Report for the year, and a Charlotte Business Journal look at podcast advertising's local success stories. Click here to find the links to every article mentioned on Sounds Profitable's website.

Feb 20, 202612 minEp. 811

Triton's US Podcast Report, Stools > Couches, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: how Apple Podcasts embracing video widens one of the biggest on-ramps for podcasting, Triton Digital releases the 2025 U.S. Podcast Report, and a pitch for new standards to make programmatic tools report faster and with more clarity. Click here to find the links to every article mentioned on Sounds Profitable's website.

Feb 19, 20268 minEp. 810

Audion Launches Cross-Platform AI, Podcasting’s Top Sports Networks, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: SiriusXM is hosting a webinar tomorrow with a stacked cast from the measurement and research side of podcasting, Adam Bowie talks about the financial nuances of video podcasting with Apple Podcasts getting into the fray, Little Dot Studios has a white paper looking at YouTube video performance over the last three years, Podcast Movement has a fun graphic tool to make a social media image announcing you're heading to SXSW, Audion launches Audion AI, and today'...

Feb 18, 20267 minEp. 809

Apple Amps Up Video Podcasts, News Brand Safety Report, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: Apple is bringing HLS to Apple Podcasts, Netflix sports podcasts are being pirated on YouTube, Charlotte, NC brands are making B2B podcasts, and revisiting the Future of News report two years later. Click here to visit the web version of today's issue with links to every single thing covered.

Feb 17, 20267 minEp. 808

Industry Q4 Earnings, The Politics of Listeners, & More

This week in the business of podcasting: the political build of podcast audiences, public media's value in Minneapolis, Q4 earnings calls, and EU countries looking to ban kids from social media. Click here to visit the web version of today's issue with links to every single thing covered.

Feb 13, 202610 minEp. 807

The Politics of Listening, Channel 4's Spotify Plans, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: the politics of podcast listenership, podcasting spectacle vs resonance, video podcasts' utility over talk TV, the Nigerian Podcast Index shows growth, and Channel 4 expands further into Spotify video distribution. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com Type...

Feb 12, 20269 minEp. 806

Video Podcasts @ NY Emmys, Industry Earnings Reports, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: the 69th New York Emmys accept video podcasts in certain categories, Q4 earnings calls from several big podcasting names, and a look at modernized contextual targeting that could help news publishers get ads again. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com...

Feb 11, 20266 minEp. 805

The Politics of What We Listen To

This week, Tom Webster looks at the political composition of podcast genre audiences and finds that the data may not match the narratives we’ve been telling ourselves. Written by Tom Webster Edited by Gavin Gaddis Audio narration and editing by Gavin Gaddis Register for Evolutions by Podcast Movement @ SXSW Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable....

Feb 11, 20267 minEp. 804

Red Seat Ventures Acquires Supercast, Upcoming EU Regulations, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: American scripted TV consolidates around safe bets, podcast advertising benchmarks for Q4 2024 at Magellan AI, and several EU countries look into banning minors from social media. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com

Feb 10, 20267 minEp. 803

Bloomberg's Audio Success, New UK Audio Survey, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: a look at Minneapolis Public Radio's Q4 web traffic, AudioUK is championing a survey of the UK podcast industry, Bloomberg's podcast revenue is up 36% year over year, and a look at how Hollywood audiences are souring to AI as a plot device. Click here to find the links to every article mentioned on Sounds Profitable's website!

Feb 09, 20267 minEp. 802

IAB AI Scraping Legislation, Audio is Found Time, & More

This week in the business of podcasting: How to run a fulfilling conference panel, audio works on shared time, IAB releases draft of AI scraping legislation, and problems facing the middle class of podcasting. Click here for all the links covered today ! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com

Feb 06, 20269 minEp. 801

Triton Digital Upgrades Metrics, BBC Funding Digital-First Content, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: YouTube's TV status, Adelicious becomes Audioboom, the BBC is closer to enriching four content creation companies, and Triton Digital has upgraded their podcast metrics offerings. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com...

Feb 05, 20265 minEp. 800

A Few Notes About Fixing Conference Panels

Tom has hosted a lot of panels, here’s his strategy to make them valuable and engaging for all involved. Written by Tom Webster Edited by Gavin Gaddis Audio narration and editing by Gavin Gaddis Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable.

Feb 05, 20268 minEp. 799

Super Bowl 2026 Budgeting, Hulu's First Podcast License, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: what Super Bowl budgets could do with podcasting, NPR on smarter media allocation, Hulu signs their first video podcast licensing deal with Headgum, Sony patents AI-generated "podcasts," and The Golden Lobes are open for entries. Click here to find every link mentioned in today's episode.

Feb 04, 20267 minEp. 798

IAB to Address AI Scraping, Podcasting's January Growth, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: The IAB proposes new legislation protecting publishers from AI scraping, audio is not as visible in MMM as expected, January industry performance from Podscribe, indie podcasters are headed to the Radio France app, and the CBC is taking pitches for documentary podcast series ideas. Click here to find every link mentioned in today's episode....

Feb 03, 20265 minEp. 797

Timbre Awards Announced, Measuring YouTube, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: Nick Cicero talks about how audio fills existing time instead of fighting other hobbies, a look at a middle-class podcaster returning after seven years away, Google has C&D'd a company trying to measure them like TV, and Voxtopica has launched The Timbre Awards. Click here to read all the stories in full and find links to every article covered....

Feb 02, 20267 minEp. 796

The State of Podcast Agencies, Evolutions Guests Announced, & More

This week in the business of podcasting: CoHost's new State of Podcast Agencies, Podcast Movement Evolutions talent announced, podcasting's surprising "age of acquisition" potential, and The Ambies voting is live until February 5th. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also subscribe to the newsletter version of The Download on the front page of SoundsProfitable.com and get every link sent to directly each publication....

Jan 30, 20268 minEp. 795

Podcast Movement SXSW Speakers Announced, Mid-Tier Influencer Potential, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: why mid-tier creators are the industry's next big growth option, equity at podcast conferences, Podcast Movement SXSW talent announced, podcast growth health checks with Bumper, and the IAB has a 2026 outlook for US ad spend. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also subscribe to the newsletter version of The Download on the front page of SoundsProfitable.com and get every link sent to directly each publication....

Jan 29, 20267 minEp. 794

Goalhanger's Video Journey, Podcasting's Demographic Powerhouse, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: Signal Hill Insights points to podcasting's next big demographic to target, a look inside Goalhanger's video strategy, and 1 in 3 podcast creators have quit over time, let's talk about why (and how to help). Click here for all the links covered today! You can also subscribe to the newsletter version of The Download on the front page of SoundsProfitable.com and get every link sent to directly each publication....

Jan 28, 20265 minEp. 793

The Microphone Is Democratized. The Platforms Are Not

Dr. Byron Green-Calisch gives and overview of changes being made behind the scenes at Podcast Movement and Sounds Profitable to build equity in the industry event space. Written by Dr. Byron Green-Calisch Edited by Gavin Gaddis Audio narration and editing by Gavin Gaddis Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable.

Jan 28, 20268 minEp. 792

Gen Alpha Buying Power, State of Podcast Agencies, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: The Podcast Show London announces open submissions for panels and speakers, Podscribe discusses incrementality in their latest PPB, about half of UK and US consumer spending is driven by Gen Alpha, and CoHost published their annual State of Podcast Agencies report. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com...

Jan 27, 20267 minEp. 791

Programmatic Audio's Importance, Ambies Voting Now Live, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: audio becoming more vital to programmatic buys, Netflix CEO says they compete with YouTube in "every dimension", Substack launches a streaming app for CTV, and The Ambies voting is live until February 5th. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com...

Jan 26, 20266 minEp. 790

Ambies Nominees Announced, Refuting 'Podcasting is Dead', & More

Today in the business of podcasting: what would you do if you really loved podcasting, Ambies 2026 nominees announced, pushback to "Podcasting is dead" and Goalhanger crosses 250k subscriber milestone. Click here for all the links covered today ! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com

Jan 23, 202610 minEp. 789

The WHY and WHO of Podcasting, Ambies 2026 Noms, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: what would you do if you really loved podcasting, Ambies 2026 nominees announced, Netflix is rebuilding their app for vertical video scrolling, and Oxford Road takes a look at Health & Fitness podcast advertising data. Click here for all the links covered today ! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com...

Jan 22, 20267 minEp. 788

SXSW 2026 Podcasting Lineup, Video Isn't Killing the Podcast Star, & More

Today in the business of podcasting: more added to the SXSW 2026, On Air Fest expands their February lineup, a reaction to "podcasts are dead," and Netflix doubled their ad revenue last year. Click here for all the links covered today! You can also find an archive of everything covered on this show by heading to The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com

Jan 21, 20267 minEp. 787

What Would You Do If You Actually Loved Podcasting?

The WHO and WHY of podcasting are important, but you have to get them in the correct order. Written by Tom Webster Edited by Bryan Barletta and Gavin Gaddis Audio narration and editing by Gavin Gaddis Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable.

Jan 21, 202611 minEp. 786
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