Sounds Profitable

Latest Episodes:

Podcast Movement's SXSW Celeb Lineup, New Audible Plan, & More Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Today in the business of podcasting:

Amazon builds on its audio strategy with a new $8.99 Audible Standard tier focused on streaming rather than ownership, folding Wondery+ into Audible Originals with ad-free content, exclusive shows, and early-access perks.
Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW adds Penn Badgley and SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin to next week's lineup, alongside Apple Podcasts spotlighting its new HLS-powered video podcasting upgrade.
Ampere Analysis finds 20% of global internet users watched video podcasts or clips in Q3 2025, with YouTube leading engagement and the format showing momentum to pull weekly screen time away from traditional TV and mid-tier streaming.
Creator talent agencies are expanding beyond deal-making into full-service multi-platform operators, with M&A in the creator economy growing 17.4% year-over-year in 2025 — a signal that diversification across podcasting, film, gaming, and consumer products is now standard strategy.

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 Real Shift In Spoken Word Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

One caveat to charting spoken word podcasting against radio: spoken word isn’t confined to audio.

Edison Research's Share of Ear data shows podcasting tied with AM/FM radio at 40% of spoken-word listening — but Tom Webster argues podcasting already passed radio when you account for the millions watching video podcasts on YouTube that audio-only measurement can't see. The real story isn't podcasting catching radio; it's podcasting expanding the spoken-word market entirely, drawing new audiences through video discovery rather than converting talk radio listeners.

Written and narrated by Tom Webster
Text and audio edited by Gavin Gaddis

Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable.

Podcast Show London Speakers, Magellan AI 🤝 Nielsen DMA, & More Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Today in the business of podcasting:

Magellan AI integrates Nielsen DMA data into its podcast attribution platform, giving advertisers local market measurement across 210 standardized U.S. media markets.
Podcast Show London 2026 has published its full speaker lineup ahead of the May 20–21 event at Islington's Business Design Centre, with Sounds Profitable returning as a stage sponsor and hosting a pre-show happy hour May 19th.
IAB Australia's 2026 Audio Advertising State of the Nation report finds 69% of surveyed ad buyers plan to increase podcast ad investment, with performance advertising expected to outpace brand advertising spend this year.
Lower Street's Jackie Lamport makes the case that audio podcast introduction methods don't work on YouTube, where your retention lives or dies in the first 30 seconds. She offers podcasters a free intro scorecard to optimize their shows for the platform's algorithm.
Kirby Grines argues that the rise of microdramas and mobile-native viewing is redistributing audience attention in ways that reward the same cadence and consistency that drive podcast promotional growth on video platforms — particularly short-form vertical clips.

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.

SAG-AFTRA on Video Podcasts, Industry Summit Takeaways, & More Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

Today in the business of podcasting:

Ashley Carman's recap of the Bloomberg Podcast Business Summit finds video now essential to podcast strategy, with executives like Kara Swisher and Goalhanger's Jack Davenport treating YouTube presence as a baseline requirement for new and existing shows.
IAB Australia's 2025 internet advertising report shows the country's digital ad market hit $18.4 billion AUD, with podcasting outpacing streaming audio in a segment that grew 8.2% year-over-year.
Oxford Road and founding sponsor Libsyn launch the Indie Podcasters and Creator Awards, exclusively for independent podcasters, with the inaugural ceremony set for March 15th at Evolutions by Podcast Movement.
Audion co-founder Arthur Larrey argues audio advertising must adopt performance marketing metrics (addressable scale, third-party measurement, in-flight optimization, and dynamic creative) to compete for budgets currently flowing to CTV and social.
The Hollywood Reporter covers how SAG-AFTRA is expanding its podcast contracts to cover more interview and narrative formats as video podcast growth raises questions about whether the format constitutes daytime talk television.

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.

Identifying Podcast Ad Skips, PM Heads to NYC, & More Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

This week in the business of podcasting: Podcast Movement officially announces New York venue and dates, Dan Misener looks at podcast ad retention, Tom Webster discusses the power of podcasting's co-consumption audience, and winners of The Ambies 2026.

Click here to find every article and link discussed in today's episode post on SoundsProfitable.com

Podcast Movement 🔜 Terminal 5, The 2026 Podscape, & More Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Today in the business of podcasting: the 2026 edition of the Podscape is now live, Podcast Movement is coming to New York City in mid-September, what does "two people on a couch" discoverability look like for audio podcasting, and the deadline to submit for The Podcast Show London is TOMORROW.

Click here for the full newsletter on SoundsProfitable.com, including every link discussed.

2026 Ambies Winners, Podcasts Top Spoken Word Share of Ear, & More Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

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.

Two People on a Couch Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

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

Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable.

Ambies Livestreaming Tonight, Australia's Podcast Growth, & More Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

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.

🔎Podcast Ad Skipping, Cannes Lions Upgrades Creator Program, & More Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

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.