

Sounds Profitable
Bryan Barletta
The pace of change the podcast industry is undergoing is staggering. The implications for podcasters, hosting providers, podcast listening app developers, and advertisers and agencies are enormous. And so is the growth potential. Presented as a companion to the weekly newsletter of the same name, our podcast provides you with direct access to our narrated articles, interviews with industry experts, bleeding-edge research, and can't miss industry news recaps. That Sounds Profitable, right? Assumptions and conventional wisdom will be challenged. Easy answers with no proof of efficacy will be exposed. Because the thinking that got podcast advertising close to a billion dollars annually will need to be drastically overhauled to bring in the tens or hundreds of billions of dollars podcast advertising deserves.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 4, 2025 • 7min
The Podcast Landscape 2025 Report, Hidden Creator Costs, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: a look at podcasting's presence at Advertising Week NYC, The Podcast Landscape 2025 is here, streaming investments are up but buyers drive a hard bagain, and the hidden costs of launching a YouTube presence. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Sep 3, 2025 • 6min
Media Companies Court Podcast Stars, Creator Cashflow, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: a lot of money is going to into creator marketing but not as much is making it to the creators, mainstream media is hungry for star podcast talent, and key findings from industry conversations at Podcast Movement Dallas. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Sep 2, 2025 • 7min
Podcasting's Live Event Profits, Edison Publishes Top 25 UK Pods, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Podcast live shows are a real money-maker, the creator economy has some measurement roadbumps to clear, talent managers are finding they can't redline contracts for influencers as much, Edison's top 25 podcasts quarterly report is here, and YouTube tops TV watch chart for sixth month running on Nielsen Media Distributior Gauge. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Aug 29, 2025 • 8min
Audiences Listen on YouTube, Chartable's End-Date, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: The Emmys recognizing YouTube video podcasts as talk shows might save the Talk Show category, Tom Webster debuts data from The Podcast Landscape 2025, Chartable has an official death-date, and Spotify has a new messaging service in its app. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Aug 28, 2025 • 7min
Chartable's Official Sundown, YouTube Hype Goes Global, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Chartable has a death-date, two surprising facts about platform consumption, Australia has a new advertising benchmark study, YouTube takes Hype global, and a look at a kids' podcast that got demonetized. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Aug 27, 2025 • 6min
Swift Podcast Sets Record, Trade Desk Redefines SSP, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: The Trade Desk redefines SSPs as resellers, an interview with Ozen.fm co-founder Rodrigo Tigre, Taylor Swift set a Guinness World Record with her podcast album debut, and an interview with Casuals host Katie Nolan.Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Aug 26, 2025 • 6min
Spotify Adds Chat, YouTube's New LLM Filter, & More
Essential news for today in the business of podcasting: YouTube has been quietly sharpening contrast on random YouTube Shorts, Spotify launches an in-app messaging feature, Acast launches Ads Academy, and a roundup of some webinars happening this week. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Aug 25, 2025 • 6min
Increasing Subscription Prices, YouTube Potential @ the Emmys, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Spotify's increasing Premium rate, the changing landscape of paid search placement, YouTube podcast elegibility would be a ticket to rejuvinating talk show award categories, and what Black culture means to modern brands. SiriusXM's survey.Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Aug 22, 2025 • 12min
News Podcast Audience Grows, Sounds Profitable's Future, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: Sounds Profitable merges with Podcast Movement, podcast audiences want choice, a look at news podcast listener demographic changes, YouTube is making it easier for collaborator brand deals to give credit to everyone, and what podcasting left on the table during the Taylor Swift album announcement. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Aug 20, 2025 • 6min
Video in Open Podcasting, Audiences Love Choice, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: The Podcast Standards Project shows how video can easily become a part of open RSS podcasting, Tom Webster debuts new audience data at Podcast Movement, and Signal Hill Insights has a new report on News podcast audiences. Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.


