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
Jul 10, 2025 • 7min
Preserving Podcasting's Spark, Stopping Slop Content, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: how podcasting can preserve its spark whiel growing into video, how Alityu ended up on screen at WWDC, YouTube's preparing to crack down on reuploaded/generated content, Jasmine Crockett addresses the need for media-savvy politicians for podcast appearances, and two major AI players working on their own browsers to challenge Google's search engine dominance. Find links to every article mentioned in the newsletter version of today's episode, which you can find right here in The Download's section of SoundsProfitable.com
Jul 9, 2025 • 6min
Managing Many Metrics, The Podcast Exchange Restructuring, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: The Streaming Wars looks at how "watch hours" can be turned into a valuable metric, The Podcast Exchange announces it is filing a Notion of Intention in Canadian bankruptcy court, Signal Hill Insights looks at three common reasons host-read ads fall short, and WPP issues profit warning as Q2 perfomance falls below expectations. Links to every article covered can be found in today's issue of the newsletter, available here on SoundsProfitable.com
Jul 9, 2025 • 13min
The Podcast Preservation Paradox
Preservationists fear video stealing podcasting’s soul, growth advocates celebrate YouTube driving more to the medium. Thing is, they’re both right.
Written and narrated by Tom Webster
Edited by Bryan Barletta and Gavin Gaddis
Audio editing by Gavin Gaddis
Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable.
Jul 8, 2025 • 7min
India's Podcasting Boom, Spotify Returns Pod.Link, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: podcasting is booming in India, Moonbug has a study into how parents consume ad-supported media, Spotify is giving pod.link back to its original developer, an explanation of the Spotify-approved generative AI "band" Velvet Sundown, and Triton Digital has a new annual study on Canadian podcast listner behavior. Find links to every article mentioned in today's episode post on SoundsProfitable.com
Jul 7, 2025 • 6min
Amazon x Roku, Spotify Upgrades Car Listening, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: Amazon's DSP is selling Roku inventory, a case study of a podcast that lowered downloads but upped audience engagement, Spotify Jam has been updated in Android Auto, and YouTube calls for UK government to embrace content creators. Find links to every article mentioned in today's episode in this post on SoundsProfitable.com
Jun 27, 2025 • 10min
Lessons from Cannes, Covering Demos w. Podcasting, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: the power of Health & Wellness and Self-Improvement podcast consumers, how podcasting can cover demographic blind spots, lessons from Cannes Lions, and YouTube content coming to Spotify video. Links to every article mentioned can be found here on SoundsProfitable.com.
Jun 26, 2025 • 7min
Purpose-Driven Podcasting, Spotify Eyes YouTubers, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: unlocking the power of purpose-driven podcasting, how podcasting can cover demographic blind spots, non-podcast video on Spotify, and how indie agencies are competing with holding companies for creatoe measurement and ad tech. Find links to every article mentioned right here on SoundsProfitable.com
Jun 25, 2025 • 9min
Germany's Podcast Demographics, How YouTube's Algorithm Works (Kinda), & More
Today in the business of podcasting: YouTube is a great place for podcasters to get visibility but not necessarily the perfect fit for every podcast, companies weigh in on the Spotify Partner Program after six months of operation, how under-represented sports are using advancements in tech to build their own streaming stack, what demographics are thriving in Germany's podcasting scene, and YouTube gives a peek behind the recommendation algorithm curtain. Find links to every article mentioned, including signup for tomorrow's webinar, right here on SoundsProfitable.com
Jun 24, 2025 • 8min
Podcasts on Smart TVs, Attention-Getting Audio, & More
Today in the business of podcasting: what podcasting gets right about attention, smart TVs rise the second-most-used device to consume podcasts, Crunchyroll has a new companion podcast produced with Sony, why there's a CPM slump growing in the CTV market, and AudioUK calls for UK government to enshrine podcasts. Find links to every article mentioned - and our webinar signup, here on SoundsProfitable.com
Jun 23, 2025 • 8min
How Podcasts Covered Hard News, Canadian Podcasters Lobby Gov't, & More
This week in the business of podcasting: Influencers grab some spotlight at Cannes Lions, how news podcasts covered the breaking news of the U.S. bombing Iran over the weekend, two senators allege Spotify is using a loophole to pay lower music royalty rates, a coalition of Canadian podcasting companies band together to ask the government to consider podcasts CanCon, and Tubi is adding hundreds of episodes from YouTube creators under their Tubi for Creators project. Find links to every article mentioned, including the webinar signup, right here on SoundsProftiable.com
