Sounds Profitable

This week in the business of podcasting:Podcast Movement Evolutions has taken over SKYBOX on 6th at SXSW 2026 through Sunday, with no badge or ticket required, featuring live tapings tonight from Table Read, Scalable Podcast, and Broken Record with special guest Maya Hawke, and tomorrow night's Companion Presents: In Good Company event with Penn Badgley and a headliner set from Andy Grammer.Sounds Profitable founder Bryan Barletta argues Apple Podcasts' HLS announcement returns control to hosting platforms and opens the door for rights holders across music, film, and other industries to adopt RSS-inspired distribution.Bumper's Jonas Woost shares data built from over 100,000 podcast episode listener retention data. He finds listeners complete 76% of an average podcast episode, with retention trending downward the longer an episode lasts.A new Acast Podcast Pulse report from Singapore finds 97% of local listeners say a podcast has changed their mind on a topic versus a global median of 84%, with podcasters rating higher on credibility than journalists, Youtubers, and social-first talent.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode of the Recap, 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 Bryan Barletta argues the big picture of Apple Podcasts' HLS announcement. It's less about video podcasting and more about what happens when an open standard connects a public app to multiple distribution hubs, potentially opening the door for rights holders in other industries to consider similar RSS-inspired methods.A new Acast Podcast Pulse report from Singapore finds 97% of local listeners say a podcast has changed their mind on a topic versus a global median of 84%, with 52% rating podcasters more credible than journalists and 69% saying they've considered a brand for the first time because of a podcast.An Axios op-ed argues the impression that Americans are more divided than ever is being cast through the lens of overly-online social media users. An article that happens to be relevant to A.J. Feliciano's Companion panel at Podcast Movement Evolutions this week.Financial research firm MoffettNathanson estimates YouTube hit $62 billion in 2025 revenue, edging out Disney's $60.9 billion and making it the world's largest media company, with the platform also crossing $100 billion paid out to creators since 2021.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 Evolutions kicks off this Friday at SKYBOX on 6th in Austin, a free three-day event with 400-person capacity plus overflow, featuring curated panels, live performances (inclduing live Scalable podcast recording on Friday at 7:15 p.m).Libsyn reports 2025 as a record year for creator payouts, with ad impressions up 46% year over year to 4.5 billion and monetizing creators growing more than 2.5 times after the platform removed download minimums for Automatic Podcast Ads.PAVE Studios founder Max Cutler argues Netflix should use its $2.8 billion Paramount windfall to invest in habitual, returning-audience content like video podcasts and creator licensing rather than one-time prestige releases.Publish Press announces The Hollywood Creator Summit on May 28 in Los Angeles, featuring on-stage conversations with creators and industry leaders alongside a live episode of The Colin and Samir Show.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.

Let’s look at what upgrading video on Apple Podcasts means for podcasting as an industry.Apple Podcasts is rolling out support for HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). Bryan Barletta breaks down what HLS actually is, how it handles video, audio, and dynamic ad delivery through HLS Interstitials, and what it means to have early buy-in from hosting platforms like  Acast, Amazon’s ART19, Triton’s Omny Studio, and SiriusXM Media. Written by Bryan BarlettaEdited by Molly DeMillier, Tom Webster, and Gavin GaddisText and audio edited by Gavin GaddisRegister for Evolutions by Podcast Movement @ SXSWFind the full article here on Sounds Profitable.

Podbean withdraws dynamic ad tech from the UK and Europe due to privacy and product shifts. New data from Bumper shows listeners complete about 76% of episodes on Apple and Spotify. BBC opens select podcasts to outside sponsorship and seals a European ad-sales deal. Creator-first studio unveils a 14-show slate with a live SXSW showcase. Timbre Awards extend their discounted submission window.

Discussion of creators moving long-form video onto television and how brands are reacting. New moves to adapt podcast IP for TV and industry events driving those deals. A new AI disclosure checkbox and an interactive resource to help podcasters label AI use. Major media restructuring with Cumulus filing for bankruptcy. True crime shows turning intimate listener bonds into big sponsorships.

Today in the business of podcasting:Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW adds Penn Badgley and SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin to its lineup, with Oxford Road and founding sponsor Libsyn hosting the inaugural Indie PaC Awards on Sunday, and Spotify marking its 20th birthday with keynotes and a star-studded concert hosted at Stubb's BBQ.Tom Webster argues that coverage of a new Edison Research Share of Ear data point - in which spoke-word daily consumption percentage for podcasting passes AM/FM radio for the first time since Share of Ear started - misses the caveat that Share of Ear isn't taking spoken word video podcasts primarily watched by audiences into account. Audible launches a new $8.99 Standard membership tier with a streaming-focused model, folding former Wondery+ subscriber perks into Audible Originals (such as ad-free listening, early access, and exclusive podcasts).SAG-AFTRA is expanding its podcast contract coverage to include more interview and narrative formats as video podcasting grows. Sue-Anne Morrow also addresses the notion SAG-AFTRA actors are taking a pay cut if they choose video podcasting over daytime TV. 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 Tom Webster pushes back on the idea podcasting has "finally" caught AM/FM radio in spoken-word listening share, arguing the milestone already passed. Share of Ear's audio-focused methodology leaves out the many hours of spoke-word consumed as podcasts people primarily watch.Frequency and Flightpath announce a partnership integrating Flightpath's predictive inventory planning into Frequency's Premium Publisher Network, aiming to replace reactive ad selling with a scalable, multi-network monetization model.Radiodays North America announces its 2026 speaker lineup ahead of its May 5–6 Toronto event, featuring CRTC Broadcasting VP Scott Shortliffe, Radiolab producer Simon Adler, and Tom Webster.Audible reveals its first major podcast slate since absorbing Wondery, bringing new seasons of Dr. Death and Over My Dead Body, a new investigative series called OnlyFantasy, and the migration of former Wondery titles like Dying for Sex and Hysterical to the 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.

Amazon revamps Audible with an $8.99 streaming-first plan and folds Wondery perks into Audible Originals. Big-name appearances are set for Podcast Movement at SXSW and Apple will demo an HLS video podcast upgrade. Video podcasts are climbing fast, reaching 20% of internet users and pulling time from TV. Creator agencies are morphing into full-service multi-platform operators as M&A in the creator economy accelerates.

They debate how podcasting may already have surpassed radio once video-based listening is counted. They explain why audio-only surveys miss millions of viewers who discover shows on YouTube and social platforms. They contrast different audience demographics and argue growth comes from new entrants, not just former radio listeners.