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
Feb 5, 2026 • 5min
Triton Digital Upgrades Metrics, BBC Funding Digital-First Content, & More
A roundup of major podcast business moves, from a rebrand and sales shift at a major network to expanded ad pricing comparisons between TV and online. There's news about BBC funding for digital-first creators targeting young audiences. Upgrades to industry metrics and benchmarking tools are also highlighted.
Feb 5, 2026 • 8min
A Few Notes About Fixing Conference Panels
A breakdown of how to transform bland conference panels into tightly structured conversations. Tips on building a narrative arc and collecting panelists' key points first. Practical tactics for quick, human introductions and warming speakers up. Advice on preparing many precise questions and protecting the audience's time.
Feb 4, 2026 • 7min
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 3, 2026 • 5min
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 2, 2026 • 7min
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.
Jan 30, 2026 • 8min
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 29, 2026 • 7min
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 28, 2026 • 5min
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, 2026 • 8min
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-CalischEdited by Gavin GaddisAudio narration and editing by Gavin GaddisFind the full article here on Sounds Profitable.
Jan 27, 2026 • 7min
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
