Podcast Movement Evolutions Announces Return to SXSW for 2027

Podcast Movement, the leading event series shaping the future of the podcast industry, announced at SXSW this past weekend that the annual Podcast Movement Evolutions event will return to the world-renowned festival in 2027.

The 2026 edition marked Podcast Movement Evolutions’ first full integration into the SXSW environment, bringing the global podcast and creator economy community together for three days of programming, keynotes, performances, and industry networking in downtown Austin.

“For the first year of bringing Podcast Movement Evolutions to SXSW, the event far exceeded our expectations,” said Bryan Barletta, Partner at Sounds Profitable and President of Podcast Movement. “Podcasting is now competing for attention across every medium, and that changes the level of effort required to stand out. Showing up at SXSW with real talent, meaningful programming, and new voices in the room is the new baseline. Looking around the venue this weekend made it clear that SXSW is where the future of podcasting is coming into focus.”

Programming throughout the weekend reflected podcasting’s expanding role across entertainment, technology, and creator-led media.

Throughout the weekend, some of the biggest names in entertainment and culture took the stage, including Maya Hawke, who joined a live recording of the Broken Record podcast followed by an intimate acoustic performance. Podcast Movement Evolutions also featured a storytelling performance from MrBallen (John Allen), a fireside chat and musical performance from multi-platinum artist Andy Grammer, and a live recording of the Table Read podcast with Kensington Tallman, Allison Dunbar, and Shaan Sharma.

Industry platforms also played a central role in the event’s programming. Steve McLendon, Product Lead for YouTube’s podcasting initiatives, delivered a keynote exploring how the platform has grown to more than one billion monthly active podcast viewers, highlighting the role of video discovery, creator tools, and audience engagement in the next era of podcast consumption.

Apple Podcasts executives Stacey Goers and Jake Shapiro also joined the Evolutions stage to provide deeper insights into Apple’s recently announced video podcast experience powered by HLS (HTTP Live Streaming). The new capability introduces a dedicated video experience within Apple Podcasts while giving creators greater control over distribution and monetization, including creator-controlled dynamic video advertising through hosting and ad tech partners delivering HLS.

Evening programming included Companion Presents: In Good Company, a live storytelling and performance event featuring conversations with Penn Badgley, appearances from Science and the City, We Love You, and In The Hyphen, and performances from Ayana Butterfly, JJ & The Mood, and Andy Grammer.

The event concluded with The Independent Podcaster and Creator Awards (Indie PaC), presented by Oxford Road and hosted by Killer Mike. Winners included creators such as Steven Bartlett (The Diary of a CEO), Tim Ferriss (The Tim Ferriss Show), and Hala Taha (Young and Profiting).

Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW was supported by: Acast, ADOPTER Media, AdsWizz, Airwave Media, Amazon Music, ART19, Audacy, Castbox, Colture, Companion Network, Display.io, ESPN, Hill Country Podcast Network, Locked On Podcast Network, Magellan AI, MowPod, Mynt Agency, Nielsen, Nueva Network, Nomono, NPR, Oxford Road, Red Seat Ventures, Right Side Up, SAG-AFTRA, Simplecast, Soundstack, Supporting Cast, and YouTube.