Mel C is first guest at Acast’s new Sydney studio

Psst: last day to fill in the Podnews Report Card. Thank you.

• I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want - I want three new video-capable podcast studios. Acast has upgraded its studios in Stockholm and Oslo, and Acast’s new video podcast studio in Woolloomoolloo in Sydney has officially had it’s first guest: none other than Sporty Spice herself, Mel C, in a new episode of The Mitch Churi Chat Show out today.

  • Acast has also made a number of key hires in Sweden: Otto Jorméus joins as Content Director, while Gustaf Angelin has been hired as Video and Podcast Producer.

• An email to Captivate customers suggests that the podcast hosting company will launch Apple Podcasts video “from next week”.

• Following Libsyn’s announcement that they now support Spotify video distribution, the company has also announced that all Libsyn creators can upload up to 100GB of storage per month for video files (and the Pro plans have no limit). “It’s really important to us that our creators can lean into video in a way that makes sense for their show, without overly restrictive limitations,” a spokesperson told us. Their audio upload limit is unchanged.

• As of writing, there were 2,159 new shows published yesterday. Only 60.2% were real podcasts, with 25% being reported as entirely AI-generated. 269 new shows were from Inception Point AI. There are now 643 separate shows as part of Inception Point AI’s Portuguese “Biografia Relâmpago” series; 683 separate shows in its Spanish “Flash Biográfico” series, and a staggering 1,500 separate shows in its English-language “Biography Flash”.

• Podcast app Fountain released v1.5, including a more curated and dynamic home feed. The company is running a live music event tonight in London.

Tips and tricks - with the Podnews Report Card

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: This Week in Space from the TWiT network explores everything related to the cosmos. The current latest episode highlights the news that the White House has once again proposed drastic budget cuts of about 24% for NASA’s 2027 budget.

Earthed is a quick, weekly wrap of climate, nature and sustainability news from across Australia. This week, why would you mix shredded mattresses and glass? What’s the link between a rare plant called Shy Susan, the beating of a native bee’s wings, and Tasmanian wine? And why isn’t it common knowledge that extreme heat is Australia’s deadliest disaster?

🎙️ 🎬 In Exploring Art History today, a short trailer by Howard Burton sharing his motivations for his illustrated video podcast which features seriously-entertaining conversations with professional art historians, offering a uniquely accessible window into both their research and personal journeys. Specifically designed for a video format, the show incorporates lots of visuals throughout in order to best illuminate the captivating mysteries, intriguing discoveries and compelling new interpretations under discussion.

The Resilient Retail Game Plan is celebrating its 300th episode - and one million downloads. The host, Catherine Erdly, celebrates by helping independent retailers get a head start by sharing the three main pillars her podcast has covered so far.

The B2B CMO Podcast is a show for marketing executives who are redefining what it means to be a strategic leader. Join Jon Miller and Sydney Sloan every week as they talk with the very best Chief Marketing Officers who are navigating the modern marketing playbook and positioning themselves as leaders of company strategy.

Mad Gene, the multi-disciplinary production company from Oscar Isaac and Elvira Lind today announced The List, a new eight-episode podcast series that will offer honest, emotional, and funny stories about sexual histories while encouraging listeners to reflect on their own experiences. The show, a collaboration with Multitude, launches on May 7, and is developed and hosted by Academy Award nominated Lind and her collaborator Kirra Cheers.

What’s the greatest celebrity notes app apology of all time? Which celebrities are actually winning their breakups? And which stan account is finally giving up on their fave? Every week on Lemme Say This, you’re in for a conversation about the latest pop culture news dominating your timeline and sparking debates in your group chats. A new season with Higher Ground premieres today.

Longwood GradCast - Beyond the Degree is back for Season 3. And this time they are exploring the “Power of People.” Longwood graduate alumni reflect on the relationships that shaped their journeys and the ripple effect that comes from investing in others. These stories highlight connection, leadership, and courage and how meaningful impact is built through human relationships.

In the new season of Building Local Power,"The Data Centers Are Coming," take a trip across the country to some of the hot spots for data center fights. Big Tech is racing for AI dominance, attempting to steamroll local communities through secrecy and shell companies, but that’s only part of the story. You’ll hear from activists and agitated neighbors, experts on energy supply and the environment, and tech correspondents chasing these fights across state lines.

Podcast people in the wild

At POSSIBLE 2026, that’ll be Podscribe’s Matt Drengler, telling marketing people from across the US about the benefits of podcast advertising, quoting from the Q1/26 Podcast Performance Benchmarks report. The event was held in Miami, Florida. (Pic: POSSIBLE 2026 by Shutterstock)

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