Learn how podcast advertising works

• Acast has launched the Acast Ads Academy - two courses to gain certification on how podcast advertising works. Those who pass the final exam of either course receive a certification that validates their expertise. The company hopes to train thousands in its first year.

• Exclusive: Chartable is going away. We know, you’ve heard this before - but this time, it’s going away for Megaphone customers, who still have access to it. If you’re with Megaphone, you’ll get an email today saying that a) Chartable is to be fully sunset on Dec 8, 2025; b) links are now available to publishers directly in Megaphone. (If you’re still using Chartable SmartLinks, you need to remove them.) There’s a blog post here about links, accompanied by what the landing page looks like (a massive Spotify button, tiny icons for the others), and what the analytics looks like.

• Apple’s six radio stations - until now, only available in Apple Music - are to be available on TuneIn (and, by extension, almost every connected device that uses the TuneIn catalog). The on-demand programming appears in Apple Music when searching for artists, and is one of the differentiators of Apple Music vs Spotify and other services.

  • How brilliant would it be if a search for, say, Taylor Swift in Apple Music also brought up a direct link over to Apple Podcasts to “that” episode of New Heights?

• Magellan AI has released the first ever Australian Podcast Quarterly Benchmark Report. Working with ARN, we learn that the average ad load is 7.53%. (In the US, it’s 8.13%). Podcast advertising must be seen as fair dinkum by the advertisers, too - podcast ad spend saw an increase of 20% year-on-year. Crikey!

  • Meanwhile, in the US, Magellan AI has published the top podcast advertisers for July. Someone must have sat down and had a quiet, understanding word with BetterHelp, who return to the #1 slot.

• The beers are on the Wonder Media Network team: they’ve just been given $2.6mn of Acast shares after the successful acquisition of the company. WMN already earnt $5.5mn in cash from Acast, and it means the total price of the acquisition was $8.1mn.

• What happened to the Australian Podcast Awards? The ceremony took place last year on Nov 22; but we’ve discovered that there won’t be an Australian Podcast Awards this year. The event is shifting to 2026, with the final entry deadline due in March. The event is run by Haymarket, who don’t have offices in the country.

Thank you Seth Goldstein for becoming our latest personal supporter. A supporter of open source tools and the host of Entrepreneur’s Enigma, he’s a good person to follow on the fediverse - and as a supporter of Podnews, he’s paying for it so we can continue to bring all our coverage for free to everyone. You can support us here.

People News

• Becca James has been announced as Managing Editor of Good Tape magazine. She joins from The AV Club, Thrillist, Vulture, and others.

Tips and tricks - with Patreon

• Setting up a newsletter for your listeners is a great way to turn an irregular listener into a fan. Arielle Nissenblatt has produced a set of resources to help you launch a newsletter alongside your podcast.

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: The travel industry is constantly evolving. View From Afar talks with the people changing the industry — the CEOs, tourism experts, hoteliers, and others who are making travel better for consumers, and the world.

The Tosh Show has officially signed a two-year deal with Libsyn, moving from iHeart. Daniel Tosh made a big announcement on his show - suggesting that Libsyn wanted “no guests” and “a new host”, before wondering whether he’d pronounced Libsyn correctly. He did!

National parks, forests, and public lands in the US are more than just iconic American landscapes — they’re part of the country’s legacy and require care and attention for future generations. American Conversation Experience Podcast is from a leading nonprofit conservation body, helping emerging professionals to tackle real-world projects that improve trails, restore public lands, and create resilient habitats benefiting our shared outdoor spaces.

What if you won a free month on the most prominent billboard in your city? What would it say? Shoppe Talk brings you candid conversations on business, branding, and the art of standing out. From marketing strategies to creative storytelling, the show dives into what it really takes to grow in today’s competitive world.

Think you’re too young or too inexperienced to make a global impact? Elisa Torres-Durney is just 19, from a small Chilean village: but she is advising UNESCO on democratising quantum education. She’s the guest in Low to Grow this week, a podcast that hears from inspiring individuals who have faced incredible lows to emerge stronger.