Adam Curry returns to Podcast Movement

• Podcast Movement announced the first set of confirmed sessions for the event in Dallas next month. And - Podnews can add news of one more speaker: none other than the “podfather”, Adam Curry, who is returning to Podcast Movement thanks to SoundStack. The co-inventor of podcasting, the Podcast Index and Podcasting 2.0 will be on the company’s stage on August 19th.

  • You get a discount on selected Podcast Movement passes for being a Podnews reader.

• Podcast Movement announced the winners of the PM25 Scholarship Class, with nearly fifty up-and-coming podcasters who are attending with complimentary passes.

• TIME released its TIME100 Creators list for 2025 - and nearly 50% of the honorees host podcasts, a PR company acting for Spotify tell us, which is apparently evidence of “Spotify’s place at the center of podcasting” (though many of the shows aren’t actually theirs). The list includes Mel Robbins, Alex Cooper, Steven Bartlett, Joe Rogan, and “Hawk Tuah” girl Haliey Welch.

• Spotify now suggests that it has “nearly 7 million” podcast titles on its service. That number was quietly updated on Spotify’s company info page on May 1st. Podcast Index lists 4.6mn. Apple Podcasts possibly has 2.8mn

• In the UK, RAJAR released its quarterly MIDAS study for Spring 2025, showing data about audio consumption in the country. Podcasts are now listened-to by 25% of the UK every week (a figure which has dipped slightly since the last survey). 7% of all audio time is spent with podcasts (65% with radio).

• The Wrap takes us Inside the Podcasting Scam Trying to Take Over Social Accounts: the same scam that we covered in Nov 2023. It’s described as a “well-known headache”. Be careful out there!

• In Soundbite, Ashley Carman reports on Spotify’s sudden promotion of its human music curation team. Apple Podcasts also has a human curation team for its podcasts - one of the stand-out differences between Apple Podcasts and other podcast apps.

  • You get a discount on a Soundbite subscription for being a Podnews reader.

• Audion has worked with Publicis Media on a digital audio campaign with the ibis Styles hotel brand. The ads are focused on the Tour de France bicycle race, and are geographically targeted to focus on stage cities and types of competition.

• The “mushroom case”, the court case deciding whether Erin Patterson really did deliberately feed poisonous mushrooms to her family in an attempt to kill them (spoiler: she did), led to a surprisingly large number of podcasts in the country. Now it’s over, The Chaser reports: Aussie podcast industry on brink of collapse as Mushroom trial comes to a close. We hurry to stress that it’s a satirical website, though at least some redditors aren’t that clear.

• YouTube has announced it’s to demonetise “inauthentic” content, widely considered to be mass-produced AI-generated material.

• Spotify has expanded the way that brands can buy into podcasting. As of today, they can use the self-serve Spotify Ads Manager, and buy via trade desks using Spotify Ad Exchange. The company suggests it gives advertisers more flexibility to buy, create, and measure on the platform.

• Tablet asks Are Podcasts Ruining Our Lives? (paid) (and no)

Tips and tricks - with Podcast Movement

• Ever wondered why the YouTube, Spotify and Apple charts all have different shows at the top? Because they’re all calculated in different ways.

Podcast News

The latest episode of The Humanitarian Lens from Médecins Sans Frontières interviews a pediatrician and epidemiologist, Dr. Aqsa Durrani, after her latest assignment in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza: “It’s really hard to believe that we have allowed this to happen. It’s very clear upon the first moments of entering that it’s systematic, that it is an annihilation.”

Have I Got News For Your Ears is new from CNN Podcasts. For this season, the show is a mix of the less-funny US version of 'Have I Got News For You’, coupled with a behind the scenes show hosted by team captain Michael Ian Black. The show is produced by Hat Trick, who have produced a version in the UK since 1990.

If you’re building apps, love indie tools, or just want to stay ahead of what’s launching each week, Built This Week is your new go-to. You’ll hear the hosts dive into the coolest tool they built, a standout app they discovered, and the latest news shaping the indie dev world. It’s fast, fun, and full of ideas you’ll want to steal!

The No Expiration Date Podcast is the unapologetic podcast for women 50+ who are redefining what’s possible in midlife and beyond. Hosted by a dynamic duo who’ve been through reinvention themselves, each episode dives into real conversations about everything from starting over and side hustles to skincare, relationships, mental wellness, and living with purpose. Whether you’re navigating empty nests or exploring new passions, this is your space to be inspired, laugh a little, and feel seen.

Disability Deep Dive is the new reimagined podcast from Disability Rights Florida. Formerly “You First: The Disability Rights Florida Podcast,” Disability Deep Dive brings you the same quality guests but with a fresh perspective, a new segment, and a new co-host. You will hear the stories, voices, and ideas that matter to the disability community.

If care about the future of the UK hospitality industry, then you need to listen to What’s Cooking?. Hosted by Conor Sheridan, you’ll go behind the scenes of fast-growing restaurant groups like Bill’s, Giggling Squid and Blacklock to explore the operational challenges that prevent restaurants from achieving their full potential, and how to overcome them.

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