How Apple Podcasts works with podcasts in China

• Exclusive: Apple Podcasts has made changes to the way it makes podcasts available in China. Working with podcasters inside China, Podnews has learnt that Apple is now able to remove specific episodes from shows, and that those episodes are hidden from users even if a user tries the RSS feed in the Apple Podcasts app.

  • As two examples: Lex Fridman has 22 recent shows removed; the Joe Rogan Experience is missing eight recent shows.
  • We’ve written an availability checker for Apple Podcasts, to understand what is available where. More details in the article.

• Evolutions 2025 has announced a set of new speakers for the event in Chicago IL, on Mar 31 - Apr 3. Reflecting video’s part in the podcast space, Evolutions will have a Video Village, presented by YouTube. Use code PODNEWS to save on selected passes.

• Podcast studio Filt has announced a reorganisation, including consolidation with Finland’s Suomen Podcastmedia, and the launch of Filt Nordics across Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The companies are backed by PodX Group.

• Audio is different from video says Eric Silver, the Head of Development at Multitude Productions. He filmed the process of recording a portion of a podcast with Amanda McLoughlin, and wrote up his thoughts. “Why do we want to dive into this wholly-different-and-filled-with-its-own-distinct-problems pool when we have our not-perfect pool here?”

• YouTube threw a party for creators and podcasters in Washington DC over inauguration weekend. (The main image of the attendees show 16 men and four women.)

• Stringbean Radio is a website that lets you follow podcast guest appearances. It’s caught Lex Fridman on 104 shows so far (and Marco Arment on 88).

• Podcast host RSS.com launched a set of tweaks and updates, including a web player “with iOS dynamic island support” and improved podroll support.

• John McDermott discovers that The Journal, produced by Spotify and the Wall Street Journal, has 21 people on staff. (You’d have thought one of them might be able to make a trailer).

• SoundCloud is doing something weird with redirected podcasts that were formerly hosted on the platform - adding a legal redirect statement if you visit the feed on something other than a recognised podcast app.

Tips and tricks - with Pod Predictor by Coleman Insights

• Inc writes “why you should never pay to appear on a podcast”.

Podcast News - with Airwave

From the Airwave Podcast Network: History Tea Time is a history podcast from Lindsay Holiday that spills the tea on history. This weekly show has just released an episode on Louis XIV’s Illegitimate Children.

Popular movie podcast Unspooled has signed with the Realm podcast network. The show was with Earwolf; and achieves over 12mn monthly downloads.

New this week from LAist Studios - LA Made: The Other Moonshot tells the story of three Black aerospace engineers who worked on the Apollo mission in L.A. in the 1960s – despite barely being allowed in the room. It’s hosted by Joanne Higgins, whose grandfather was among the group.

With over a month to go until the start of the 2025 F1 season, inside the F1: Chequered Flag feed is F1: Back At Base, a new show from the BBC, taking listeners behind the scenes of McLaren and Aston Martin’s Formula 1 teams. The show includes exclusive interviews and an inside look at the secret factories building the cars.