Comedy podcast festival expands to the US

• A comedy podcast festival is to expand into the US - and to return to London and Melbourne. Cheerful Earful plans 15 days of live podcast shows across the globe, including a new event in New York City. Presented in partnership with headline sponsor Adelicious, the festival continues its mission to be “global but grassroots,” with comedy at the heart. Tickets are now on sale.

• New York Public Radio, the owners of WNYC, released its financial returns for FY23/24. The company brought in $73.9mn (including a government grant of just $347,000), but had expenses of $83.1mn. During the year the company eliminated leadership bonuses, cut its workforce by 40 people, and cancelled Death, Sex & Money, with production ceasing in January 2024. It’s now with Slate.

  • LaFontaine Oliver, the CEO of the company, was paid $612,000. We also learn the packages paid to Brooke Gladstone (who hosts On The Media), and Anna Sale (who hosted Death, Sex & Money for six months of this return period): both were paid around $341,000.
  • Podcast advertising via AdsWizz earned WNYC $426,000 during the year.

• Parla has launched its deep research assistant. The research tool is trained on “every active podcast in the world”. We asked it “should a podcast be in video, or just in audio”, and it gave us this.

• Audacy podcasts and radio stations are now available in the iHeart app, the music, podcast and radio app from its main competitor, iHeartMedia. (The iHeart app is #32 in the App Store, with 614,000 ratings; the Audacy app is #121 in music, with just 92,000 ratings). Your podcast can be there too - our page of all the podcast directories links directly to add your own show on iHeart.

• Another podcast awards is on the way - the Astra Podcast Awards have been announced, an expansion of the awards lineup from The Hollywood Creative Alliance. You’ve until the end of August to enter.

• Podcast creator and host Alitu has just implemented Podping, a method to instantly tell compatible podcast apps that a new episode has been published. It now also supports the location tag.

• The Athletic has just launched No Free Lunch, “how the most successful people in sports manage their money and grow their wealth.” Of note - the show (on podcast apps and on YouTube) is described as a “digital series”, rather than a podcast.

• A new podcast company, Pivot Productions, has been launched by former England footballer Jermaine Jenas, and co-founder James Burtt.

• Are you a developer familiar with HLS streaming? The Podcast Standards Project is looking for developers experienced with HLS streaming analytics, especially in the context of podcast hosting.

• Headliner has added integration into social media platform Bluesky for its automatic audiograms.

• The Giggly Squad podcast has extended its advertising partnership with Acast.

Explosive Growth of True Crime YouTube Channel

Paid content

In just five days, a True Crime YouTube channel gained 2,770 new subscribers — an impressive 41% increase from its baseline. The key to this surge? A strategic partnership with Audiencelift, a video promotion platform that targets “Earned Subscribers” - users who watch an ad and later subscribe organically. Over 39,000 video views generated 1,924 earned and 846 direct subscribers, yielding a cost of just $1.81 per new subscriber.

Unlike traditional ad campaigns that chase clicks, Audiencelift’s strategy emphasizes authentic engagement. They prioritize subscribers “who love your videos—not just watch them,” helping creators build loyal fanbases. For this True Crime video podcast, this meant converting casual viewers into long-term followers through compelling video ads placed in front of the right audiences. This data-backed, viewer-centric growth model illustrates how creators can achieve meaningful scale without compromising authenticity.

Learn more about Audiencelift’s YouTube growth platform

Moves and hires

• Tom McNeill, the Creator Strategy Lead at Patreon, has left the company after six years. “My time in the States is coming to an end and with it my time at Patreon”, he says: “For the rest of 2025 I’ll be in recharge, refresh, relocate mode before exploring the next professional foray in 2026.”

Tips and tricks - with Podcast Movement

• Just because your podcast is in Apple and Spotify doesn’t mean it’s everywhere. We’ve a full list of all the podcast directories - it’s free to be in them all, so it could be the best few hours of your time you’ve ever spent.

Podcast News

Dean’s Killer Joke just hit #40 on the Apple Comedy Fiction charts in the UK. Follow along to hear comedian Anne-Marie Buchanan investigate the murder of canceled comedian Dean Blackshaw and wonder: Was his death all her fault?

Imagine if your funniest business-savvy friend handed you a life cheat sheet every week. That’s The System for Everything - quick, relatable episodes packed with real tips, real talk, and way too many reality television references. Hosted by Julie Fried, it’s the podcast that proves systems don’t have to be boring. If you love practical tips but need them served with a side of sharp wit, this is your new favorite system.

Let Me Tell You Something with Derek and JJ is new today, from a brand new podcast company. Hosted by boxing legend Derek Chisora and ex-England footballer Jermaine Jenas, it’s the show where the biggest names in sport, entertainment, music and culture - like Katherine Ryan, Eddie Hearn, Joe Cole, Lethal Bizzle and Michael Venom Page - delve into the stories behind their wins, losses, lessons, and legacy.

It’s a new season and a new name for Wholesome TV Picks. Formerly Family TV Uncovered, it’s a bite-sized podcast continues to serve busy parents with quick, spoiler-free recommendations of clean, family-friendly TV shows and movies. If you’re tired of scrolling for something safe to watch with your kids, this show helps you go straight to the good stuff.

Find more podcasts, and add your show