What a complete ranker

• Podtrac launched a new, global, multi-channel podcast ranker that measures podcast consumption across media platforms and content types - including, for the first time, video clips in Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

  • The number 1 is The MeidasTouch Podcast, which appears to see around 43% of its consumption via video clips, rather than full-length podcasts. Joe Rogan is at #2, with roughly equal consumption in audio and video, but just 9% of its consumption via video clips. And, despite poor video figures, The Rest Is History makes it to #3. The data also makes it clear where video is missing: such as The Daily from the New York Times, or Up First from NPR, which deliver virtually all their consumption via audio podcast.
  • For the top 50 ranked podcasts, total delivery is 51% video and 49% audio; but the percentage of video consumption falls away quickly lower down the chart. There’s (slightly) more plays of clips on YouTube (53%) than there are full podcasts.
  • All the data measures total downloads/streams/views, not duration. The data is partly actual data reported by the platforms, and partly estimations. Access to the full 200 is available on subscription. Video clips are rarely monetised in the same ways as full shows.

• The Australian Podcast Ranker was released for December. Hamish & Andy remain #1, with The Grade Cricketer jumping into the top 5 (coinciding with The Ashes, a series of cricket matches, during the month). The ranker’s Demos+ data suggests that 12% of monthly podcast listeners enjoy Health & Fitness content, and 35% of those are planning to buy gym memberships or fitness equipment in the next year.

  • Pop culture podcast Shameless - previously #4 - has left the ranker, coinciding with a shift to full video episodes. Video podcasts on Spotify or YouTube cannot be measured by logfile analysis tools like the Australian Podcast Ranker (or prefix analysis tools like Podtrac). Even audio listens become entirely hosted by Spotify and can no longer be measured on a like-for-like basis.
  • The ranker, calculated by Triton Digital, is administered by CRA. They gave Podnews a long statement, suggesting that “individual participation shifts don’t change the fundamental value” of the ranker, and highlighting that they are “constantly … reviewing video podcast measurement for inclusion when we find tested, validated and best practice approaches. Video is new and moving fast, requiring measurement to be rigorous and accurate.”

• Magellan AI released its rankings for top podcast advertisers in the US. Wifi-enabled photo frame Aura Frames spent $7.1mn in December, just beating Amazon’s $7mn or T-Mobile’s $6.8mn. IBM showed the biggest increase, dropping $2.6mn into podcasts.

• A last-minute ad platform, SpotsNow, has launched. The tool allows publishers to monetize remnant and unsold inventory, and is being marketed as “Hotel Tonight for Host Read Podcast Ads”. The release suggests that podcast advertising isn’t always fast to buy; while SpotsNow is built to offer opportunities in real time.

• JamPot Productions has hired Craig Strachan as CEO. Strachan was at Novel, Amazon Music and Sky; JamPot is a creator-led production company founded by Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo.

• The Rest is History is to launch a history festival in London’s Hampton Court. The festival, which will welcome thousands of members each day, will be designed to help fans meet each other, and timed so that “the tribe can gather”. The show is run by Goalhanger.

• Conferences are good for producing podcasts from, and in the UK, Cue Podcasts and Limeblue have launched a bespoke podcast booth experience to offer live recordings of attendees and speakers.

• OnAirFest has added a number of new speakers to its event next month. It’s in Brooklyn, NY.

• Crowd Network has hired Shaunagh Brown as Brand Partnerships Consultant. Across her playing career, Shaunagh earned 30 caps for England and was part of the Red Roses squad that won four Six Nations titles.

Enter The Webbys. Share Your Work With Industry Titans.

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Since 1996, The Webby Awards has been recognized as the preeminent international honor for Internet excellence. Winners are selected by a community of artists, innovators, and creators spanning all facets of digital culture. When you enter The Webbys, your work is seen and reviewed by their judging body: the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).

Judges for Podcasts this year include: Bill Simmons, Founder & CEO, The Ringer; Ashley Flowers, Founder & CCO, Audiochuck and Host, Crime Junkie; Ben Cave, Global Head of Podcasts, Apple; Jay Shetty, Host, On Purpose; Bob Carrigan, CEO, Audible; Jordan Newman, Head of Content Partnerships, Spotify; and Shreeya Sinha, Executive Editor, Audio, The New York Times.

Don’t miss your chance to have the best in the business review your work! Enter the 30th Annual Webby Awards by the Extended Entry Deadline on February 6th, 2026.

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: Book Riot is the largest independent editorial book site in North America, and Book Riot - The Podcast contains news from the world of books and reading, including hot industry releases, adaptations, publishing industry events, and more with Jeff O’Neal and Rebecca Schinsky.

In Create Magic At Work this week, you’ll hear the final episode of the Finding Treasures in the Trash mini-series — a reflective exploration of how wisdom can emerge from parts of ourselves we often avoid. If you’ve ever wondered what “treasure” your own “trash” might be pointing you toward, this episode invites you to listen and reflect, as the series prepares to continue as its own independent podcast.

The three-time Webby Award-honored podcast CRAFTED. hosted by Dan Blumberg got a rebrand: It’s now called Future Around & Find Out. The rebrand marks a strategic shift toward the future, away from past-tense case studies, to help builders navigate an era that’s equal parts exciting and terrifying.

In Inspiration for the Nation with Yaakov Langer this week, William Mehrvarz, an Iranian Jewish convert who fled from execution in Iran, joins him to break down what’s going on in Iran now. He talks about the Iranian people’s biggest fears, and it’s probably not what you think.

From the BBC, The History Bureau revisits the defining stories of our times with the reporters who first covered them. In the first season, you’ll be taken back to September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, when four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The attacks plunged the country into panic. Families fled their homes. Residents patrolled their blocks around the clock. An entire nation paralyzed by fear. But who did it?

Game, Set & Chat launched this week with father and son commentary duo, Robert and Yoni Curtis. Yoni is an amateur player aged 13 and is seeking greatness. Every day they provide a ten minute podcast round up of the day from the Tennis Grand Slams. Listen in to hear all the news and daily winners from the Australian Open and other tennis tournaments.

The Zooquarium Podcast is a brand new show for kids (of all ages) who are curious about our natural world. Each episode features a question submitted by a kid and is answered by animal expert Chanel Hason, artist/educator Mike Bennett, and guests from the world of science and art. The first episode just debuted and features a question all about the pooping rituals of a sloth!

Chronically Low Competence: An Audio Only Let’s Play Podcast returns for its third season shortly - this time covering the completely unhinged game Squirrel With a Gun. Come and get your nuts!