Half as many women make podcasts as men

• In the US, there are almost twice as many men creating podcasts as women, according to The Creators 2025, a new study from Sounds Profitable into the creator ecosystem for podcasting, which became available to all yesterday. The full report is a free download.

  • While there is woefully poor gender balance in podcast creation, there is growing creator participation from multicultural communities, the study suggests, with the number of Hispanic, Black and Asian creators outpacing White creators. White creators also are less likely to create video.
  • The data also shows that one in three podcast creators quit. That figure is higher for those aged 55+, or for those who identify LGBTQ+.
  • “Women aren’t quitting podcasting more than men — they’re just not starting. That’s an entry problem, not a commitment problem,” said Sounds Profitable’s Tom Webster, suggesting that there are structural barriers to entry. “We lose something when voices opt out before they ever opt in.”

• Good news for fans of Nerdette - the show is to relaunch as an independent production, called Happy to Be Here. Nerdette was the casualty of cuts at WBEZ announced in April 2024; the host, Greta Johnsen, was able to use the old Nerdette feed for this new show.

• The Fiction Podcast Weekly newsletter is now independent. Expect resources and news for fiction podcast makers.

• The Washington Post is making AI-generated podcasts for the paper’s mobile app. But Semafor reports that the shows are riddled with errors: from poor pronounciations to misattributions or even just making stuff up … meanwhile Australian radio group SCA, which uses AI to write some of its news bulletins, has wrongly named a man accused of escaping from the police as Dylan Hogarth, the journalist for a local newspaper that reported on the same story.

• Spotify published questions (and answers) about Spotify Wrapped.

• Taylor Swift thinks Stephen Colbert should become a podcaster once The Late Show ends next May. “You’re going to be a podcaster. You’re going to be Podcast Guy. You’re going to be an influencer. You’re going to make TikToks,” she said on Colbert’s show. Colbert responded: “Legally, I have to be a podcaster?” Yes, that’s how things are these days.

Moves and hires

• Michael DeAloia has joined Signal Ohio as General Manager. He was formerly CEO of Evergreen Podcasts.

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: This Is Woman’s Work with Nicole Kalil takes you from boardrooms to studios, kitchens to coding dens, and explores the multifaceted experiences of today’s women, confirming that the new definition of “woman’s work” is whatever feels authentic, true, and right for you.

In the Podnews Weekly Review this week, we speak with George Lejnine about PodAnalyst, and James explains to Sam that TikTok hasn’t just launched a podcast because it isn’t a podcast.

Inside the Life has returned for a third season. The show, from The Mob Museum - the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, is hosted by two former elite undercover agents. The latest episode features Peter Chin, a former leader of NYC Chinatown’s notorious Ghost Shadows gang.

Comedy Pilot Presents has introduced a new show called United State of News, a spoof news podcast that takes a satirical side-swipe at current events. In a world of shifting political alliances and hidden threats, we take a closer look at the US and UK, identify what we think are the biggest stories and take the P out of them.

Two HVAC nerds with a podcast, what could go wrong? In Cool Air, Hot Takes, you’ll hear lifelong friends Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry mix technical expertise with plenty of laughs as they tackle the latest in heating, cooling, and the tech reshaping buildings and industrial systems. With 30+ years of combined experience, they’ll walk you through heat pumps, chiller plants, refrigerant management, data center cooling, and hot takes.

Podnews has a 50% business partnership with Sounds Profitable, which is mentioned in a news story today.

Podcast Promotion in the wild

How do you promote your podcast about Great days out on the bus from Buxton in England? You print a set of postcards and put them everywhere tourists will see them, from train stations to hotel lobbies. People are scanning the QR codes, and it’s also, says Podnews reader Maria, allowed her a chance to speak to local businesses (and, who knows, get sponsors in the future).

Podcasting will grow more if we market it more. Seen a podcast being promoted somewhere in the wild - other than on a podcast? Let us know by hitting reply.