Are podcast advertisers missing a trick?

• Triton Digital has released data from its Demos+ platform, highlighting a missed opportunity between podcast audiences and ad-buyers. Its data shows that Black and Asian American listeners are significantly more likely than most to purchase life insurance, or to switch wireless providers. However, in spite of offering significantly better ROI for advertisers in those categories, investment in shows that attract those listeners continues to lag.

• The Webby Awards is looking for people to serve on this year’s jury. They are particularly looking at expanding their expertise in podcasts (and they have plenty of podcast categories to judge every year). You can join here - there’s a slot for “who recommended you”, and the answer there is probably “James Cridland”, Podnews’s Editor. (He’s an Associate Member of IADAS).

• A podcast studio probably isn’t what you expect in a luxury resort in the Bahamas. Podnews sent Arielle Nissenblatt to take a look at Baha Mar in the Bahamas, which has worked with iHeartRadio to produce a professional podcast studio - and as she reports for us, it’s an encouraging sign that podcasting is part of the guest experience at resorts like this one.

• Podcast Nation has added five new shows to its network, including three shows through the network’s relationship with UTA. The five additions span true crime, comedy, entertainment, pop culture, lifestyle, and business.

• Apple Podcasts Connect has been highlighting, for the last few days, that the service is “currently experiencing issues with play counts in Podcasts Analytics”. We’ve asked for more information for you.

  • But - is the “issue” that Apple’s version of the play count is not a very useful metric? For the Podnews Weekly Review, all our episodes seem to show numbers like this - one episode claiming it’s had 60 listeners, but 367 plays. Spotify and YouTube both agree that a play is a minimum of 30 seconds, which is, um, 30 seconds longer than Apple’s definition.

• A new science-fiction podcast series, Only Human: Bound, was the focus of a segment on ABC 13 in Rochester NY. The show (about an AI in the future) came out on Wednesday. The piece is a master-class in how to publicise a podcast effectively - producing some video B-roll for the station to show; a carefully rehearsed explanation of what the podcast is; and adding a voice actor for additional interest. In many countries, television stations are required to produce local news programming, and most newsrooms would welcome the opportunity of a local feature like this.

Go deeper into the $9.2 billion podcast business

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The podcast business is worth $9.2 billion globally, and most of it had never been properly counted. Owl & Co’s Global Podcast Economy Report, now in its second edition, is the only study that sizes the entire industry across five revenue streams, including the video and consumer revenue prior estimates missed. The Report has been cited by Bloomberg, Forbes, and across fundraising and investment decks.

The Subscriber edition goes deeper: revenue estimates and growth rates by company for the leading players, the structure of the long tail, and 16 months of podcast M&A, with deal valuations, revenue multiples, and what makes some podcast companies command a premium in enterprise value.

License the report now in Individual, Team, or Enterprise editions. Podnews readers can get 10% off the Individual or Teams (for companies less than 1,000 employees) with the code PODNEWS2026 through July 10th.

Tips and tricks - with Podcast Movement NYC's Public Vote

• Listener patience shapes podcast performance, said Krystle Waters from Pilot Podcasts at Podcast Movement Evolutions earlier this year. “Listeners no longer want to wait for your content to be good”, she says. (Oh, so she’s heard our podcast…)

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave and TWiT.tv: Windows Weekly is about more than just Microsoft Windows - covering all things Microsoft. The latest episode looks at 4,800 layoffs at the company - which reveals problems in XBOX - is that unit on borrowed time?

Congratulations to Podcasting Secrets, which has reached 2.5 million views/downloads since it launched in 2023. The show is the official podcast of PodUp, and is hosted by Nathan Gwilliam.

The Sound Off Podcast this week has Justin Jackson, the co-founder of Transistor, on as a guest.

The Podnews Weekly Review celebrates the return of Sam Sethi with a look at Overcast’s apparent growth, and what’s up with Apple Podcasts.

Cry It Out Loud is the official podcast of Chasing the Rainbows, a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization providing free daily support for families navigating infertility, miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss, stillbirth, infant loss, and pregnancy after loss. Each episode features the unfiltered real stories that aren’t talked about enough.

One Minute Podcast Tips celebrates episode 150 today. In this milestone episode, Danny Brown invites some of his favourite podcasters to share their one minute tip you can ben efit from. Join guests Arielle Nissenblatt, Gordon Firemark, Elsie Escobar, Freddy Cruz, Reena Friedman Watts, Tony Doe, and Amanda McLoughlin and let their tips help you be a better podcaster.

What if Russia attacked NATO? How would Germany respond? And where are our weaknesses? This podcast simulates an attack on NATO’s eastern flank. Politicians, former military officials, and experts take on the roles of the German government for a day. A second team plays the Kremlin. This wargame triggered an international debate: so the podcast decided to publish the results in English as well. In Ernstfall – What if Russia Attacks NATO? you’ll hear a simulation of a crisis that many European leaders hope will never happen.

MINDY’S COMEDY ARCHIVES is a visual interview series where New York comedy photographer Mindy Tucker sits down with the comedians and creators she’s documented for nearly 20 years. Together, they revisit a chronological collection of photographs that sparks candid stories of humble beginnings, career-defining moments, and lasting friendships. Part oral history and part visual time capsule, each episode ends with a new portrait, adding another chapter to Mindy’s ever-growing archive.