Heavyweight to return, with Pushkin

• Heavyweight is to return, as Jonathan Goldstein and his team of producers join Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries. The show will return later this year; it was with Gimlet, becoming a Spotify exclusive in Nov 2021. Spotify cancelled the show in Dec 2023.

• Average RPM (revenue per thousand views) for YouTube Shorts is thirty times smaller than for full length videos, according to Digiday. One video creator suggests they earn $5.50 for long-form videos, but just $0.18 for Shorts. The article suggests some creators feel forced into generating Shorts content to please the YouTube algorithm.

• On Air Fest was last week, including the Business Summit. Writing their thoughts… Eric Nuzum from Magnificent Noise - “There was no single company mentioned more that day than YouTube. None.” … John Wordock - “Should we retire the word podcast?” … Ausha’s Odile Beniflah - “Community is everything” … and, of course, host Ashley Carman. Here’s a gift link to her coverage in Soundbite, and a reminder that we can get you 25% off Soundbite for the first year, over here.

• Listen Notes is removing AI-generated “fake podcasts”, and now reporting on how many it’s removed. The company removed 1,983 last month. Listen Notes say they want “only authentic, human-created podcasts” in their directory. The AI-narrated (but humanly-created) show White Smoke remains on the service.

• iHeart has announced the return of the Black Effect Podcast Festival. It’ll be held once more in Atlanta GA, USA, on Apr 26.

• Mind Body Spirit has launched a new collection of podcast episodes from its network, titled How to Survive in Crazy Times - to help listeners handle anxiety and fear of the unknown.

• IAB Australia has published the Audio Advertising State of the Nation 2025. 79% of agencies say they’ll spend more on podcast advertising this year - more than advertising within streaming radio or streaming music.

People news

• Kim Kerton has been hired as Head of Podcast Partnerships at NOVA Entertainment in Australia.

• Niel Guilarte has died, after an accident. A podcaster and video editor, he was the founder of Wildstyle Media, the director of podcast documentary film The Messengers, and a regular fixture at Podfest. He leaves behind a wife, Noemi, and a daughter, Natalia, for whom a GoFundMe page has been created. He was 51.

Tips and tricks - with Pod Predictor by Coleman Insights

• Headliner has added captions for full-length projects - videos and audiograms. The tool produces a more engaging experience on YouTube than a standard static image; and helps promote clips of shows on social media, too.

Podcast News - with Memberful

Using Memberful: Paper Places is the podcast that demystifies the journey to becoming a professional writer. Each episode, columnist-turned-author Kerry Provenzano sits down with an acclaimed writer who shares where their words have taken them.

Hot Mess with Alix Earle has reportedly been dropped by Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network and SiriusXM.

The podcast for music lovers and aspiring musicians Start Here returns for a new season today. Hosted by pianist, composer and producer Alexis Ffrench and brought to you by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, Start Here explores different musical genres each week - in this season, we’re promised opera, video games, and garage.

New Podcasts is our feed of new shows, to help you find your next favorite show. Want to appear in it (and here)? Check out our new podcasts website, quietly launched today, and supported by Audiencelift.

Having a bad DAI

A new section where we regrettably highlight bad dynamic audio insertion so we all get better at it

The otherwise excellent Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast, hosted with Audioboom, started (for one Australian podcast listener) with a 30” ad for home builder Metricon. And then… the same 30” ad for home buyer Metricon.

Found someone having a bad DAI? Let us know.