tiktok gets into podcasting

• TikTok is coming to podcasting, with the announcement of the TikTok Podcast Network, containing up to 25 new shows hosted by TikTok creators. TikTok is working with iHeartMedia, who will create co-branded, state of the art video-capable podcast studios in LA, NY and Atlanta. The companies will also launch radio stations and live events.

• Podcasting is “probably the hottest category of media right now”, according to iHeart CEO Bob Pittman. iHeartMedia announced its financial report for Q3/25. Podcast revenue grew +22.5% year-on-year to $139.7mn. About half of iHeart’s podcasting advertising revenue came from iHeart’s local sales force - that figure was 11% in Q3/20. Podcasting contributed a record 14% to the business’s revenue; “We believe we have the most profitable podcasting business in the United States.”

  • The “multiplatform group”, which runs the radio stations, saw revenue down 5%. The company announced an additional $50mn of savings for next year.

• Two announcements in the past twenty-four hours show radio companies focusing on digital ad buys:

  • Ad-buying platform StackAdapt announced an integration with iHeartMedia to incorporate broadcast radio into its programmatic ad-planning tools. AM/FM radio continues to hold 64% of all daily ad-supported audio listening.
  • Meanwhile, J-ET, the UK radio trading system, has added digital audio trading (including podcasts) to its tool, working with Global’s DAX and Bauer’s AudioXI. J-ET has been digitally trading linear radio since 2002, and handles more than 98% of national radio sales in the country.

• Analytics and management solution Podstock has renewed a three-year agreement with Dear Media, and has signed with Ballen Studios.

• Working with Magellan AI, podcast promotion company The Podglomerate has seen 51% of new listeners returning for multiple episodes, according to a new study. The company also used Magellan AI’s tools to spot delivery issues, recovering “five figures” worth of media value.

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Podcast News

In yesterday’s episode of The News Agents, Lewis, Jon and Emily give their personal insight into the current crisis at the BBC. They’re in a unique situation - having worked at the BBC for so long, but now outsiders, free to say what they really think.

A new Apple Original podcast, Adrift, has launched. It shares the incredible true story of the Robertsons, a young British family who sold everything they owned to sail around the world. When disaster strikes, their dream voyage turns into a desperate fight for survival in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s produced by Blanchard House.

The Lizzy Hoo Show is new from MIK Made today, from the popular Australian comedian (and voice of AirAsia’s aeroplane announcements, as it happens). The show shares the chaos of life - in video, as well as audio.

What are the pivotal moments that shaped top executives? A new podcast, Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick from CNBC Europe aims to find out. It kicks off with three episodes today featuring entrepreneur Jo Malone CBE, Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy and Julia Hoggett, CEO of the London Stock Exchange Group.

If you have nothing nice to say, you can sit with us. Suzanne Lambert, the “Regina George liberal,” presents Mean But True with Suzanne Lambert — an unapologetically irreverent and lighthearted podcast that explores pop culture, current events, and the politics that shape our everyday lives. Strong opinions about inconsequential (and otherwise) topics are encouraged. Do you have something mean but true you need to get off your chest? Put it in the book — and on the pod.

Australia’s National Heavy Vehicle Regulator reaches out to truck drivers and fans with their new podcast, What’s Your 20? which launched today. Hosted by truck enthusiasts Rob and Sarah, the podcast gets out and about to speak to Aussie truckies about life lessons, safety lessons and where to get a good feed. It’s the light side of heavy vehicles!

Meet Ro and Adam, a couple in the US trying to maintain a relationship while Adam is serving a 213 year prison sentence. Will Adam ever be released? Will Ro and Adam get to be together outside of the prison walls? Or will the waiting become too much for them both? They’re the first subjects of On Hold, a brand new podcast series - where Katy Davis explores extraordinary personal stories of waiting, anticipation and delayed gratification.

How do you dads build meaningful careers that still leave room for family, fun, and everything that matters most? On Gap to Gig, you’ll hear stories that help dads redesign how work fits into life, not the other way around. In the first episode, you’ll meet career coach John Tarnoff, who explains how to reinvent yourself mid-career, find purpose in your work, and build confidence after setbacks.

Natural disasters set the stage for climate change. This week on Medieval Archives, your host, The Archivist, explores the very first crisis of the 14th century: The Great Famine of 1315-1317 - a devastating sequence of relentless, crop-killing rain that led to years of harvest failures, the collapse of livestock populations, and mass starvation that reshaped Europe forever. Take a listen to find out why this terrifying event is so rarely discussed and what it truly cost medieval society.