Does video leads to “dreadful listens”?

• Fiona Sturges, writing for The Guardian, writes about “how podcasts’ rush to video is turning them into dreadful listens” - highlighting recent podcasts that contain content that only works in video, while producers “seemingly forget about their listeners”.

  • Roman Mars is among those who shared the piece on social media, commenting “I just think it’s so much cooler and more interesting to try to be the best audio show rather than the shittiest television show”.
  • Plenty of debate around this in the /r/podcasting subreddit.

• How long have you left it between seasons? How about 21 years? Back in early 2004 - even before Apple got involved in podcasts - My Pods Forecast was born - but sadly was also one of the first to podfade, even making it as an example of podfading in a book - Tricks of the Podcasting Masters, by Rob Walch and Mur Lafferty, in 2006. An excerpt from that book also highlights the, er, slightly unusual nature of the how this prediction show does the predictions. The good news is that the pods are unharmed, and My Pods Forecast returned over the weekend.

  • The host of the show tells us: “So little about what podcasting means is the same as the early 00s; it feels like the culture has wilted. So many corporate partners and metrics to hit. I really want to do this as punk as possible. I think I’m 89 pence (US $1.20) invested so far, for the domain name. I want the internet to be fun again and somewhere you can have a dumb idea and make it happen.”

• Driving while listening to a podcast? That’s fine, says science. Phone calls? Not so much.

• Netflix has published support details for consumers about how to watch video podcasts. Enter the search term “podcast” to see all available titles, the company says - Jan 12 is the launch date for video podcasts in the sports category; Jan 26 for other genres. Podcasts “may contain limited commercial content” (it’s unclear whether that’s from Netflix or from the podcast provider). Netflix will have subtitles.

  • Of note: podcasts will only be on Netflix in the US. For all other countries - like Canada for example - you’re just told that they aren’t available.

• The podcast app Castro has released Castro Wrapped, featuring stats about your year using the app, and an image to share with friends.

• Four Latin American podcast experts shared their insights from 2025, and predictions for 2026, in the Qué Está Pasando en el Podcasting podcast.

• In Germany, the Media Forward Fund has given a grant of €500,000 (US $588,000) to podcast company detektor.fm to launch a new podcast and newsletter for the region of Saxony-Anhalt. (There is a state election there in Sep 2026). The money includes funding for four live events. Local regions of Germany, like in many other countries, are seeing a lack of news journalism.

The Tech Stuff - with RSS.com

• If you are using OP3 as an additional measure of your podcast downloads, here’s how to get the most out of your stats. (Our sponsor RSS .com’s stats are IAB certified, though, and some of the most detailed you’ll get).

• Has someone in your family got a Chromebook for Christmas? It’s easy to install Audacity on your Chromebook - so they can be up and podcasting tomorrow. (Our sponsor RSS .com even offers free podcast hosting, too.)

• If your podcast is too quiet, it could really annoy listeners who are also getting other audio alerts on their phone. Here’s how to do loudness - LUFS, or LKFS - to get it right.

What’s next: 2026 in podcasting

Dan Misener, Bumper

In 2025 we saw a lot of changes related to the measurement of actual podcast consumption: real playback, rather than the simple technical delivery of podcasts.

In 2026, we’re going to see a lot more rigor, tougher questions, and demands for greater transparency [in measurement]. If I buy podcast ad impressions, what am I really getting? How many people actually heard or saw my ad? How many ad impressions sat unlistened on somebody’s device, either because of auto downloads or because the ad was served, but the listener never actually made it to the ad break? How many people, how much playback, how much time spent?

I think ad-supported shows in 2026 are going to hear a lot more questions like these. And the shows that win will have good answers to those questions.

• Hear more in the Podnews Weekly Review

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: The new space age is upon us, and This Week in Space from TWiT leaves no topic untouched. Every Friday, join Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra magazine, Rod Pyle and Managing Editor of Space.com, Tariq Malik as they explore everything related to the cosmos.

In Listen with Other you’ll find a collection of short stories in short episodes, written, read and recorded by Giles Booth. No advertising, no sponsorship, and just for fun, we’re told.

From Dallas TX, The Well - The Source of Something Greater is a brand new podcast rooted in honest conversation, curiosity, and connection — created for people seeking meaning, laughter, and a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. It’s hosted by Kathryn Iklé and Andrew Leff, who tell us to expect creativity, art, and the things that inspire us, but also the small annoyances, late-night thoughts, and real-life moments that everyone experiences.