Podcast diversity is ‘woeful’, says new report

• 64% of the hosts of the most popular US podcasts of 2024 were men - and the top shows are significantly less diverse than the top movies, TV or music, a report from USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative says. Shows with video are more likely to have male hosts; the worst gender balance is with business and technology podcasts, where men host 92% of shows. Women-hosted podcasts are more than twice as likely to have female guests - but even so, guests on women-hosted podcasts are still 54% male. The document describes the lack of non-white hosts as “woeful”.

  • The study notes that true crime shows are most likely to be hosted by women - who host 53% of the top shows. That good news is slightly blunted by the fact that these shows are the least diverse at 90% white, and, of course, “stories focus on grisly acts often committed against women”.

• Podcast Movement will be free to attend this March, at SXSW in Austin TX, it’s been announced in Sounds Profitable; with details of a new format, and the event’s values. “If you loved the hotel-based format of Podcast Movement, 2026 is going to feel like a departure,” says Bryan Barletta. The piece also outlines the event’s approach to diversity. (Podnews has a 50% business partnership with Podcast Movement).

• Spotify’s Megaphone has renewed its IAB Podcast Measurement Guidelines Certification. The company was already on v2.2; the new certification was added to the IAB’s website yesterday. Parent company Spotify abruptly pulled all IAB certification in April last year; only to change its mind two months later.

• What happens when someone hears your podcast ad, but instead of visiting your website, goes to visit… your store? Podscribe has announced that it now lets you measure in-store conversions, working with a number of companies, and using data like credit card transactions.

• In the US, Shots Podcast Network has joined the Cumulus Podcast Network for ad representation. Shows include the Full Send Podcast, which has attracted high-profile guests like Trump, Musk, and Tyson … In Australia, NOVA Podcasts has renewed its representation partnership with Podshape. Podshape launched in 2020 and produces original series and branded content … and in the UK, Got A Problem Mate? has joined Lock It In for ad representation, while The Girls Bathroom is to be produced by AudioAlways. The show will continue to be commercially represented by Acast.

• Acast is to be traded on Nasdaq Stockholm, rather than the First North Premier Growth Market, from Nov 20. It was approved for the move yesterday by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. The move to Nasdaq Stockholm will strengthen Acast’s credibility with investors and advertisers.

• The Spanish-language podcast platform iVoox has announced its finalists for the 2025 Awards. The event is on Dec 3, live online.

• Magellan AI and Australia’s ARN produced the Australian Podcast Advertising Report for Q3/25; though the report doesn’t give any total revenue figures. ARN, which runs the iHeart brand in the country, warned the stock market that its ad revenue has dropped 10% year-on-year; and shares have dropped further this week after the media regulator put restrictions on its leading radio show.

• After TuneIn’s acquisition by Stingray, John Wordock suggests some ways to fix podcasts on the platform.

The story of how Amira, a water engineer, discovered the show (don’t) Waste Water

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It’s Wednesday night in Manchester, England. The sink’s running, kettle’s on, and Amira — an engineer at her city’s water utility — places her phone on the kitchen counter. Tomorrow she has to present on the smart water industry, and she’s searching for fresh insights to bring to her team. She types “water industry” into Spotify and clicks on the very first show that appears in search results: (don’t) Waste Water!

Within seconds, Amira is listening to a water tech entrepreneur break down real-world solutions. She takes notes eagerly, already knowing this will sharpen tomorrow’s presentation.

What Amira doesn’t know is that just weeks earlier she might never have found this show because (don’t) Waste Water was showing up as the 18th search result when listeners searched “water industry” on Spotify. But after working on its Podcast Search Optimization (PSO) with Ausha, the show shot straight to the top in the UK, claiming the #1 spot, making it easy for Amira to find the show when she needed it most.

Amira kept digging into her research and this time searched for “PFAS removal” — a highly technical topic. The podcast showed up as search result #2, convincing her that (don’t) Waste Water was the expert source she needed. She hit Follow, knowing she’d come back for more.

The next morning, Amira delivered an excellent presentation. Impressed, her manager promoted her to lead the next major project. And (don’t) Waste Water gained a loyal new listener.

A story inspired by real results.

✨ That’s the power of PSO: helping shows float to the top, connecting podcasts with the exact audience searching for their expertise. Wondering what PSO could unlock for your podcast? Explore Ausha’s PSO Control Panel for free — no card required.

Moves and hires

• Former NPR podcast strategy chief Collin Campbell has been hired by Apple as Director of Audio for Apple News, according to a silent update of his LinkedIn profile. He left NPR in early October.

• Nielsen has hired its first Chief Client Officer. Peter Naylor comes from Hulu, Netflix, Snap and the IAB.

• Message Heard has appointed Ross Field as Research Lead. He joins from FlightStory.

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