Podnews Weekly Review
The last word in podcasting news.Every Friday, James Cridland and Sam Sethi review the week's top stories from Podnews; and interview some of the biggest names making the news from across the podcast industry.Winner, "Best Podcasting Podcast", 2025 Ear Worthy AwardsSupport the show at https://weekly.podnews.net - or hit the boost button! Sponsored by Buzzsprout: start podcasting - keep podcasting!
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iHeartRadio's open RSS bet on video, and Spotify's changes
<p>Normally it's a nice quiet start to the year, but not this year! Sam and James look at the news we've already had so far this year. So much news, no tech stuff this week - that returns next week, along with your hosts being properly dressed.</p><p>• iHeartRadio adds OpenRSS video and alternate enclosures<br/>• Netflix exclusivity versus open distribution trade-offs<br/>• Deloitte’s $5bn forecast and attention data contradictions<br/>• Spotify’s dynamic video sponsorships and platform fees<br/>• Spotify’s $10bn claim weighed against Apple’s quiet gains<br/>• YouTube ad effectiveness versus audio-only performance<br/>• Podtrac trends...
Podcast Predictions For 2026 - AI slop, video and more
<p>We share five predictions each for 2026, from defining what a podcast is to why time spent listening will replace reach as the industry’s favorite metric. We weigh video’s upside against its risks for audio, call out AI slop, and back open RSS as the backbone of growth.<br/><br/>We're back next week with our usual show.</p><p>Please support us at weekly.podnews.net and click the support button<br/><br/>Start podcasting, keep podcasting with Buzzsprout.com</p><p>Send James & Sam a message</p><p>Support the show</p><p><b>Connect With Us...
Our review of 2025 - our predictions, highlights and lowlights
<p>James and Sam look back on our predictions for what 2025 would be like - and whether we got them right. Plus, our lowlights and highlights of the year.</p><p>Send James & Sam a message</p><p>Support the show</p><p><b>Connect With Us: </b></p> Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/support Get Podnews: podnews.net
2025's highlights, 2026 predictions from Spotify, Apple, Amazon and more
<p>What happens when Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, Acast, Adobe, Pocket Casts, Triton, Bumper, Transistor, creators, and analysts all compare notes on where podcasting just landed—and where it’s headed next? You get a clear picture of a medium that’s fully mainstream, proudly hybrid, and fiercely contested. We gathered 25+ voices to unpack 2025’s biggest shifts and lay down their boldest calls for 2026.</p><p>Send James & Sam a message</p><p>Support the show</p><p><b>Connect With Us: </b></p> Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538...
Better podcast analytics with PodAnalyst, plus TikTok doesn't launch a podcast
<p>We track the biggest forces shaping podcasting next year: Goalhanger’s network effect, a pivot to listener-based analytics, and the tension between open RSS and closed “podcast” branding from big platforms. We dig into video hosting defaults, live streaming, and why honest metrics will decide winners.</p><p>(It's a re-upload! With the intro.)<br/><br/>• Apple’s Show of the Year milestone and Goalhanger’s model<br/>• Cross-promo and cadence as scalable growth levers<br/>• Flight Studio’s talent strategy versus brand synergy<br/>• Hall of Fame inductees and industry recognition<br/>• Creator retention, audio versus video habits, and practical focus<br...
Better podcast analytics with PodAnalyst, plus TikTok doesn't launch a podcast
<p>We track the biggest forces shaping podcasting next year: Goalhanger’s network effect, a pivot to listener-based analytics, and the tension between open RSS and closed “podcast” branding from big platforms. We dig into video hosting defaults, live streaming, and why honest metrics will decide winners.<br/><br/>• Apple’s Show of the Year milestone and Goalhanger’s model<br/>• Cross-promo and cadence as scalable growth levers<br/>• Flight Studio’s talent strategy versus brand synergy<br/>• Hall of Fame inductees and industry recognition<br/>• Creator retention, audio versus video habits, and practical focus<br/>• Fountain’s video hosting and sensible playback defa...
How A Daily News Podcast Hit 2,000 Episodes And What Recap Season Really Means For Podcasters
<p>(This is made with AI from our sponsor, Buzzsprout)<br/><br/>We break down the Recap Apocalypse across Spotify, YouTube, Apple, and Amazon, then dig into craft with Brad Mielke on how Start Here reached 2,000 episodes by prioritising clarity, titles that pull, and audio-first production. Data meets discipline and the result is steady growth without burnout.<br/><br/>• Spotify’s Creator Wrapped as a real growth tool<br/>• YouTube’s US-only charts and watch-time logic<br/>• Apple Replay and Amazon Delivered compared<br/>• Why hosts should build their own year-in-review<br/>• Start Here’s daily format and guest booking tactics<br/>• Ti...
Why A Podcast Play Isn’t Enough And What To Track Instead
<p>(This description is produced by our sponsor Buzzsprout's CoHost AI tool).<br/><br/>We cut through the download delusion and show how people, playback, and time spent reveal true growth. Dan Misener explains loyalty metrics, we test platform tactics, and we share simple ways to turn spikes into steady listeners.<br/><br/>• people numbers, playback intent, and time spent as core metrics<br/>• loyalty as repeat listening, short‑term vs lifetime signals<br/>• diagnosing new listener vs returning listener problems<br/>• tactics to lift retention: teases, tighter intros, linked back catalog<br/>• autoplay spikes vs durable audience growth<br/>• Patreon’s free...
Inside Riverside Hosting and RSS.com’s Free Podcast Hosting
<p>Send James & Sam a message</p><p>Support the show</p><p><b>Connect With Us: </b></p> Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/support Get Podnews: podnews.net
Sari Azout from Podcast Magic, TikTok and Netflix’s Audio Bet, And The Real Value Of Video
<p>We break down TikTok’s podcast network with iHeart, Netflix’s audio push, and whether video is worth the cost, then dig into research on clips, companion podcasts, and the ad shift between radio and on‑demand. Sari Azut joins to show how a screenshot becomes a shareable clip and useful attention data.<br/><br/>• TikTok’s entry into podcasting and censorship concerns<br/>• iHeart’s finances, radio softness, and podcast growth<br/>• E‑commerce links, music discovery, and TikTok Shop<br/>• Netflix’s short deals, UI changes, and exclusivity trade‑offs<br/>• Data on clips failing to convert long‑form listens<br/>• Co...
