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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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...
Apple Adds AI Chapters And Timed Links; and an interview with DAX US
<p>(This is an AI description from Buzzsprout's Cohost)<br/><br/>We test Netflix’s “video podcast” land grab, then show why Apple’s AI chapters and Timed Links are the practical upgrade creators needed. DAX’s Brian Conlan joins to explain why audio’s problem is ROAS, not downloads, and how better measurement unlocks bigger budgets.<br/><br/>• Netflix licensing moves and YouTube exclusivity trade-offs<br/>• Why this is cheap TV, not podcasting, and why that matters<br/>• Audio vs video consumption and where value really sits<br/>• Apple AI chapters, Timed Links, and transcript expansion<br/>• Chapters JSON, ID3, and episode notes...
Using AI to give voice to the dead; and Spotify adds video to, um, TV
<p>We unpack a bold true crime breakthrough: RNZ uses AI to recreate a deceased inmate’s voice with family consent and full disclosure, elevating the investigation without faking facts. We also dive into video on the TV screen, premium RSS, and why co‑host chemistry beats guest fatigue.<br/><br/>• Spotify adds video podcasts to Apple TV<br/>• YouTube AI upscales low‑res video and adds QR shopping<br/>• RNZ’s NARC uses 11Labs with ethics review and consent<br/>• Why AI voice can be more transparent than actors<br/>• Fountain hosting launches with open RSS and alt enclosures<br/>• Premium RSS...
You Can’t Milk A Cow And Expect Yogurt, But You Can Sell Washable Sofas
<p>We track Edison Research’s sale to SSRS, Spotify’s TV distribution push, and whether video truly grows podcast audiences. We debate Oxford Road’s new ad-performance ranker, membership models that creators can own, and the messy state of podcast standards.<br/><br/>• SSRS acquires Edison Research and keeps the team<br/>• Edison’s people-based ranker shows stable top shows and fast risers<br/>• Spotify expands via Samsung TV Plus and Netflix distribution<br/>• Netflix’s background audio and auto limitations challenge podcast UX<br/>• BBC data on modest incremental reach from video<br/>• Oxford Road’s ORBIT ranks shows by ad effectivenes...
Spotflix - is the Spotify/Netflix deal a gamechanger for podcasting?
<p>We break down the Netflix–Spotify pact to move select video podcasts off YouTube, weigh the real winners, and ask whether exclusivity helps or harms creators. We also challenge Apple’s ad‑free push, share data on when people actually listen, and explore practical tools that make podcasts easier to find and love.<br/><br/>We'd have had ChadF on this week for an interview, but technology let us down. Sorry.<br/><br/>• Why Netflix and Spotify align on video podcasts<br/>• What leaving YouTube means for Ringer fans<br/>• Apple’s ad‑free Series Essentials and who pays the price<br/>•...
