Sounds Profitable

Today in the business of podcasting:
SiriusXM’s CFO cited 20% growth in podcast advertising revenue on the Q3 earnings call, while ad revenue in the Pandora and Off-Platform segment grew 1% to $419 million. Forbes reports the company has kept its shows on YouTube and other ad-supported platforms rather than signing slate deals with streamers.
Scalable’s Kaya Yurieff and Jasmine Enberg call the 2026 midterms an “everything election,” arguing no single channel, including podcasts, will define it. Sounds Profitable’s The Podcast Landscape 2026 finds 26% of likely voters who consume podcasts weekly say a candidate’s appearance could make them more likely to vote for that candidate.
PodcastOne says multiple strategic parties have approached it about a potential acquisition, and its board has formed a special committee to oversee the process. Podnews reports shares rose around 50% on the news.
To find links to these, and every article covered in today’s episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download’s newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

This week in the business of podcasting:
Sounds Profitable, Coleman Insights, and Locked On are hosting a webinar on November 5 at 2pm ET, “The Power of Community: Why Podcasts Matter.” It presents new research among 2,000 Americans on how podcasts build connections with listeners.
Tom Webster shares survey findings from 5,473 U.S. adults on whether audiences would watch an AI-generated show. Among people who lost a favorite show, 45% would at least somewhat likely watch a new AI season, 41% would not, and views on AI hosts predicted the answer best.
The Small Business Administration now classifies creator-led businesses, podcasters included, under NAICS 5121. That could make it easier for creators to access microloans up to $50,000 and 7(a) loans up to $5 million.
Beehiiv now offers dynamically inserted podcast ads. Publishers can open their inventory, including back catalog episodes, to programmatic buyers alongside host-read ads, and keep 50% to 60% of programmatic revenue.
Tenderfoot TV turned a Radio Rental story into a stop-motion LEGO-style short film on YouTube. Apple Podcasts launched “The Greatest Stories Never Seen,” four animated videos built from podcast audio.
To find links to these, and every article covered in this week’s episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download’s newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:
Tom Webster shares new Sounds Profitable research from a survey of 5,473 Americans on whether people would watch an AI-generated revival of a canceled favorite show. The split is nearly even, at 45% likely and 41% unlikely, and views on AI hosts predict the answer best.
RAJAR now measures both listening to and watching podcasts in the U.K., putting total weekly podcast consumption at 35% of the population, up from 26.9% for listening alone.
Triton Digital completes what it calls the first fully automated, AI-to-AI audio ad buy, with agents negotiating and booking a campaign in minutes instead of days.
Digiday looks at how political campaigns are hiring creators ahead of the midterms, with AdImpact expecting $12 billion in total spending.
To find links to these, and every article covered in today’s episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download’s newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:
Sounds Profitable, Coleman Insights and Locked On Podcast Network host a November 5 webinar on new research showing how podcasts build community, including that 43% of Americans surveyed have taken a podcast-related community action.
Apple’s Safari 27 now blocks identity-resolution vendors including Unified ID 2.0, LiveRamp and ID5, and early data shows effective CPMs down 4% on iOS and 11% on Mac.
Beehiiv adds dynamic ad insertion for podcasts through AdsWizz, with publishers keeping 50% to 60% of programmatic revenue.
Acast reports record Q3 net sales of SEK 802.3m, up 25%, with North America up 54% and listen-and-view monetization up 20%.
To find links to these, and every article covered in today’s episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download’s newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:
Instagram is testing Features, a new tool for horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, aimed at podcasters, comedians and other long-form creators. It lets Reels link to full videos and recommends them on Explore.
Former Apple Podcasts executive Steve Wilson joins Netflix to lead podcast content acquisition, starting as a consultant. The hire comes as Netflix cuts about 6% of its workforce.
Supporting Cast data across six partners shows members who use their audio benefits churn at 1.3% a month, compared with 3% for those who don’t. The gap adds up to roughly $82,000 in revenue per 1,000 members over three years.
Nearly 60% of Americans get news from social media, but creators say monetizing it is hard. Brand safety concerns and unpredictable platforms leave most of them preferring subscriptions to ads.
To find links to these, and every article covered in today’s episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download’s newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.