Sounds Profitable

This week in the business of podcasting:
Ben Robins shares his takeaways from Advertising Week Europe, arguing the podcast advertising industry is data-rich but insight poor. Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster will debut the 2026 UK Advertising Landscape Study at The Podcast Show London in May.
Spotify has launched interactive carousel ads and branded playlist takeovers for advertisers, adding A/B testing and automated bidding to its Ads Manager platform.
A federal judge has issued an injunction blocking the Trump administration's executive order cutting federal funding for NPR and PBS, though the operational impact remains uncertain as an appeal is expected.
Podcast brands get into the April Fools' spirit: Noiser, Airship, and Magellan AI turn a History Daily episode into a 1572-themed ad experiment, while Headliner announces "Full Circle," a tool that converts video back into video.
Podnews is accepting submissions for its fifth annual podcast platform report card through April 30, with results to be presented at The Podcast Show London in May.

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.

Podcast holdouts aren’t missing content. They’re missing a signal strong enough to cut through the platforms they already use—and moderate voices can’t generate that signal.
Why do politically moderate and center-right Americans make up a disproportionate share of podcast holdouts, even as right-leaning shows dominate the charts? Data from The Last Quarter reveals that the gap isn't about ideology or content, but about discovery architecture: the platforms conservative audiences rely on surface content algorithmically, while podcasting demands initiative. The real problem isn't a content gap but a distribution problem that leaves center-right listeners with no clear on-ramp to the medium.
Written by Tom Webster
Edited and narrated by Gavin Gaddis
Text and audio edited by Gavin Gaddis

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Find the full article here on Sounds Profitable.

This week in the business of podcasting:
Beehiiv Enters Podcasting: Newsletter platform Beehiiv is quietly recruiting independent podcasters from Substack to join its upcoming podcast program, with a full launch expected this week. Podnews Weekly Review will feature an exclusive interview with Beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk this Friday.
JAR Podcast Solutions Launches JAR Replay: JAR Replay is a new podcast audience retargeting tool that uses listening signals to serve Visual Audio ads to recent podcast listeners in premium mobile environments. The product lets branded podcasts stay ad-free while still monetizing audiences post-listen at a $12 CPM, including ad production.
IAB Identifies Ad Fragmentation as Top Barrier to Video Ad Growth: IAB CEO David Cohen says streaming, connected TV, social video, and creator content have converged for consumers, but ad buying remains fragmented across platforms. The IAB is pushing for standardized frameworks across key categories in 2025, with creator-driven content measurement and sales being the most relevant development for podcast advertising growth.

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:
Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW 2026 recordings are now live: The official Podcast Movement YouTube channel has published a playlist of 25 session videos, ranging from 10-minute Discovery Track talks to full 50-minute panels.
Japan podcast listenership is growing, especially among younger audiences: An annual survey by Otonal and The Asahi Shimbun found national podcast consumption reached 18.2% in 2025, with 15-19-year-olds hitting 40.5% usage. Podcast listeners also over-index as corporate decision-makers, ranking second among seven major media types.
HLS video podcast adoption tracker launches on Livewire Labs: Researcher John Spurlock is tracking HTTP Live Streaming video podcasts on Apple Podcasts, identifying 78 shows and 1,070 episodes as of March 29, with detailed data on hosting platforms, codecs, and video formats.
IAB NewFronts 2026 signals a shift toward always-on ad buying: Ad Results Media reports that traditional upfront tentpole buys are fading as connected TV and creator-led media become ongoing investments, with NewFronts moving earlier in the year to reflect the new buying landscape.
Versant is reportedly pursuing Vox Media's podcast network: The CNBC and MS NOW parent company is in talks to acquire Vox Media's podcast business, aligning with CEO Mark Lazarus's goal to diversify revenue away from pay-TV and expand Versant's existing audio footprint.

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:
Apple launched its new HLS video experience for Apple Podcasts with the iOS 26.4 update, bringing full video podcast support to iPhones — with hosting platforms Podspace, Riverside, Ausha, and Firstory joining the growing list of supported services.
Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster debuts new research on podcasting's "last quarter" — the 25% of American adults who have never listened to a podcast — revealing a Spanish-language opportunity, a word-of-mouth "Bubble Problem," and a case for leading promotional efforts with topics over technology on platforms like YouTube and Facebook.
Spotify laid off 15 employees in its podcast group on March 23, primarily from The Ringer and Spotify Studios, with the company describing the cuts as an alignment move rather than cost-cutting.
YouTube has rebranded its BrandConnect creator monetization tool as Creator Partnerships, adding a Gemini-powered suite of influencer matching and campaign management features.

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.