Sounds Profitable

This week in the business of podcasting:
Spotify is testing "Skip Ahead," a one-tap ad-skipping tool for Premium subscribers, and the industry is pushing back over what it means for host-read sponsorships and advertiser attention reporting.
Acast has opened video publishing on Apple Podcasts to all creators on its platform, after beta shows saw an estimated 25% increase in weekly Apple Podcasts sessions.
A coalition of 18 U.K. media organizations is urging the government to reject advertising on BBC podcasts, citing an estimated £10 million in annual revenue against the harm to independent audio businesses.
The IAB released "Measuring Visibility in the AI Era," a framework sorting AI search visibility metrics into four categories as more than 20 vendors sell competing tools with materially different results.
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:
Industry leaders including Crooked Media's Tommy Vietor, Right Side Up's Krystina Rubino, and ADOPTER Media's Glenn Rubenstein are responding to Spotify's "Skip Ahead" test, which lets Premium listeners clear an entire ad break, sponsor read, or intro in a single tap.
A coalition of 18 U.K. commercial audio companies is urging the government to drop proposals allowing advertising on BBC podcasts, arguing the BBC would earn only about £10 million a year while draining revenue from the independent audio sector.
Gap Inc., Staples, and Starbucks have launched employee-creator programs, betting that firsthand accounts from actual staff read as more credible than polished brand marketing.
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:
Acast has opened video publishing on Apple Podcasts to all creators on its platform, ending the beta waitlist after shows using video saw an estimated 25% lift in weekly Apple Podcasts sessions.
Media measurement and ad effectiveness have moved from CMO-CFO conversations onto public earnings calls, even as a Gain Theory survey finds 49% of marketers doubt their data can hold up at the CFO level.
New Jersey's data broker law is already in effect, banning sensitive data sales with $50,000-per-record penalties and creating a "data collector" category that pulls podcast ad-tech and listener-data practices into scope.
Hollywood studios chasing creator-driven IP are running into ownership problems, as A24's attempt to trademark "the backrooms" shows the risks of adapting open-source collaborative worlds.
Kirby Grines argues the smartest streaming strategy is licensing mature catalog while keeping current releases exclusive, citing Parrot Analytics data showing licensed titles drove over 53% of Netflix series sign-ups in Q1 2026.
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:
Spotify is testing "Skip Ahead," a one-tap ad-skipping feature for Premium subscribers that collapses a nine-tap skip into a single action, raising questions about ad delivery reporting and advertiser attention data.
Eight major streaming platforms have launched vertical clip feeds in 20 months, a convergence driven by premium streaming's first single-digit growth year at 7% in 2025.
The IAB released new guidelines for measuring brand and publisher visibility in AI-generated search results, built around web search analytics.
A new Audacy/YouGov survey finds cost-of-living anxiety shaping the 2026 midterms, positioning radio and podcasts as channels that reach commuting voters.
Digiday reports agencies are pushing for more control over programmatic ad-buying infrastructure, with implications for how podcast inventory is transacted.
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:
Apple's fiscal Q3 2026 results show Services revenue, the segment housing Apple Podcasts, up 12% year over year to $30.7 billion, while SiriusXM Media CEO Jennifer Witz reported podcast revenue up 30% year over year.
Bloomberg's Ashley Carman reports podcasters are building businesses on free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels, opening a video distribution and revenue path beyond YouTube.
Livewire's July 2026 podcast hosting data shows Spotify for Creators rebounding to a 24% share of episodes released and Spreaker hitting a 2026 record of 13.6%, with most other platforms slipping.
Bauer Media Advertising MD Simon Kilby argues advertisers should shift budget to regulated digital audio, citing AA/WARC data showing digital audio grew 22% year over year in Q1 2026, the fastest-growing medium in the period.
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.