Sounds Profitable

Today in the business of podcasting:
Register here for the Podcast Atlas debut webinar next week!
Two new Sounds Profitable studies reshape the discovery conversation: the Podcast Discovery Playbook 2026, co-published with JAR Podcast Solutions, finds 61% of listeners discover shows through YouTube and social media, while Tom Webster's A New Map for Podcasting and the forthcoming Podcast Atlas argue that platform-native vertical clips, not trailers, drive discovery for audiences under 35.
Two industry leaders weigh in on SoundsProfitable.com: Triton Digital's Mattia Verzella explains why cross-channel CPM comparisons mislead publishers and details the floor-pricing "triangle of sadness," and Voxtopica's Richard Fawal argues that mission-driven podcasters at nonprofits, universities, and government agencies deserve research, pricing, and recognition the industry has yet to provide.
New data digs into audio's ad effectiveness: the YouGov U.S. Podcast Advertising Report 2026 finds podcast ads are the most-skipped yet least-annoying format, with 60% of listeners taking action after hearing one, while Sounds Profitable and Veritonic launch a free preview of Veritonic Instant Insights to test whether video ad creative holds up as audio before launch.
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:
Register here for the Podcast Atlas debut webinar next week!
Tom Webster previews The Podcast Atlas, a new Sounds Profitable research report debuting at Vidcon that maps how audiences move across audio, video, clips, social, and newsletters, finding that vertical clips from platform-native creators drive podcast discovery for listeners under 35 far more than trailers or podcast ads.
Richard Fawal, founder and CEO of Voxtopica, argues that mission-driven podcasters at nonprofits, universities, and government agencies are overlooked by the industry, and calls for research, benchmarks, and pricing that recognize their impact beyond downloads and CPMs.
A global study of 1,262 campaigns from the Effie x System1 Databank, presented by Mark Ritson at Cannes Lions 2026, finds that campaigns using audio delivered 75% higher profits, 81% greater trust, and 19% more customer acquisition, with profits roughly doubling when audio is paired with emotional creative.
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 and Veritonic launched a free preview of Veritonic Instant Insights, a tool that tests audio and video ad creative before launch and returns awareness and intent signals across podcast, YouTube, CTV, social, and streaming, benchmarked against more than a decade of testing data.
A new joint study from Radiocentre, the Radio Advertising Bureau, and Commercial Radio & Audio Australia, spanning 1,262 campaigns over 17 years, found that adding audio to the marketing mix delivers a 75% profit uplift, an 81% increase in consumer trust, and a 19% gain in customer acquisition.
Prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are moving into podcasting, with Kalshi backing the Men in Blazers World Cup recap show Night Cup and Polymarket launching the weekly pop culture show What Are the Odds? with Dear Media.
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.

Tom previews of The Podcast Atlas, a new study mapping how audiences now move across audio, video, clips, social, and newsletters.
He argues podcasting is now a territory creators live in, not a single thing they make. Using listeners under 35, he shows why reaching them means going vertical with native clips and organic creators, not the old trailer-and-swap launch kit, ahead of the full Atlas premiere in a webinar July 1 at 2pm Eastern.
Written by Tom Webster
Edited and narrated by Gavin Gaddis
Find the full article here.
Register here for the Podcast Atlas webinar.

Today in the business of podcasting:
Triton Digital's Mattia Verzella explains why publishers should stop comparing ad revenue by CPM alone, arguing that programmatic, direct, and backfill demand each play a different strategic role in a healthy audio marketplace.
Amazon is launching a Creator Hub on Fire TV this summer, bringing videos and podcasts from over 120 creators, including MrBeast and Dude Perfect, into one discoverable place on connected TVs.
Magellan AI's first Podcast Measurement Benchmark Report finds podcast ads drive clicks, leads, and sales, with video podcasts and host-read ads outperforming other formats on response and conversion.
YouGov's U.S. Podcast Advertising Report 2026 shows podcast ads are the most-skipped yet least-annoying format, with 60% of listeners taking action after an ad despite low trust scores.
Kirby Grines breaks down the new content model that is cheaper, faster, and less Hollywood, with video podcasts and interface control reshaping how streaming platforms compete.
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.