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Thursday, Aug 7, 2025
Exclusive: Ahead of today’s UK Podcast Consumer 2025 webinar (at 2pm London time today; 9am Eastern - still time to register), Edison Research have revealed the power of UK podcasting. The biggest ten shows in the UK reach a staggering 2.3mn Americans every week.
- Two of those shows are from Goalhanger: founder Jack Davenport is on the keynote stage at Podcast Movement to share his company’s tips for growth.
- One show is from Wondery, which announced 110 layoffs earlier this week.
How fast is video podcasting growing? Audioboom has doubled its video revenue in the first half of 2025, it says, and suggests that more than 60% of its creators are producing video podcasts. Over 13% of its business is now video revenue, the company says.
We’ve updated our list of Apple Podcasts “Best Of” shows to include the “best of” lists in Arab nations, which are also listed in the Apple Podcasts app. Sorry to the team from Debt Heads who noticed we’d missed them out. We’ve also corrected the star ratings that appear for some shows.
Ausha opened its PSO (Podcast Search Optimization) Control Panel for everyone. The tool, which has been successfully used by publishers like the BBC and agencies like Resonate Recordings, is now open for all podcasters, regardless of hosting platform.
Podtrac released its rankers for July 2025.
Shondaland has “dissolved its podcast department”, according to former Senior EP Lauren Hohman. The company behind Bridgerton: The Official Podcast and The Laverne Cox Show had worked with iHeartMedia.
“Cheese makes everything better,” suggests Tom Webster. In Sounds Profitable this week he also shows research to suggest that podcast advertising works very well with social media ads, in the same way that cheese works very well with almost everything. (Even chocolate apparently).
👉There's More To Read: HERE
Apple Podcasts released its list of “Best So Far” shows - which “recognizes some of the best podcast shows and seasons since the beginning of the year.” The lists are localised for some countries - so Podnews today carries a list of all the countries we could find with a “best-of” list. It shows the focus of Apple - listeners in mainland Europe, most of Latin America and much of Asia don’t get a list, while Brazil is the only country we can find that lists non-English language podcasts in its Best So Far.
GuestMatch.Pro has launched in beta - from Blubrry, it’s designed to connect content creators, specialists, and agencies for interview opportunities. For the first 90 days, it’s 100% free for everyone (and will remain free for Blubrry customers). You’ll find our Editor there already!
Spotify is to cease support for comments for podcasts in Nigeria. We’ve asked Spotify for comment: it may be related to proposed laws in Nigeria for social media platforms.
Wondercraft was to launch a new product called Wonda today. Instead, for what the company claims are technical reasons, it’s to launch on Aug 19. Wait - that’s the opening day of Podcast Movement… 🤔
Spotify launched Audiobooks+ in the US. It’s a top-up plan that unlocks an additional fifteen hours of audiobooks for $11.99 a month.
A new curated, multilingual programmatic marketplace, Ozen.fm, has launched - which aims to connect advertisers with podcasters. The platform has a focus on multicultural and multilingual content.
Wednesday, Aug 6, 2025
GuestMatch.Pro has launched in beta - from Blubrry, it’s designed to connect content creators, specialists, and agencies for interview opportunities. For the first 90 days, it’s 100% free for everyone (and will remain free for Blubrry customers). You’ll find our Editor there already!
Spotify is to cease support for comments for podcasts in Nigeria. We’ve asked Spotify for comment: it may be related to proposed laws in Nigeria for social media platforms.
Wondercraft was to launch a new product called Wonda today. Instead, for what the company claims are technical reasons, it’s to launch on Aug 19. Wait - that’s the opening day of Podcast Movement… 🤔
Spotify launched Audiobooks+ in the US. It’s a top-up plan that unlocks an additional fifteen hours of audiobooks for $11.99 a month.
A new curated, multilingual programmatic marketplace, Ozen.fm, has launched - which aims to connect advertisers with podcasters. The platform has a focus on multicultural and multilingual content.
👉There's More To Read: HERE
One of the biggest and most successful podcast producers, Wondery, is to be restructured by Amazon, laying off a reported 110 people including the company’s CEO, Jen Sargent. Wondery was bought by Amazon at the end of 2020 for $300mn, then doubled its staff. It currently has around 360 published shows.
Why the change? Video killed the owl, it seems. The memo reads: “The podcast landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years. As video podcasting has grown in popularity, we have learned that creator-led, video-integrated shows have different audience needs and require distinct discovery, growth and monetization strategies compared to audio-first, narrative series. The rise of video has also blurred the lines on what it means to be a podcast creator.”
If you’re affected by recent layoffs at Wondery, Pineapple Street Studios or public radio, Podcast Movement is offering a limited number of complimentary passes for its event in Dallas later this month. Email support@podcastmovement.com to get connected with the team.
Tuesday, Aug 5, 2025
- Wondery’s narrative podcast studio will be combined with Audible. Marshall Lewy, Wondery’s Chief Content Officer, will also join Audible. The company’s creator-led shows (New Heights, Armchair Expert, etc) will be merged with the existing Talent Services team, rebranding to Creator Services. Ads and sponsorship will merge with a team at Amazon Music.
- The story was broken by Bloomberg in a paywalled article. (Podnews readers can save on a subscription). Business Insider carries the memo from Steve Boom explaining the changes, and noting that podcast revenue has grown by 4x since the company was bought by Amazon.
Why the change? Video killed the owl, it seems. The memo reads: “The podcast landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years. As video podcasting has grown in popularity, we have learned that creator-led, video-integrated shows have different audience needs and require distinct discovery, growth and monetization strategies compared to audio-first, narrative series. The rise of video has also blurred the lines on what it means to be a podcast creator.”
- Amazon’s decision should be read alongside the performance of its other podcast acquisitions. Amazon bought podcast hosting company ART19 in June 2021, which has never achieved more than a 1% share of total episodes published, and currently hosts 3,900 shows (other enterprise hosts like Megaphone, Simplecast or Triton/Omny each host around 20,000). Amazon splashed $80mn on the SmartLess podcast: but that deal only lasted three years. Last year it spent $100mn for New Heights, promising international audio adaptations (which haven’t happened) and live events - there hasn’t been a live event for the show since Amazon’s ownership. Amazon Music started slowly adding podcasts in 2020; it has a 13% market share for music in the US, but achieves just a 1.6% share of US podcast downloads.
If you’re affected by recent layoffs at Wondery, Pineapple Street Studios or public radio, Podcast Movement is offering a limited number of complimentary passes for its event in Dallas later this month. Email support@podcastmovement.com to get connected with the team.
👉Tbere's More To Read: HERE
Edison Podcast Metrics released the top 50 US podcasts for Q2/2025. The top 5 is unchanged. Amy Poehler’s Good Hang is new in the top 50 (it debuted in mid-March). The Dan Bongino Show is the highest faller, now out of the top 50 after Bongino was replaced by Vince Coglianese.
Riverside has quietly added podcast hosting, in beta, for its paying Pro or Enterprise users. Riverside uses RSS, so it’ll go everywhere RSS does.
What happens when one podcast has a very similar name to another - and they’re recording in the same building? Much confusion - particularly for one guest who gets taken into the wrong podcast studio. Brazil’s Camila Fremder, a writer and social media personality, thought she was appearing on the Venus Podcast: but accidentally took part in Vênus Day Talks instead. The smaller podcast is delighted; the bigger one is talking about legal action.
A new tool, PodtoBook.ai, has launched to help podcasters transform their episodes into professionally structured books.
The Radcast Network has signed The Modern British History Podcast. The show explores the intricate political and domestic policy history of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 2010.
ID checks are also coming to Australia, where YouTube and other social media services are to be banned for everyone under the age of 16 from Dec 10. The ban is for YouTube accounts, which includes YouTube Music. Facebook, Instagram and others are also to be banned.
Godcaster, which unifies live radio and podcasts, is now available as an app, for iPhone and Android. Adam Curry made the announcement on the Glenn Beck Program.
Podcast guest platform Talks.co has added double opt-in guest matching, hoping to help podcast hosts who are drowning in cold pitches from potential guests. There’s a free plan for podcast hosts.
Podcast production agency Podcast Town has rebranded as EF3 Studios, broadening its focus to serve as a full-scale media and brand activation partner.
The growing demand for video-first podcast spaces means Podshop Studios in London has announced a new four-studio complex in Shoreditch, close to its existing site.
Monday, Aug 4, 2025
- Our list includes podcast hosting companies. Spotify’s Megaphone host 20, Simplecast from SiriusXM host 12, ART19 and Omny Studio host 5.
- One notable change: Edison Podcast Metrics rankings now “incorporate data from people whose sole podcast consumption in the past week was through video”.
Riverside has quietly added podcast hosting, in beta, for its paying Pro or Enterprise users. Riverside uses RSS, so it’ll go everywhere RSS does.
- More technical details below in The Tech Stuff.
What happens when one podcast has a very similar name to another - and they’re recording in the same building? Much confusion - particularly for one guest who gets taken into the wrong podcast studio. Brazil’s Camila Fremder, a writer and social media personality, thought she was appearing on the Venus Podcast: but accidentally took part in Vênus Day Talks instead. The smaller podcast is delighted; the bigger one is talking about legal action.
A new tool, PodtoBook.ai, has launched to help podcasters transform their episodes into professionally structured books.
The Radcast Network has signed The Modern British History Podcast. The show explores the intricate political and domestic policy history of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 2010.
👉There's More To Read: HERE
Friday, Aug 1, 2025
Spotify is adding age verification for users in the UK to access mature content, including podcasts marked as ‘explicit’. It uses a service called Yoti, which employs face scanning or asks you to upload images of your ID. It’s part of the UK’s Online Safety Act.
- UK podcast The News Agents recently reported on a story where the UK government mistakenly leaked the identities of 18,000 Afghans who worked with the British government.
- Proton VPN says it has had 18x more downloads in the UK since the law came into effect.
ID checks are also coming to Australia, where YouTube and other social media services are to be banned for everyone under the age of 16 from Dec 10. The ban is for YouTube accounts, which includes YouTube Music. Facebook, Instagram and others are also to be banned.
- This episode of the ABC’s PM podcast reports on Australian airline Qantas has confirmed that the personal information of 5.7 million customers was compromised in July.
- Mullvad VPN sells vouchers via Amazon Australia: a voucher removes any potential link between an anonymous VPN account and the credit card used to pay for it.
Godcaster, which unifies live radio and podcasts, is now available as an app, for iPhone and Android. Adam Curry made the announcement on the Glenn Beck Program.
Podcast guest platform Talks.co has added double opt-in guest matching, hoping to help podcast hosts who are drowning in cold pitches from potential guests. There’s a free plan for podcast hosts.
Podcast production agency Podcast Town has rebranded as EF3 Studios, broadening its focus to serve as a full-scale media and brand activation partner.
The growing demand for video-first podcast spaces means Podshop Studios in London has announced a new four-studio complex in Shoreditch, close to its existing site.
👉There's More To Read: HERE
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