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We talk with Spotify’s first Equal Podcast Ambassador, Morgan Absher, about building Two Hot Takes into a video-first community and what real industry support for women creators should look like. Then we dig into Spotify’s financials and a controversial “Skip Ahead” test that could change how podcast ads are heard, measured, and trusted; and learn more about Buzzsprout's enhanced video offering

• Spotify Equal expands from music into podcasting with a focus on women creators
• Morgan Absher’s accidental start during the pandemic and how Two Hot Takes scales fast
• Why video podcasting drives connection for reaction formats and community-led shows
• The chart gap for women-led podcasts and the role of confidence and imposter syndrome
• Events and awards that increase visibility and help creators get booked and partnered
• Spotify Q2 numbers plus the push toward premium revenue per user
• Spotify’s “Skip Ahead” button and why it feels different from manual skipping
• The download metric problem versus measuring ad plays and completion
• Platform control trends across Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix style walled gardens
• Video distribution updates across Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify plus hosting pricing shifts
• EU AI Act disclosure rules and why an RSS AI tag alone may not satisfy lawyers
• Transcripts becoming mainstream as the SiriusXM case nears settlement

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We chat with Andy Maxwell from EarMax Media about the new podcast-first ad agency, and Giles Gear from Cheerful Earful about the funniest podcast festival in the world.

Also: we challenge the idea that creators are being “ripped off” and dig into what actually drives revenue in podcasting: sales, relevance, and trust. We also pull apart the AMP Accords, Apple’s confusing analytics, and the rising costs and trade-offs of video podcasting.
• creator monetisation realities versus entitlement narratives
• whether apps “owe” creators for RSS consumption
• why listeners pay to remove ads and what that says about relevance
• AMP Accords goals and the practical limits of cross-platform data sharing
• Apple Podcasts analytics inconsistencies and why they erode trust
• the “video threshold” and when video pays for itself
• short-form video as a discovery strategy without full show video
• RSS.chat as a possible foundation for cross app comments
• micro.blog, POSSE syndication, and momentum for alternate enclosure
• specialist podcast media buying with Earmax and what brands actually want
• concerns about misinformation when fact checks stay on-screen only

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We speak with Dan Granger and Giles Martin from Oxford Road, about the new AMP Accords. Is this a new start for podcast measurement? And, can we get podcast apps into the revenue ecosystem? Plus, Edison Research on their recent reports.

Also hear:
• why downloads fail as a reliable metric for advertisers and creators
• the AMP Accord goal of standard definitions across podcast audio and video
• the shorthand test for a podcast: “If it works with your eyes closed”
• the proposed “play” standard at 30 consecutive seconds and why qualifiers get messy
• exposure metrics and the practical limits of privacy and platform cooperation
• attribution improvements through verified exposure and control groups
• why podcast apps may need revenue share to provide better consumption data
• ad-skipping apps like Podtastic and why they are hard to block
• Edison’s UK data showing YouTube overtaking Spotify for weekly podcast listeners
• smart TV adoption and what it means for podcast discovery and viewing
• AI audiobook narration research and how bias shifts after disclosure
• industry notes on Acast performance plus awards, events, and tooling

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This week, James and Sam talk with Bryan Barletta of Podcast Movement, and Martin Bojtos of Podmasters.

Plus, we look at the week's podcasting news, including:

• Podcast Movement’s New York Audio Week plan, five-day structure and $199 creator ticket strategy
• Public session voting balanced by a selection committee to avoid a popularity contest
• Sounds Profitable’s role as connective tissue, partner perks, events access and comms support
• Measurement tension around downloads, 30-second plays, consumption and unified analytics
• HLS video implications for distribution, ad delivery and platform power
• Creator portals and diversified monetisation through subscriptions, merch and live events
• Podmasters at 10 years, diversification as risk control and lessons from near-failure
• Spotify video revenue upside versus Apple video cost concerns
• Research claims about AI narrators and why methodology matters
• One-off premium episode purchases and the friction problem
• Kids audio discovery and why curation still lags in major apps
• BBC podcast scale outside the UK and podcasts showing up on iPlayer 

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Sam's back - he talks with Ryan Williams about enhanced metadata for podcasting. 

Buzzsprout's AI also tells us that: We dig into the stories behind this week’s podcasting numbers, from Overcast’s sudden rise to the growing sense that Apple Podcasts is no longer the default starting point for new listeners. We also go deep on interactive transcripts and podcast annotations with Ryan Williams, plus what OpenUSD could mean for micropayments and the future of paying creators. 
•Overcast downloads jumping year on year and the theories behind it 
•Apple Podcasts losing “top app” preference despite built-in advantages 
•Podcast video strategy, HLS video rollout, and what it means for distribution 
•Questions about Apple and Acast’s unusually tight alignment on video 
•OpenUSD stablecoins, programmable money, and why micropayments keep failing 
•Spotify advertising and the Amazon DSP pipeline for programmatic podcast ads 
•Bending Spoons’ IPO strategy and parallels with podcast rollups like PodX 
•Podcast growth outside the US, including Dubai’s Arab Podcast Programme 
•TVNZ Plus adding video podcasts and “cheap TV” dynamics 
•Industry moves at Libsyn and the departure of DOAC co-founder Jack Sylvester 
•British Podcast Awards longlist and the UK’s booming festival scene 
•Podcast Movement session voting, the upside and the popularity contest risk 
•Fifth anniversary of the first boostergram and the state of value-for-value 
•RSS Cloud v4, WebSub, and whether it can complement or replace Podping 
•Ryan Williams on podcast annotations, transcripts, entity extraction, and discovery 
•TrueFans product updates including cross-promo requests, gifting hosting, topic suggestions, and podroll requests 

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We're co-hosted by Elsie Escobar today, while Sam is away. Here's more about Elsie:
* The E League Mentorship: https://elsie.link/eleague-podnews
* Multimodalee https://elsie.link/mm-podnews
* The Slight Spiral Dispatch: https://elsie.link/ssd-podnews

Today, we cover monetization workflows, the real trade-offs of video, and why captions and human trust still matter even as AI tooling spreads.

Buzzsprout's Co-Host AI feature tells us we spoke about:
• building sustainable systems for experienced creators and knowing when to pivot or stop 
• research on audience loyalty to creators across audio, video, clips, social and newsletters 
• practical realities of recording video and why audio often ships faster and cleaner 
• when video helps most as promotion rather than a full video podcast 
• Riverside’s rebuilt studio and the wider trend of all-in-one creator platforms 
• Captivate monetization, campaign management and dynamic insertion for ads or your own promos 
• YouTube’s share of TV viewing and what it signals for podcast discovery 
• Podcast Show London perspectives on video-first, omnichannel distribution and walled gardens 
• AI podcast ethics, audience backlash and the double standard around AI use 
• captions improving YouTube performance, accessibility and mute-first consumption 
• HLS video measurement questions and what stats can and cannot tell you 
• podcast apps, transcripts and why better show notes and highlighting matter 
• RSS feed ownership risks and why contracts should protect creators 

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(This uses Buzzsprout's CoHost AI summary. Buzzsprout is our sponsor.)

We question whether Netflix can make podcasts work without chasing YouTube’s time-spent game, and we map where premium video fits in a world built on niche audio. We also dig into ad overload, new measurement fights, identity-driven targeting, and why immersive formats like Dolby Atmos could change what “good” sounds like. 

• Netflix podcast strategy and why profitability beats time spent 
• Why premium platforms struggle with low-cost creator content 
• Late-night TV ad clutter as a warning for podcast ad loads 
• New York’s stealth crawler law and what it could mean for publishers 
• Plays versus downloads and the measurement standards shifting underneath 
• How digital identity and mobile ad IDs can reshape podcast ad targeting 
• Privacy trade-offs, probabilistic matching, and how opt-out really works 
• Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision basics for podcast and app developers 
• Practical guidance on episode length, editing, and avoiding fluff 
• RSS feed ownership as a non-negotiable contract question 
• Podcast discovery data pointing to YouTube and social media 
• Why podcast promos can work and when they annoy listeners 
• Product and platform updates including open source wins and CarPlay changes 

You can support this show by giving us feedback using the BuzzSprout thumbnail or voicemail link in our show notes, and you can send us a boost or become a power supporter like the 24 Power Supporters at weekly.podnews.net 

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Losh Moodaley's article: https://podnews.net/article/beyond-the-cpm-podcast-advertising 

We test whether a 30-second threshold actually changes podcast stats, then pull apart why the definition of a “play” gets slippery once streaming, caching, and platform politics enter the mix. We also challenge the idea that better measurement automatically leads to better creator income, with practical advice for independents and nonprofits trying to build trust, outcomes, and sustainable revenue. 

• 30-second plays vs 60-second downloads and what hosting data shows 
• Why simplifying measurement helps but does not equal engagement 
• AMP definition changes, missing technical detail, and platform participation questions 
• The caching problem with HLS video and why server logs can mislead 
• Losh Moodley’s roadmap beyond CPMs: audience economy, exclusivity, outcome-based selling, trust over attention 
• Spam podcasts selling drugs and why link tracking matters 
• AI-generated podcast flooding, disclosure ethics, and search discoverability 
• VoxTopica on mission-driven podcasting, nonprofit success metrics, and when subscriptions can work 
• Listener trends, weekly listening hours, and why listen time is becoming the headline number 

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We discover how the Locked On Podcast Network got going, and dive into more details about the new YouGov report showing how listeners consume podcast ads. Plus, plenty more.

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Sam and James chat with Brian Conlan and Mark Asquith about Captivate and DAX US working together to monetize more podcasts; and to Dino Sofos about this year's Crossed Wires festival in Sheffield.

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We pick apart Spotify’s investor-day announcements and ask what its AI-first roadmap means for podcast creators, monetisation, and trust. We also talk to the co-founders of BIPOC Podcast Creators about why the community is closing and what the industry loses when creator support dries up. 

• Spotify’s “time well spent” metric and what it tries to reframe 
• The “500 million video podcast” claim and why measurement matters 
• Real-time podcast Q&A on Spotify and the risk of AI hallucinations 
• Dynamic creator sponsorships and updating back catalogue ads 
• Spotify memberships as a Patreon and Supporting Cast rival, with big unanswered details 
• Verified by Spotify badges and why creators can’t control verification 
• Clipping tools and the tradeoff between shareability and platform lock-in 
• Why BIPOC Podcast Creators closes, after a year of exploring options 
• How funding, layoffs, and politics change corporate support 
• The case for protecting indie creators and the industry’s long-term health 
• Apple Podcasts plus Audible subscription access and why verification matters 
• YouTube’s podcasts hub, top fans, and clearer AI content labels 
• Private feed security problems and why standards need to move faster 
• Direct Flow Auto Discover RSS and QR code discovery for podcasts 

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We're sponsored by Buzzsprout; their CoHost summary tool made these show notes.

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