In & Around Podcasting

Elsie Escobar and Christabel Nsiah-Buadi champion the idea that your podcast episodes are a living archive that can evolve long after you hit publish. They discuss how dynamic audio insertion is more than just an ad tool—it is a creative way to keep content and community engagement alive. Together, they unpack the editorial perspective, discuss how to close the narrative gap for listeners, and sha...

Rob is joined by industry peers Dave Hamilton, Luke Slota, and Marques Pfaff to talk about the realities of podcast advertising. The group discusses the realistic download numbers needed for host-read sponsorships, comparing traditional CPM models to cost-per-action (CPA) campaigns. The conversation covers the necessity of video in modern podcasting. While video aids discoverability and search on...

Elsie and Rob break down the recent 28% rise in podcast ad dollars and explain why tracking your income per download is a much better measure of success than looking at total industry averages. They also answer a listener question about whether you need to be a guest on other shows before starting your own and the value of finding a podcasting community. The conversation shifts to search and disco...

This episode covers global trends, platform changes, and the momentum in the industry following The Podcast Show in London. Joined by Andreea Coscai, founder of Eurowaves, the discussion looks at what is succeeding in European podcasting, the rise of cross-border collaborations, and why international organizations are investing more in audio. Elsie and Andreea discuss the evolving newsletter space...

Analyzing the high-profile fallout between Alex Cooper and Alix Earle and some of the drama, evaluating how business disputes masquerade as personal betrayal and some other drama surrounding Call Her Daddy and the Unwell Network. The discussion contrasts the realities of content creation with the performance issues plaguing network-backed shows. Examining how Apple Podcasts and Spotify handle sear...

This episode opens with a major industry shift: Tim Cook’s announcement that he is stepping down as CEO of Apple in September 2026. The team discusses the transition plan, the elevation of John Ternus and Johny Srouji, and what this "hardware-first" leadership style might mean for the future of Apple devices and services. The conversation then pivots to the technical rollout of HLS (HTTP Live Stre...

OpenAI recently acquired TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network). Rob and Elsie discuss the relationship between Sam Altman and TBPN’s John Coogan, the network's high production value, and what it means for OpenAI’s public-facing brand as they head toward an expected IPO. Elsie takes a moment to celebrate Frank Racioppi’s recent Forbes piece, giving him his well-deserved flowers for his tho...

Rob Walch and Elsie Escobar reunite to host together for the first time in 159 days! They look back at their own "episode 28" milestones from 2005 to 2014 and share stories from other creators who found their rhythm at the same point in their journey. The conversation covers the launch of HLS video support in Apple Podcasts. Rob explains how this adaptive streaming works, why it matters for listen...

When it comes to podcasting, many indie creators (and some bigger ones, too) don't consider the legalities that might come up, especially since their podcast might start out as just a hobby. But that can lead to a lot of issues down the line, and ones that not only might see content taken down, but large lawsuits coming into effect too. So what can you do to negate this? Join Danny Brown and guest...

In this special bonus episode, Mark and Danny share their thoughts on The Podcast Show London - what worked, what didn't work, and some ideas for future shows. Links to interesting things from this episode The Gerry Anderson Podcast - from Thunderbirds to Space 1999 Podcast Industry Keynote: The Year That Was - And The Year To Come In Podcasting - Podcast Show 2025 The Podcast Show London In &...

With this year's Infinite Dial report from Edison Research now in the wild, and co-presented at Podcast Movement Evolutions in Chicago, it's the perfect time to have one of the presenters, James Cridland, on the show to dive into the findings. From online audio listening preferences to the opportunities for creators and brands, James walks us through some of the nuances of the report. James also d...

As podcasting continues to see a mix of large investments and ad spend, it also continues to see layoffs across the industry. Many point to some of these large investments as being a cause, with money being spent on large networks and celebrity podcasts. Is this a sign that the industry needs to take a different approach, with perhaps more indie creator-led networks, or is it an unfortunate realis...

The Podcasting 2.0 initiative has been around since 2020, and is a way for the traditional RSS feed to be more interactive both for podcasters and listeners. This means offering features like transcripts, chapters, credits for talent on podcasters, funding your favourite shows, and more. It's also meant to keep the RSS system open and "protect" it from the walled garden approach of Spotify, YouTub...

The episode provides an insightful recap of the recent PodFest event, a significant gathering in the podcasting industry, characterized by its inclusive atmosphere and focus on community building. Mr. Mark and co-host Chris delve into the origins of PodFest, tracing its inception back to grassroots meetups aimed at supporting podcasters in their journey. Through their dialogue, they reveal how Pod...

2024 saw Spotify make a big push for video on their platform, while it also seemed anywhere you turned online was someone telling podcasters they need to do video to stay relevant. So, is 2025 the year we all need to get on board with video podcasting, or does audio-first podcasting still have merits? Join your regular hosts Mark Asquith and Danny Brown, as well as guest co-host John McDermott, as...

Join Mark and Danny in this bonus episode, as they reflect on the past year of In & Around Podcasting, share some important advice about frequency of publishing, and what's coming up in 2025. Are you an indie podcaster looking to guest on the show next year? Sign up here! Links to interesting things from this episode Pod Chat, with Danny Brown The Podcast Accelerator by Mark Asquith Taking a b...

There are many valuations of the podcast industry, depending on what report you read. Polaris valued the global worth at $13.7B in 2021, expected to grow an average of 31.5% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) through to 2030 (seems supremely high) Fortune Business Insights show is as $2.2B in 2022, projected to grow to $17.59B in 2030, a CAGR of 29.8% Meanwhile, the IAB shares US ad revenue as $1....

As Artificial Intelligence continues to be ever more present in podcasting, discussions and conversations have appeared online at an equal rate on whether this is a good or bad thing for the podcasting industry. Does it make life easier when it comes to creating content, or does it run the risk of making podcasting redundant through an increased lack of originality? Join Mark, Danny, and guest co-...

It used to be that podcast downloads were the main data point podcasters would use to track their growth. The thinking was, get X amount of downloads per month and sponsors will jump at you with wallets full of cash. While that may have been the way back in the day, today's success metrics looks a lot different when it comes to podcast success. In this special live recording of In & Around Pod...

In a recent article on Hollywood Reporter, top podcasters like Rachel Maddow, Bill Simmons, Josh Lindgren and more shared their take on the biggest issues facing podcasting. These included visibility, podcast apps, lower advertising, and more. Join Danny and guest co-host Dan LeFebvre as they dissect the article and review each viewpoint. Our guest co-host this week: Dan LeFebvre Host of Based on...

Apple Podcasts is now available on the web, opening up the Android market and allowing users to listen on Windows. This is a significant milestone for podcasting as it provides more options for listeners and creators. The web player supports syncing across devices and allows for purchasing subscriptions to creators. However, there are potential risks with unethical marketing techniques and spoofin...

Currently, if a podcaster wants to get the full picture of their show's growth, they need to look at multiple analytics reports: their hosting company, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and now YouTube. Then they need to correlate how all this data is presented, since it can be very different, depending on IAB Certification, downloads, listens, and more. And that's just the podcaster - then you have media...

Welcome to this bonus episode of In & Around Podcasting. This week, Mark and Danny take a look at this year's Podcast Movement, taking place in Washington, D.C. between August 19 and 22. They share tips for first time attendees, how to plan your schedule effectively, some things you shouldn't forget, and loads more useful tips. Links to interesting things from this episode Podcast Movement 202...

According to the most recent stats by the Podcast Index, there are 315,000 active podcasts (based on publishing at least one episode in the last 30 days), with 446,000 in the last 90 days. Given there are 4.2 million podcasts listed in the index, are the seemingly low numbers (around 10% of all podcasts actively publishing) a cause for concern, or an opportunity for podcasters in the long term? Jo...

In episode 14, we discussed whether the V4V - Value4Value - model was dead , with a focus on streaming sats (Satoshis) since this is primarily what many podcasters associate V4V with. The episode stirred up quite the conversation online, with some interesting takes on the episode and points raised. So this episode sees Mark chat with David Medus on how he uses V4V beyond sats and the overall philo...