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- Sep 23: 88% of podcast consumers are consuming both audio and video - up ten points from last year. And, 63% of listeners start an episode in one format and finish it in another, according to Acast's new Podcast Pulse 2026, researched across thirteen markets by research firm Differentology. “The industry spent years arguing over formats, but audiences moved on long ago,” said Greg Glenday, CEO at Acast. “A podcast fan’s decision isn’t driven by format loyalty; it’s driven by whether they’re driving at 7 AM or on the couch at 9 PM. Once you see that, the audio-versus-video debate stops being interesting, and a much better commercial opportunity takes its place.”
- Sep 22: Far from being a friend of podcast creators, Apple and Google are making money from an ad-skipping podcast app, Podnews can reveal today. The app, called Podtastic, takes podcasts and automatically skips the ads on-device, charging $9.99 a month - none of which goes to creators, but up to 30% goes direct to Google and Apple's own app stores. Automatically skipping the ads in this way means that advertising won't work, and creators will see lower renewals and unhappier advertisers; but because the skipping takes place on-device, US case law suggests that the behaviour of the app could be considered legal, if clearly unethical.
- Sep 17: At the IAB Podcast Upfront during Podcast Week, Jason Adamski of the IAB announced a new downloadable guide focusing on (among other things) the measurement of video podcasting. The IAB appears to reject a medium-agnostic measurement standard like the recently-released AMP Accords, saying "the solution is not to build a new framework from scratch", and instead suggests that we use two separate standards from the IAB Tech Lab - the "Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines v2.2" and the "Digital Video Served Impression Guidelines". It adds: "The practical challenge is not the absence of standards. It is knowing which standard applies where."
- Sep 15: In the opening Sounds Profitable Business Summit session, with plenty of ear-catching audio, Ira Glass from This American Life highlighted "what podcasts do better". Podcasts go so much deeper than what most influencers are putting out there, he said - and that means a deeper connection - which also means that the ads work harder. The Business Summit kicks off Podcast Week in New York City; with buyers and networks in one room, the summit included a number of well-attended talks and plenty of networking time.
- Sep 14: Podcast Week kicks off in New York NY, USA, today - a week of events focusing on podcasting. Today and tomorrow, the Sounds Profitable Business Summit brings together the business of podcasting with those that buy it - a one-stage event with an emphasis on networking. Then, the 2026 IAB Podcast Upfront takes place on Wednesday, unveiling the content coming up for brands to work with; and finally, Podcast Movement on Thursday and Friday, where creators come to refine the craft they have already built. Podnews will be in New York throughout Podcast Week.
Data credits: Podnews newsletter