Meshel Laurie and Osher Günsberg renew partnerships with Acast

Acast, the world’s leading independent podcast company, has announced both Meshel Laurie and Osher Günsberg have extended their relationships with Acast. Continuing as part of the Acast Creator Network, their hugely successful podcasts - which have become some of the most listened-to and loved podcasts in Australia - will be hosted, distributed and monetised by Acast globally.

Since joining the Acast Creator Network in 2018 with Better Than yesterday, Günsberg has gone on to launch two more podcasts, Idle Australians and Dad Pod. Günsberg’s much-loved Better Than Yesterday which celebrated its 400th episode in September 2021 has seen tremendous growth - with a 73% increase in downloads since partnering with Acast.

Meshel Laurie’s Smart Fella Media, the team behind chart-topping podcasts Australian True Crime, Calm Ya Farm and Meanagers joined the Acast Creator Network in 2020, with Australian True Crime recently celebrating over 50 million downloads alone.

As part of the Acast Creator Network, Meshel Laurie and Osher Günsberg will continue to benefit from Acast’s innovative range of monetisation options — which include premium advertising products available exclusively via the Acast Marketplace, and fan-supported revenue streams through Acast+ subscriptions.

Meshel Laurie, founder and CEO of Smart Fella Media, said: “Thanks to Acast’s support for open podcasting, I’ve been able to reach millions of people wherever and however they’re listening - which means I can put all my effort into making the shows they love. We have also been able to work with some great brands that resonate with us as hosts and our listeners, which in turn led us to be able to build what is now Smart Fella Media. Launching this network and building this community would not have been possible without Acast.”

Osher Günsberg, host of Better Than Yesterday, Idle Australians and Dad Pod said: “I started Better Than Yesterday because I wanted to do something different, that wasn’t like commercial radio. I wanted to make something authentic to me. Until I met the team at Acast, I never believed that this could be a serious alternate source of income, which it has become. Building up this part of what I do is so important and with the support of Acast, I’ve been able to build a community and make shows that I love while giving me and my family security going forward.”

Guy Scott-Wilson, Content Director, Acast Australia and New Zealand, said: “As early adopters of the medium, Meshel and Osher are two of Australia’s most iconic podcasters, having built huge communities through the freedom that podcasting has brought them. Partnering with Acast allows them to continue to develop and grow valuable listener relationships platform-wide, while always retaining creative control. We love working with them both, and are over the moon that we’re continuing our close relationships.”

As part of its commitment to the open podcast ecosystem Acast will distribute Osher Günsberg and Meshel Laurie’s podcasts widely, making them accessible to listeners on all podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Samsung Free and more. For brands and advertisers looking to work with their shows, opportunities are available exclusively through the Acast Marketplace. Get in touch via sales.au@acast.com