Are listeners overwhelmed by too many ads?

• Two days ago, we covered a company that is copying podcasts to remove the ads, and then selling access. Glenn Rubenstein at Adopter Media covers the story, suggesting it raises a question of why tools like this may gain traction. “PodcastAdBlock didn’t appear because people don’t want to hear ads. It appeared because some shows are starting to cross an invisible line with their listeners,” and suggests a path forward that podcast networks can make to improve the listener experience. (It’s one reason why we run our “Having a bad DAI” feature, where we highlight ways we can improve - try the bottom of Jan 2 for an example).

  • We learn today that PodcastAdBlock’s “24/7 support” email address is now bouncing back.

• Exclusive: Sounds Profitable has hired its first-ever Head of Communications, Molly DeMellier. She will oversee all global communications functions, including media relations and marketing, for Sounds Profitable and Podcast Movement. She previously worked with Sundaze PR and Acast.

  • From Jan 1, Podnews is no longer directly connected to the Sounds Profitable group of companies. Full disclosures

• First look: CBC has launched its Winter 2026 slate of podcasts. Many of the broadcaster’s biggest shows have new seasons planned, including Uncover, Personally and Someone Knows Something.

• Goalhanger show The Rest is Football has acquired the rights for the Premier League video archive, for all matches until the end of last season. A new show, “Premier League Greats: The Moments That Made Them”, is now appearing within The Rest is Football feeds. The company says: “viewers watching on Spotify Video or YouTube (and socials) will be able to see the iconic match footage as those moments are discussed on screen. Audio listeners will still receive the full episode as usual.” Last month we reported that the show will be on Netflix during the World Cup as a daily show.

• Glenn Beck has released a podcast episode entirely produced by AI. The show is here - it’s apparently built by his own, proprietary, AI tool.

• Descript has announced a new version of its AI assistant, Underlord. The tool can be used for editing tasks. The newer version produces better edits while using 20% fewer credits.

• NHPR podcasts, including Bear Brook, The 13th Step, and Outside/In, are joining The Podglomerate for advertising sales and distribution. NHPR had been working with The Podglomerate for marketing campaigns.

• Popular podcast app Pocket Casts appears not to be playing well with Supercast premium shows, including those from the New York Times. The reason for the bug is that Pocket Casts doesn’t handle private feed URLs that are more than 1,020 characters. (If you’re wondering, the generally accepted advice is that URLs are supported up to around 2,000 characters).

• Global’s DAX, a digital audio ad exchange, has partnered with DISQO, an advertising effectiveness measurement tool. Advertisers will be able to use DISQO’s measurement platform to measure marketing campaigns in real time.

• An upcoming tool to add chapters to podcasts is on the way: ChapterPod has taken its cues from Marco Arment’s Forecast tool, but added new features. It’ll also make transcripts.

Enter The Webbys. Prove You're The Best.

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Enter The Webbys. Prove You’re The Best.

Since 1996, The Webby Awards has been recognized as the preeminent international honor for Internet excellence. Last year’s Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from around the world.

This year, to keep up with the ever evolving audio landscape, The Webby Awards has expanded offerings in Podcasts, including Best New Podcast, Best Video Podcast, Best Video Podcast Host, as well as Interview or Talk Show – Entertainment & Culture and Interview or Talk Show – News, Business & Society. Don’t forget, Podcast Company of the Year, a Special Achievement award recognizing the podcast company with the most accolades across the 30th Annual Webby Awards competition.

Judges for Podcasts this year include: Bill Simmons, Founder & CEO, The Ringer, Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Lemonada Media, Ben Cave, Global Head of Podcasts, Apple, Jenna Weiss-Berman, Head of Audio & Podcasts, Paper Kite Productions, Bob Carrigan, CEO, Audible and Shreeya Sinha, Executive Editor, Audio, The New York Times.Don’t miss your last chance to put your work in front of these industry titans!

Enter The Webby Awards by the Extended Entry Deadline, February 6th, 2026.

Moves and hires

• Citing growth in Europe, digital audio company Audion has hired Ina Börner as Head of Sales & Market Growth DACH. She’ll look after Audion’s operations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
• Ami Thakkar has been announced as The Podcast Academy’s new Executive Director. She was the organisation’s Secretary; E.B. Moss assumes that role.

Podcast News

Foo Fighters Podcast Foos Files returns from a Christmas break today with the legendary drummer Omar Hakim - who has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Madonna, Sting, Dire Straits, Kate Bush, and the Foos themselves.

What do a CEO, a comedian, and a musician have in common? They’ve all mastered the art of scaling without losing their soul. In Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions from global consultancy Bain & Company, executive advisor and bestselling author James Allen explores lessons of scale, simplicity, and growth from global CEOs and surprising guest voices.

We Blame Roseanne isn’t a recap show. It’s a cultural exploration, and a dissection of learned behaviors and toxic patterns. A lot of fans label Roseanne as their comfort show, and can relate to the Conner family because it reflects a lot of what they saw at home. Those same fans will also say that Roseanne’s current public persona “happened all of a sudden”: but if you go back and re-assess the show, along with the connected media surrounding it, you see that she’s always been this way. This show explores Roseanne’s complicated life through the lens of a specific phenomenon or problem - one per episode.

On The Porch with Front Porch Music is back for a brand new season, fresh off a CCMA nomination and a Canadian Podcast Award nomination. You’ll hear true, honest conversations with Canadian country artists; interviews are natural, creating space for real stories, unexpected moments, and genuine insight into life and music. Season 5 kicks off with MacKenzie Porter, who sets the tone with an open discussion about creativity, motherhood, and building a career on her own terms.

Podcasts in the wild

Today, we’re in “indisputably the biggest bookshop in the area” (if the area is the bit between the city centre of Bristol and and the fancy shopping mall Cabot Circus) - in a branch of Waterstones, an English bookseller. Proudly on display is A Short History of Ancient Rome, with a little sticker on the cover saying it’s from the hit podcast Short History Of…. The author, Pascal Hughes, is also the CEO of Noiser, the podcast’s production company. Noiser tells us that the book is “riveting and action-packed”.