Libsyn podcast ad revenue grew 48% in 2025

• Libsyn’s podcast ad revenue grew 48% last year, the company has announced; downloads are up 17%, and the company served 4.5 billion ad impressions in 2025 - up 46%. The number of creators monetising on the platform has increased more than 2.5x. The company announced that the Libsyn Audience Network is now broadly available: a way for advertisers to buy across Libsyn shows.

  • Libsyn is making its SXSW debut next week at Podcast Movement Evolutions and the iHeartPodcasts Hotel; they’re also founding sponsor of Oxford Road’s Indie PaC Awards.

• In a major change in the UK, the Elis James and John Robins show will be the first podcast that is commercially available under a new BBC Audio Release policy. The new commercial opportunities include the back catalogue of the popular show, which won Best Comedy Show in the British Podcast Awards last October. It’s made by Significant Productions, and will be monetised by Audio Always.

  • The new BBC policy was announced in October last year. A significant amount of BBC radio output is made by independent programme makers. The new policy allows those “indies” to own the RSS feed for third-party platforms (like Apple or Spotify), and place ads into those podcasts. The shows will continue to be ad-free on BBC radio and within the BBC Sounds app. In return, the policy requires a minimum of 10% of revenue to the BBC, promotional trails to BBC Sounds in the podcast, and clear explanations “as may be supplied or directed by the BBC”. It’s a very limited trial: only twelve shows will get this treatment, and only two per supplier.

• Audible announced “localised experiences” in a further 11 new countries. Listeners in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt will all have local-language recommendations and billing, and will be cross-promoted from their local Amazon sites. The company claims it has grown its number of members by 800% in the last ten years; and the company projects that number will double again in just three years. (Audible funds a number of exclusive podcasts).

• Empowered Podcasting Conference 3 this August has a confirmed title sponsor - Ralph Estep Jr’s The Content Creator’s Accountant. The event is in Charlotte NC, USA, Aug 21-23.

• Audiomeans, a French podcast hosting company, has re-certified for IAB Podcast Measurement Guidelines v2.2.

• "Apple Podcasts will launch a new experience for video that is redefining the podcast industry, and we are looking to hire an audience-minded and innovative expert with genuine video expertise to help inform and editorialize our new video podcast offering.” - a job at Apple in California

• After the failure of Netflix to purchase Warner Bros Discovery, the company has $2.8bn going spare. PAVE’s Max Cutler suggests short-form content, content from creators, taking popular podcasts exclusive, and becoming a Podnews supporter with all that excess cash. Wait, he didn’t suggest that last one. But they should.

• A new AI shownote production tool has been developed in Brazil by Bicho de Goiaba Podcasts. "BDG show notes” has been built from the ground up to master the nuances of the Portuguese language.

• Lemonada Media trailed a new show from writer and comedian Eliot Glazer. "So U Think U Can Sports?” will premiere later in the year.

• Spotify-signed podcaster Louis Theroux has a view about video podcasts, if the intro to a recent episode is anything to go by.

Tips and tricks - with Riverside

• Looking for good, 4K-capable video editing software? (After all, Riverside records in 4K). Here are the eight best 4K video editing software programs.
• Is your show quieter than the others? That’s not a great thing for your listeners, because that “new text” sound will blow their ears off. If you want to set your levels correctly, all you need is LUFS.

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: In the Test Kitchen from America’s Test Kitchen. The show’s test cook hosts dive deep into their favorite dishes, taste recipes, and talk about how culture, history, and science influence the foods we love to eat. The latest show looks at chocolate chip cookies.

Athletico Mince is celebrating ten years of podcasting, says Acast, which has taken a look back at the show. Originally billed as a football podcast, it was created by UK comedians Andy Dawson and Bob Mortimer.

A new podcast from NJ.com, Someone’s Hunting Us is the story of a serial killer you’ve never heard of and the women who took him down. The show follows the chart-topping Father Wants Us Dead.

The Uncovering Roots podcast has uncovered plans by the Israeli government to secretly send tens of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza to South America. Palestinians in Paraguay details the plan by Mossad to recruit around 60,000 Palestinians, in a plan that could have worked, had details not come out in a court case.

In celebration of Women’s Month, Small Talk with Sheila is releasing new episodes dedicated to helping women step into their “main character energy.” It’s a go-to podcast for women navigating their mid-20s to late-50s, who are burned out on toxic positivity and perfect wellness trends. Episodes start dropping today.

In the new podcast series Far From Town, from RNZ and Shepherdess magazine, host Arpége Taratoa-Rangikura talks with women at the end of windy gravel roads and up remote valleys, sharing warm, intimate stories of real life in rural Aotearoa/New Zealand. Over cups of tea, they talk about love, loss and connection to whenua/land.

In this week’s penultimate episode of the scripted comedy podcast JUDGE TRAVIS, things really come to a head as Shirley, the wife of Judge Percy Travis, interrupts a court case for some sweet vengeance. Created by writer/director Tim Barnes (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) and narrated by Amber Ruffin (Late Night with Seth Meyers), JUDGE TRAVIS allows listeners to eavesdrop on the behind-the-scenes chaos of Judge Travis’ fictional daytime court show and his brand of “justice.”

Proof of Concept is a story-driven podcast from The Tasting Alliance, the world’s leading authority on beverage alcohol competitions, celebrating the ideas and people behind Double Gold–winning spirits.