Why value-for-value is the quiet revolution in podcasting
16 Aug 2026 • Ben Bowler
Value-for-value is podcasting's quiet payment revolution. What boostagrams, streaming sats and Podcasting 2.0 mean for listeners, in plain English.
The podcast industry
What is happening to podcasting as a business and a medium, and what it means for the people who listen.
33 articles
What podcast charts actually measure, and why they mislead
15 Aug 2026 • Ben Bowler
Podcast charts don't rank what's most listened to. Here's what Apple and Spotify actually measure, and better ways to find shows worth your time.
AntennaPod — the podcast app quietly proving open podcasting works
8 Aug 2026 • Ben Bowler
AntennaPod is a free, open-source, Android-first podcast app maintained by volunteers for over a decade. Here's what it does, why it matters, and where it sits.
Why the 3x podcast listening arms race misses the point
7 Aug 2026 • Ben Bowler
3x podcast listening is a vanity metric — it distorts voices, hurts retention, and doesn't solve the actual problem. The useful lever is silence removal + triage.
What Podcasting 2.0 means for you (in 2026, in plain English)
3 Aug 2026 • Ben Bowler
Podcasting 2.0 is not a slogan — it's a shipping set of open tags that already give listeners transcripts, chapters, host info, and value-for-value support. Here's what actually works today.
What the Apple–OpenAI Lawsuit Means for Podcast Listeners
27 Jul 2026 • Ben Bowler
The Apple–OpenAI lawsuit isn't about chatbots. It's about who controls the voice interface to your podcast library. Here's what listeners need to know.
Why Podcast Episodes Keep Getting Longer (and What Listeners Are Doing About It)
25 Jul 2026 • Ben Bowler
Podcast episode length trends keep climbing. Here's what's driving the drift and how time-poor listeners are quietly rewarding shows that resist it.
Who podcast advertising really serves
22 Jul 2026 • Ben Bowler
Programmatic ads and platform lock-in have quietly reshaped podcasting around advertisers and networks, not creators. Here is what changed, and the case for a listener-first alternative.
Why video podcasts are winning in 2026 (and audio isn't going anywhere)
20 Jul 2026 • Ben Bowler
YouTube has 1 billion monthly podcast viewers. Spotify hosts 330,000+ video podcasts. Here's what the shift to video actually means for the way you listen.
What OpenAI buying TBPN means for podcast listeners
13 Jul 2026 • Ben Bowler
OpenAI acquired the TBPN podcast. What this means for editorial independence, tech-media trust, and what listeners should watch out for going forward.
Why Every Podcast App Is Adding AI Summaries in 2026
28 Jun 2026 • Ben Bowler
Why every podcast app is shipping AI summaries in 2026 — what it means for listeners, where it falls short, and how to spot one that's actually useful.
Why Podcast Apps Are Pivoting to Freemium in 2026
21 Jun 2026 • Ben Bowler
Why podcast apps are pivoting to freemium in 2026 — and what the model means for listeners. A look at where the trend is heading and who benefits.
Why podcast discovery is broken — and what's working in 2026
7 Jun 2026 • Ben Bowler
Why podcast discovery is broken in 2026. Algorithm fatigue, the shift to AI search, and what's actually helping listeners find shows they'll love.
How AI search is changing podcast discovery
31 May 2026 • Ben Bowler
How AI search engines are reshaping podcast discovery in 2026 — what changes for listeners when search becomes a chatbot and transcripts get indexed.
The state of podcast subscriptions in 2026
29 May 2026 • Ben Bowler
Where podcast subscriptions stand in 2026: Patreon, Substack, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Memberful, and what's changing for listeners and creators.
Why indie podcasters are winning in 2026
27 May 2026 • Ben Bowler
Indie podcasters are winning in 2026: cheaper production tools, open RSS distribution, and audiences quietly migrating off big-network shows.
Why audio-only podcasts are still winning
22 May 2026 • Ben Bowler
Audio-only podcasts are still winning in 2026 despite the YouTube-first push. Here's why background listening and commute time still outweigh video on screen.
Why podcasts are switching to YouTube-first publishing
18 May 2026 • Ben Bowler
Why podcasts are publishing on YouTube first in 2026. How discovery, ad rates, and listener data are quietly pushing shows away from audio-first.
Are AI-generated podcasts taking over?
11 May 2026 • Ben Bowler
AI-generated podcasts now make up nearly half of new podcast feeds. Whether they're taking over depends on what you mean by 'over' — here's the actual picture.
Why Podcast Discoverability Is Broken
1 May 2026 • Ben Bowler
Podcast discoverability is broken: 4 million shows, charts dominated by majors, search that barely works. Here's why and what's fixing it.
Why Celebrity Podcasts Are Taking Over the Charts
27 Apr 2026 • Ben Bowler
Celebrity podcasts now dominate top charts worldwide. Here's why they work, where they fall short, and what it means for independent shows.
Why YouTube Is Winning the Podcast Race
19 Apr 2026 • Ben Bowler
YouTube is now the most-used podcast platform in the US. Here's how it happened, what it means for listeners, and why the audio-only players still matter.
Why Tech Giants Are Buying Podcasts (And What It Means for You)
12 Apr 2026 • Ben Bowler
Tech companies buying podcasts is a 2026 trend with real consequences for listeners. What's happening, why it matters for your feed, and what to watch for.
How Gen Z Is Changing Podcast Listening
5 Apr 2026 • Ben Bowler
Gen Z now makes up 35 million monthly podcast listeners in the US. Here's how their habits differ from older audiences and what it means for you.
Podcast AI Summaries Are Changing Discovery
29 Mar 2026 • Ben Bowler
Podcast AI summaries help you decide what to listen to in seconds. See how apps use AI to surface episode highlights and key topics.
AI Is Changing How We Listen to Podcasts
15 Mar 2026 • Ben Bowler
AI now powers transcripts, smart summaries, search, and recommendations in podcast apps. Here's what that means for everyday listeners.
Video Podcasts Are Changing How We Listen
8 Mar 2026 • Ben Bowler
Video podcasts grew massively in 2025-2026, with YouTube, Spotify, and Apple competing for creators. Here's what it means for listeners.
Podcast Listening Habits Are Changing Fast
20 Feb 2026 • Ben Bowler
Podcast listening habits are shifting in 2026. Video podcasts, shorter episodes, and new platforms are reshaping how audiences tune in.
Are Podcast Subscriptions Worth the Money?
13 Feb 2026 • Ben Bowler
Are podcast subscriptions worth paying for? We break down what you get, what you don't, and when free alternatives make more sense.
Podcast Industry Growth: What the Numbers Say
30 Jan 2026 • Ben Bowler
Podcast industry growth by the numbers: 619 million listeners, $40 billion market, and ad spend topping $4 billion. What these trends mean for you.
Are Podcast Ads Targeted to You?
28 Jan 2026 • Ben Bowler
Yes, podcast ads are targeted using your IP address, location, and listening habits. Here's exactly how it works and what you can do about it.
Podcast Listening Stats That Might Surprise You
9 Jan 2026 • Ben Bowler
Podcast listening stats for 2026: who listens, how often, and where the industry is headed. The numbers that explain podcasting's growth.
Are Podcasts Replacing Radio?
7 Jan 2026 • Ben Bowler
Are podcasts replacing radio? We look at the listening data, where podcasts win, and why radio isn't dead yet.