Podnews Weekly Review

Mercury Podcast Network: plus, too many ads, and what YouTube is doing about AI slop

Sam and James talk with Liam Heffernan of Mercury; and cover all the latest news of the week.• Sony’s AI character podcasts and voice licensing risks• Video discovery leading to audio loyalty and why it matters• IAB’s AI scraping proposal and good bot vs bad bot• Apple’s downloads for transcripts and chapters and host costs• Voice Regen vs Auphonic and Buzzsprout Magic Mastering• YouTube’s AI slop problem and weak enforcement• Apple buying QAI and the future of audio understanding• Livewire stats filtered for AI and broken trendlines• Spotify “down,” browser “up” and bots skewing analytics• OP3, unified dashboards, and realistic measurement• 34% ad loads training skip behavior and pricing for fewer ads• Subscriptions, ad-free tiers, and where to build fandom• Japan’s giant festival, Radio France’s indie curation, Disney and Hulu podcasts• Boost Box, LN address, and Runway for value-for-valueStart podcasting, keep podcasting with BuzzSprout.comSend James & Sam a messageSupport the showConnect With Us: Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/support Get Podnews: podnews.net

Wondercraft's AI video generation; plus, behind Truefans funding

We dig into Goalhanger’s funding, Wondercraft’s AI video workflows, music on open RSS with sats, TrueFans’ metrics-first hosting, and the growing gap between downloads and watch time.• Goalhanger’s community growth strategy with TCG investment• Shift from ad revenue to events, merch and TV formats• Community portals vs YouTube and Spotify constraints• Wondercraft’s audio-to-video workflows and enterprise use• Visualizing podcasts, editable AI timelines and avatars• Trials, discounts and API access for automation• Music on RSS with streaming sats and $1 hosting• TrueFans’ per‑MB pricing, listen time and bot costs• Spotify video’s measurement trade-offs and chapters• TV apps, watch time metrics and platform competition• Industry moves, awards, and market consolidation• On-device AI for transcripts and ad detection• Pricing shock, technical debt and clean redirects• Useful tools: analytics prefixes, music libraries and zapsSend James & Sam a messageSupport the showConnect With Us: Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/support Get Podnews: podnews.net

Are subscriptions outpacing ads? And an exclusive

Sam has big news. Plus... (this description uses Buzzsprout's AI tool):We unpack the money and mechanics behind paid memberships, how platforms are reshaping podcast reach, and why quality and openness still matter. From Podfest honours to car dashboard wars, we map the shifting ground and share what creators should do next.• Goalhanger’s subscription economics and ad trade offs• Live festivals, community design and member retention• YouTube’s AI stance versus tool rollout• BBC’s YouTube programming strategy• Multi channel ranker data across audio, video and clips• Podcasts as quick context for breaking news• Spotify video’s measurement gap for rankers and ads• Cross app comments proposal and moderation• Merch in RSS and a simple store tag approach• Bot traffic, human first hosting and bandwidth costs• CarPlay, Android Automotive and dashboard control• New tools from Rode and Shure for creators• Awards season updates, people moves and events“You can support this show by streaming Sats, sending a super comment or boost, or becoming a power supporter at weekly.podnews.net”Send James & Sam a messageSupport the showConnect With Us: Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/support Get Podnews: podnews.net

iHeartRadio's open RSS bet on video, and Spotify's changes

Normally it's a nice quiet start to the year, but not this year! Sam and James look at the news we've already had so far this year. So much news, no tech stuff this week - that returns next week, along with your hosts being properly dressed.• iHeartRadio adds OpenRSS video and alternate enclosures• Netflix exclusivity versus open distribution trade-offs• Deloitte’s $5bn forecast and attention data contradictions• Spotify’s dynamic video sponsorships and platform fees• Spotify’s $10bn claim weighed against Apple’s quiet gains• YouTube ad effectiveness versus audio-only performance• Podtrac trends, RSS softness, and YouTube up 82%• The 2026 battle for RSS and open standards• Apple Podcasts features, defaults, and market power• Audio UK joins the Creative Industries Council• UK and US listening hours, completion, and plays• Bot traffic, download inflation, and verified metrics• Amazon’s merch play, funding tags, and timed links• People moves, jobs, awards, and global eventsYou can support us at weekly.podnews.netStart podcasting, keep podcasting with Buzzsprout.comGet updated every day. Subscribe to our newsletter at podnews.netTell your friends and grow the show. Support us and support us.Send James & Sam a messageSupport the showConnect With Us: Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/support Get Podnews: podnews.net

Podcast Predictions For 2026 - AI slop, video and more

We share five predictions each for 2026, from defining what a podcast is to why time spent listening will replace reach as the industry’s favorite metric. We weigh video’s upside against its risks for audio, call out AI slop, and back open RSS as the backbone of growth.We're back next week with our usual show.Please support us at weekly.podnews.net and click the support buttonStart podcasting, keep podcasting with Buzzsprout.comSend James & Sam a messageSupport the showConnect With Us: Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/support Get Podnews: podnews.net