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NovoWho Wins Content Discovery? | Neil Mody, Headliner #69513 de novembro de 2026 · 1 h 14 min
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Sobre o podcast

Build an audience. Earn trust. Grow a media business. New Media Show with Rob Greenlee features practical conversations about podcasting, video, AI, audience ownership, distribution and creator revenue. Explore the decisions, tradeoffs and useful ideas behind sustainable independent media businesses. Find episodes and resources at NewMediaShow.com. The archive includes conversations with longtime co-host Todd Cochrane. Audio edition.

Licença: Trust Factor Lab Rob Greenlee © 2026-27

Episódios 612

  1. Who Wins Content Discovery? | Neil Mody, Headliner #695

    1 h 14 minEpisódio 695

    How do listeners discover a podcast and decide to come back? Rob Greenlee sits down with Neil Mody, CEO and co-founder of Headliner, at Ginni Media Studios in New York City. They ask what helps someone discover …

    Notas do episódio
    How do listeners discover a podcast and decide to come back?

    Rob Greenlee sits down with Neil Mody, CEO and co-founder of Headliner, at Ginni Media Studios in New York City. They ask what helps someone discover a show and what gives that person a reason to come back. The conversation covers YouTube, social clips, podcast apps, RSS, newsletters, and what AI can and can’t tell a creator about which moments are worth sharing.

    People can find a podcast through YouTube, social clips, search, or an app recommendation. In episode 695, Neil Mody explains why the moment someone chooses what to hear can happen on a screen even when they later listen without watching. A clip can give people a reason to try the full episode. A clear link helps them get there, and a newsletter gives those who opt in a way to hear from the show again.

    Three practical takeaways
    1. Give a stranger a reason to press play. Choose a clip that makes the episode’s question clear before the viewer knows the show or the guest. If the clip needs a long introduction to make sense, pick another moment.
    2. Give people one clear next step. Send viewers from a discovery clip to the full episode, where they can watch, listen, or opt in for more. Judge the clip on the behavior you can observe. Views alone can’t tell you who came back.
    3. Compare AI clip suggestions with your own shortlist. Neil describes Headliner’s work comparing how different methods surface clips. Watch each candidate in context and keep the one that delivers a complete idea without changing what the speaker meant.
    One practical next step

    Pick one episode and spend up to 30 minutes cutting a single moment that answers a real audience question. Share it on one channel with a trackable link to the full episode. After seven days, check episode-link clicks. If you tracked a comparable clip before, compare its first seven days on the same platform. A clip that gets views but few clicks gives you a reason to revisit the clip or its invitation. If your platform can’t track clicks, keep views as a measure of reach and leave listener conversion open.

    How people choose a podcast

    Neil traces Headliner’s early audiograms to a distinction between choosing an episode and consuming it. Someone might make the first decision while scanning a screen, then listen with the phone in a pocket. He remembers podcasters splitting over whether to put audio shows on YouTube. Some welcomed an automated way to get their back catalog there. Others doubted that YouTube was a destination for an audio show. Later in the interview, Neil says audiences had grown accustomed to the audiogram format and that creators needed to rethink what would earn attention in a feed.

    Rob brings the discussion back to what happens after discovery. A short clip can lead to the full episode. A newsletter gives people who opt in a way to hear from the show again. Those are separate decisions for the audience, and each needs a clear invitation.

    What podcast platforms can learn from YouTube

    Neil identifies three openings for podcast platforms: help shows reach people across social feeds, explore discovery through AI search, and build tools that are specific to podcasts. Rob points to YouTube Studio as a benchmark for creator reporting. Neil frames the practical question as attribution: after publishing several posts to promote an episode, can a creator tell which one moved someone toward listening? Rob adds that making and tracking all those posts is work in its own right.

    Neil gives an example of a listening tool built for the medium. He describes a prototype called TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen) and a personal setup that sends him short audio excerpts from shows he follows each morning. Hearing the excerpts helps him choose episodes he might otherwise pass over. It’s an example from his own routine and illustrates how an app could help listeners decide what to play even after they have followed a show.

    Why keep separate audio and video feeds?

    Rob describes how New Media Show offers separate audio and video RSS feeds and can reference the other format through an alternate enclosure. That gives compatible apps another file to offer while keeping a primary format for each feed. Neil describes a related habit: he sometimes starts with video to get familiar with a guest, then keeps listening in the background.

    They weigh how that flexibility could evolve. Neil expects large platforms to favor their own integrations for functions such as monetization and control. Rob points to the value of publishing once for many listening experiences and raises the possibility that open feeds could also supply content to future AI tools. Both are describing possible directions for distribution.

    What Headliner is learning about clip selection

    Headliner had already written clip selection software before using large language models for that job. Neil says he was surprised by how often the two methods picked similar moments. He describes a separate blind comparison of human and model picks as work in progress. The interview gives no completed result from that test or evidence that the overlap led to more episode plays.

    Rob points out that the producer still decides which clip goes out, even when a tool assigns a score for predicted reach. For an interview, that means watching the suggested cut with the surrounding exchange. A striking answer may depend on the question or on a qualification the speaker adds a few seconds later.

    Episode resources

    For a practical follow-up, read What Happens After Someone Finds Your Podcast? on RobGreenlee.com.

    Related New Media Show conversations

    The post Who Wins Content Discovery? | Neil Mody, Headliner #695 first appeared on New Media Show.

  2. Can Creators Still Build Trust in the AI Era? | Yuri Kleban, Google #694

    1 h 25 minEpisódio 694

    When AI can make anything look polished, what earns an audience’s trust? Watch episode 694 on YouTube Can creators still build trust when AI can generate convincing voices, polished videos, personalized …

    Notas do episódio
    When AI can make anything look polished, what earns an audience’s trust?

    Watch episode 694 on YouTube

    Can creators still build trust when AI can generate convincing voices, polished videos, personalized messages, and entire digital personalities? The harder question is what makes someone worth following when production quality becomes easier to reproduce.

    In New Media Show #694, Rob Greenlee talks with Yuri Kleban, introduced as a Global Product Lead Manager in Partnerships at Google, about the human contribution to AI-assisted media. They explore originality, disclosure, storytelling, creative judgment, and the relationship between creators and audiences.

    The conversation moves from Yuri’s experiment with a disclosed workplace bot to AI-assisted games, fan-created entertainment, and the practical limits of automation. Both speakers see creative opportunities, while examining permission, impersonation, workload, and the risk of handing over too much judgment. Their predictions and examples reflect the discussion, not announcements of Google or YouTube products or policies.

    The central question: if AI can handle more of the production, what should the human creator remain responsible for?

    Three practical takeaways
    • Make the audience’s problem your starting point. Rob and Yuri return to usefulness, a distinctive point of view, and storytelling. Choose an idea that helps a specific audience before deciding which AI tools or production techniques to use.
    • Keep a person accountable for the result. Review AI-assisted work for accuracy, meaning, permission, and disclosure. Yuri describes a process of generating possibilities, choosing what works, and refining it. The first output is a starting point for judgment.
    • Measure the whole workload. Faster production can lead to more projects and more supervision. When testing an AI workflow, count reviewing and correcting time as well as generation time, and set a limit on how much new work you take on.
    Why polish is becoming a weaker signal

    Yuri recalls the effort he once put into making his own video work look polished. He argues that when tools make professional-looking production widely available, polish alone becomes less useful as evidence of a creator’s effort or originality.

    That shifts attention toward the idea, the story, and the perspective behind the work. Rob connects this to human intuition: the choices a creator makes about what matters to other people. AI may help execute an idea, but the discussion keeps returning to the human who decides what is worth making and why.

    For podcasters and video creators, the practical implication is to explain something clearly, bring experience to the conversation, and make editorial choices an audience can recognize. Better tools can support that work; production quality by itself does not establish credibility.

    The disclosed bot that did not sound like Yuri

    One of the episode’s most revealing examples comes from Yuri’s workplace. He describes building a bot that answers colleagues’ questions using his knowledge. The bot is identified as a bot, but some colleagues tell him that its responses do not sound like him.

    Yuri experiments with familiar features of his own writing, including imperfect spelling and punctuation. He does not report a proven improvement in trust; he is still exploring the outcome. The example raises a useful distinction between a recognizable communication style and evidence that an answer is reliable.

    An editorial suggestion: if you use an assistant to represent your expertise, make its role clear and give people a way to reach the responsible human. Familiar phrasing can make communication easier to recognize, but it should not substitute for disclosure or checking an answer.

    Human, AI, and hybrid media can serve different audiences

    Rob and Yuri consider a future with human-created, AI-generated, and hybrid entertainment. Yuri expects different audiences to value different experiences. Human unpredictability, personal history, and relationships may remain important even when synthetic media becomes more capable.

    The conversation also challenges the idea that all AI-assisted work belongs in one category. Yuri emphasizes whether something is interesting, useful, and distinctive. Rob brings the discussion back to the purpose and experience behind the content. Their views argue for audience value, not evidence that any particular format will succeed.

    Fan-created episodes need permission and clear boundaries

    Could audiences create alternative endings or new episodes featuring familiar performers and fictional worlds? Rob and Yuri explore that possibility as a future creative model. Yuri’s version includes permission, clear labeling, limits set by the original participants, and compensation for the people whose work or identity is being used.

    These are proposals discussed in the episode, not a claim that creators already have permission to reuse someone’s voice, likeness, or characters. The important question for a media business is who can authorize the use, what they have agreed to, and how an audience will understand what it is watching.

    That distinction matters to trust. A clearly identified creative extension and an impersonation presented as the real person create very different expectations.

    AI can expand creative participation

    Yuri describes building a custom game with his children, combining their ideas with AI-assisted development. The example illustrates a broader theme: tools can let people try ideas they would otherwise struggle to produce, while human direction and iteration still shape the result.

    He also describes asking for multiple possibilities when developing creative material, then selecting and refining them. Rob connects that approach to his experience building websites and production workflows. Both describe collaboration with tools, rather than a finished creative product emerging without review.

    The productivity paradox: faster tools, more work

    Rob’s experience with AI is that it can make him busier. As production becomes easier, he takes on more projects, each of which still needs attention and decisions. Yuri suggests that people may need time to develop healthier limits around tools that keep expanding what feels possible.

    For an independent creator, more output is not automatically a better business outcome. A workflow can save time on one task while adding review, coordination, or maintenance elsewhere. The episode invites creators to decide what they want to do with the saved time before filling it with another project.

    Optimism with room for disagreement

    Yuri is optimistic about wider access to creative tools, but he also acknowledges fears about work, misuse, and impersonation. He describes fraudulent attempts to use a copied voice as an example of how the technology can erode trust.

    Rob and Yuri discuss possible futures for employment and media, without resolving how quickly those changes will arrive. They emphasize learning how the tools work, weighing benefits and risks, and keeping human responsibility central. Specific scenarios in the conversation are forecasts and thought experiments, not guaranteed outcomes.

    One practical next step

    Choose one small task in your next episode workflow, such as organizing research or drafting a description. Write down how long your usual process takes. Try an AI-assisted version, review it for accuracy, meaning, and appropriate disclosure, and include correction time in the comparison. Decide whether the result serves your audience better before expanding the experiment.

    About Yuri Kleban

    Yuri Kleban works at Google and is introduced in this episode as a Global Product Lead Manager in Partnerships. He brings experience across products, cloud, advertising, and partnerships to a discussion about AI and human creativity. The conversation includes his own experiments, observations, and predictions.

    Episode transcript

    Read the complete episode 694 transcript (text) · Download the timed transcript (WebVTT)

    The transcript was exported from the final edited recording. Machine-generated transcription may contain errors; the audio and video are authoritative. Timed transcripts are also provided in both podcast feeds for compatible apps.

    Episode resources and links Related New Media Show conversations About the host and the show

    Rob Greenlee hosts New Media Show and founded Trust Factor Lab. He is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee. New Media Show explores podcasting, video, AI, audience trust, and the business of creator media.

    Build an audience. Earn trust. Grow a media business.

    AI disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and draft these show notes from the supplied episode transcript. The summary paraphrases the conversation between human host Rob Greenlee and human guest Yuri Kleban. Practical suggestions labeled editorial are interpretations of the discussion.

    The post Can Creators Still Build Trust in the AI Era? | Yuri Kleban, Google #694 first appeared on New Media Show.

  3. Creators Get SBA Classification. Now What? | Avi Gandhi, Creators Guild #693

    1 h 1 minEpisódio 693

    Creators are businesses. What does SBA recognition actually change? Watch episode 693 on YouTube Creators produce content, build audiences, sell products, hire people, and take financial risks. So what changes …

    Notas do episódio
    Creators are businesses. What does SBA recognition actually change?

    Watch episode 693 on YouTube

    Creators produce content, build audiences, sell products, hire people, and take financial risks. So what changes when the federal government more clearly recognizes that work as a small business?

    In New Media Show #693, Rob Greenlee talks with Avi Gandhi, Chair of Government Advocacy at the Creators Guild of America and founder of Creator Access Network, about the Small Business Administration’s October 15, 2026 guidance on qualifying creator businesses. Avi explains how the effort came together, what the NAICS 5121 classification means, and why access to capital and business support could help creators build beyond their next sponsorship.

    The conversation moves from policy to the business a creator can build: original products, services, memberships, physical locations, and assets with value beyond an individual post or platform payout. Rob and Avi also explore AI, self-employment, verified professional work, and the responsibilities that come with running a business.

    The central question: can clearer recognition help podcasters, YouTubers, and other creators turn audience relationships into more sustainable businesses?

    Three practical takeaways
    • Understand the classification before pursuing funding. NAICS 5121 is the Motion Picture and Video Industries group, with more specific six-digit codes beneath it. Qualifying creators should identify the code that matches their primary business activity for SBA program purposes. Recognition does not guarantee approval.
    • Use business support as well as capital. Avi points creators toward the Guild’s free SBA 101 course and local Small Business Development Centers. Mentorship can help clarify a business model and its needs before borrowing becomes part of the plan.
    • Think about what you own. Sponsorships and affiliate sales can generate income. Rob and Avi examine how creator-owned products, services, and businesses can also build lasting value from the trust an audience has already developed.
    What the SBA creator classification guidance means

    Avi describes the announcement as a milestone in recognizing creators as entrepreneurs. Behind a podcast, video channel, or newsletter is often a business handling production, distribution, customer acquisition, monetization, and expenses.

    The SBA’s guidance places qualifying creator businesses within the existing NAICS 5121 — Motion Picture and Video Industries framework for program eligibility. That is an industry group, rather than a new six-digit code reserved exclusively for creators. The applicable six-digit classification depends on what a business principally does.

    The SBA’s announcement also makes a useful distinction: creator businesses have long been eligible for support when they meet the relevant requirements. The clarification addresses uncertainty about classification. It does not mean every creator automatically qualifies for a loan or government contract.

    Financing, contracting, and mentorship

    Rob and Avi discuss three areas where clearer recognition can matter: SBA-backed lending, federal contracting opportunities, and small business counseling. A creator might need capital for production equipment, product development, inventory, or a physical space. Whether financing is available depends on the business, the use of funds, the lender, and the program’s requirements.

    SBA-backed financing is borrowing that must be repaid. For example, the SBA’s 7(a) program requires creditworthiness and a reasonable ability to repay, and applications go through participating lenders. The SBA guarantee supports the lender; it does not remove the borrower’s obligations.

    Contracting is another potential path where a creator’s services fit an agency’s needs and applicable requirements. Avi presents that as an opportunity to develop, rather than a promise of immediate work. For creators who first need help understanding their business, local mentorship and counseling may be the more useful starting point.

    How creator advocacy reached Washington

    Avi explains the collaborative effort behind the guidance, including the Creators Guild of America, Shira Lazar and Creators for Mental Health, industry participants, congressional offices, and the SBA. A recurring request from creators was recognition: a clearer place within the systems other small businesses use.

    He describes two related efforts: working within an existing classification to address immediate access, and continuing to advocate for a classification that would make the creator economy easier to measure. A dedicated category, he argues, could help policymakers better understand creator employment, business activity, and economic contributions. The guidance discussed in this episode is an interim step in that broader effort.

    From selling someone else’s product to building your own

    One of the episode’s biggest business questions is who receives the long-term value generated by a creator’s influence. Rob brings up TikTok Shop and Whatnot as examples of content and commerce coming together. The discussion distinguishes between promoting another company’s products and building a product business a creator owns.

    Avi sees access to capital as a possible catalyst for creators developing physical goods, opening retail locations, and producing in-person experiences. Those businesses require money for development, samples, inventory, rent, and operations. His larger argument is that creators can bring an existing audience relationship to a business that might otherwise need to build demand from scratch.

    Rob also notes that some live sellers already make and sell their own creations. The opportunity spans several models, from an individual artist selling original work to a creator developing a repeatable product line. Each has different costs, risks, and potential value.

    AI, self-employment, and the future of creator businesses

    Rob and Avi consider how AI and automation could change the relationship between employment and entrepreneurship. Avi sees creators as part of a broader move toward self-employment, with content helping people sell expertise, services, products, and community access.

    Rob shares his experience using AI to build websites with business processes and platform capabilities. The tools can expand what one person can produce, while still requiring skills, judgment, and a clear purpose. Both speakers connect that change to a larger question: how people can turn their experience and ideas into businesses they control.

    Avi’s view is that the creator economy is increasingly becoming part of the wider economy. Founders, executives, established companies, and local businesses are all using content to reach customers. The episode explores what that convergence might mean over the next several years.

    Verified work, brand deals, and professional support

    Avi introduces other Creators Guild of America initiatives, including Mosaic, which he describes as a way to showcase professional work and have participating partners verify their involvement. For a creator discussing a new sponsorship, evidence of past collaborations can help establish credibility.

    He also discusses the Guild’s Brand Deal Rider, designed to bring baseline protections into sponsorship negotiations, and education on business practices and disclosures. Through Creator Access Network, Avi shares interviews about creator business models and offers access to discounts on tools and professional services.

    Where creators can start

    Avi’s recommended first step is the Creators Guild of America’s free SBA 101 course. It explains classification, preparation for capital, loan programs, counseling, and contracting. Creators seeking financing apply through the relevant lender or program; there is no single general SBA registration that automatically unlocks every benefit.

    The closing discussion covers recordkeeping, business bank accounts, legal structure, and liability. Rob and Avi acknowledge that creators are at different stages, from experimenting with content to handling sponsor commitments and meaningful revenue. An LLC is not blanket protection from liability. Business structure and financing decisions should fit the creator’s actual activities and circumstances.

    A useful next step: identify the business you are building, the revenue it already produces, and the constraint you need to solve. Then decide whether education, professional support, or capital would make the most practical difference.

    Video chapters

    Approximate chapter times follow the supplied transcript’s minute markers. The separate audio edition may differ.

    • 00:00 — Creators get SBA recognition: what actually changes?
    • 01:00 — Meet Avi Gandhi and his creator industry background
    • 03:00 — Why recognition as a small business matters
    • 07:00 — NAICS 5121 and SBA-backed lending
    • 10:00 — Contracting opportunities and small business mentorship
    • 11:00 — The Creators Guild, Mosaic, and brand deal protections
    • 14:00 — The advocacy effort and the push for a dedicated creator code
    • 20:00 — Measuring the creator economy
    • 23:00 — Creators, customer acquisition, and the broader economy
    • 27:00 — Working with Congress and the SBA
    • 30:00 — Why traditional media began taking creators seriously
    • 33:00 — AI, self-employment, and the future of work
    • 37:00 — Capital for physical products and real-world businesses
    • 40:00 — TikTok Shop, Whatnot, and creator-owned business value
    • 45:00 — Creator education and Creator Access Network
    • 47:00 — Finding SBA 101 and local business support
    • 52:00 — Choosing resources that fit your creator business
    • 55:00 — Recordkeeping, business structure, and liability
    • 59:00 — Resources, final thoughts, and audience comments
    About Avi Gandhi

    Avi Gandhi is Chair of Government Advocacy at the Creators Guild of America and founder of Creator Access Network. His experience spans creator representation, production, partnerships, and platforms, including WME, Wheelhouse, and Patreon. In this conversation, he brings both an advocate’s perspective and his own experience running a creator business.

    Guest resources and links Related New Media Show conversations About the host and the show

    Rob Greenlee hosts New Media Show and founded Trust Factor Lab. He is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee. New Media Show explores podcasting, video, AI, audience trust, and the business of creator media.

    Build an audience. Earn trust. Grow a media business.

    AI disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and draft these show notes from the episode transcript, with SBA and guest resource links checked against their published sources. The summary paraphrases the conversation between human host Rob Greenlee and human guest Avi Gandhi.

    The post Creators Get SBA Classification. Now What? | Avi Gandhi, Creators Guild #693 first appeared on New Media Show.

  4. What Does a Video Podcast Need to Compete? At Gotham Production Studios in NYC | #692

    1 h 1 minEpisódio 692

    Video podcast production at Gotham Production Studios In New Media Show #692, Rob Greenlee takes the conversation into Gotham Production Studios in New York City for an in-person discussion with co-founders …

    Notas do episódio
    Video podcast production at Gotham Production Studios

    In New Media Show #692, Rob Greenlee takes the conversation into Gotham Production Studios in New York City for an in-person discussion with co-founders Brianna Peters and Matt Peters about the changing business of video podcast production.

    From a quick studio tour to a conversation about cameras, content strategy, AI, and audience relationships, this episode explores what it takes to create a show people keep coming back to.

    The key question: how can creators improve video production quality, build a sustainable business, and preserve the human connection that makes podcasting valuable?

    Three practical takeaways
    • Build an audience: give a strong show a clear path to discovery. Matt describes using refreshed thumbnails, clips, guest appearances, and show websites to help people find and return to the full conversation.
    • Earn trust: use professional production to support a recognizable human voice. Rob, Brianna, and Matt discuss authenticity, staged content, and why in-person experiences could become more valuable as AI-generated media expands.
    • Grow a media business: match production decisions to your purpose, audience, resources, and goals. A corporate marketing show, an independent creator business, and a hobby podcast need different levels of investment and support.

    Identify the biggest constraint on your next episode: the content, sound, lighting, editing time, or discovery. Choose one improvement you can sustain, define the result you want, and review what changes over your next four episodes. This editorial exercise draws on the discussion.

    From an audio hobby to a video production business

    Gotham began in 2017 with a practical problem: Matt needed a better place to record his own podcast. What started as an audio recording space grew into a service business as clients asked for help producing their shows. Brianna and Matt explain how an early webcam setup evolved into multicamera studios, with a more substantial video investment in 2019 and a shift toward brands and professional creators after the pandemic.

    That change reached beyond cameras. Lighting, furniture, set design, and the in-room experience became part of the production offering. Matt explains why Gotham increasingly refers to its clients’ productions as shows and encourages businesses to consider them as part of a broader marketing strategy.

    Better production, realistic budgets, and room for independent creators

    Matt describes Gotham’s usual three-camera approach and why some visual effects are more practical to create in post-production than with additional camera operators. The discussion also examines the pressure created by celebrity shows and television-scale expectations. Matt worries that expensive productions can discourage people from starting; Brianna emphasizes that a strong concept and audience connection can still stand out on a smaller budget.

    For creators, the question becomes how much production serves the show. Rob and his guests explore the balance between polish, accessibility, and the natural conversation that audiences associate with podcasting.

    Custom sets and the next studio experience

    Brianna and Matt explain the challenge of giving each show a distinctive look inside a shared studio. Small branding elements can work within existing rooms, while dedicated sets require more space and planning. They describe past custom productions and their plans for a future location with more flexible sets and space for live recordings, ticketed events, and brand activations. These are plans for Gotham’s next phase.

    Strategy that fits the creator

    Brianna shares her coaching approach: cut the noise from generic advice, clarify why someone is creating a show, and build actionable steps around that person’s goals. The conversation challenges the idea that one workbook, formula, or celebrity example can provide the right plan for every creator.

    Matt explains Gotham’s internal approach to assessing a show and finding manageable improvements. Thumbnails, clips, websites, guest selection, and appearances on other podcasts can all play a role. Drawing on his work with Greg Fitzsimmons’ Fitzdog Radio and Sunday Papers, he describes refreshing the packaging and discovery strategy while keeping the host’s established voice.

    AI and the value of being in the room

    Brianna describes using AI to support operations, marketing, discoverability, and editing. She also predicts that uncertainty about synthetic and staged media could increase demand for tangible, in-person experiences. Rob connects that possibility to audience trust and the value of direct human interaction.

    The discussion considers how creators can use new tools while maintaining their judgment and identity. For Gotham, that includes exploring a studio environment where recording, community, and live experiences can happen in the same place.

    Solo creators, direct relationships, and sustainable support

    Can one person still do it all? Matt believes there is still room for creators working with a microphone and webcam, while suggesting that outside help can relieve production bottlenecks when resources allow. Rob reflects on running New Media Show himself to understand the tools and workflows shaping the industry.

    The conversation closes with the value of smaller, engaged audiences, newsletters, memberships, merchandise, and direct support. Rob and Matt also discuss their concerns about ad skipping and how AI might affect advertising models. Their broader point is to consider the relationship a show creates, alongside its reach and production quality.

    Video chapters

    Approximate chapter times follow the supplied video transcript’s minute markers. The separate audio edition may differ.

    • 00:00 — Inside Gotham Production Studios
    • 01:00 — What does a video podcast need to compete?
    • 04:00 — Meet Brianna and Matt: how Gotham began
    • 09:00 — Video-first clients, lighting, and set design
    • 12:00 — From hobby podcasts to professional shows
    • 14:00 — Multicamera production and editing decisions
    • 20:00 — Branding a show inside a shared studio
    • 24:00 — Flexible sets and plans for live events
    • 26:00 — Television expectations and production budgets
    • 32:00 — Content, coaching, and realistic creator goals
    • 36:00 — AI and the future of in-person experiences
    • 39:00 — AI-assisted workflows and staged content
    • 42:00 — Thumbnails, clips, and audience discovery
    • 45:00 — Studio rental, creative support, and show refreshes
    • 49:00 — The Gotham system and content across formats
    • 51:00 — Can solo creators still do it all?
    • 55:00 — Direct audience relationships and smaller communities
    • 58:00 — Newsletters, memberships, and audience support
    • 59:00 — Ad skipping, AI, and monetization questions
    • 1:01:00 — Connecting with Gotham and closing thoughts
    Guest resources

    Brianna Peters and Matt Peters are the co-founders of Gotham Production Studios in New York City. Brianna discusses strategy, coaching, client relationships, and business development; Matt shares his perspective on production, storytelling, editing, and show growth.

    Related New Media Show conversations About the host and the show

    Rob Greenlee hosts New Media Show and founded Trust Factor Lab. He is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee. New Media Show explores podcasting, video, AI, audience trust, and the business of creator media.

    Build an audience. Earn trust. Grow a media business.

    AI disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and draft these show notes from the supplied episode transcript. The summary paraphrases the recorded conversation. The conversation features human host Rob Greenlee and human guests Brianna Peters and Matt Peters. The transcript also identifies an AI-generated voice introduction.

    The post What Does a Video Podcast Need to Compete? At Gotham Production Studios in NYC | #692 first appeared on New Media Show.

  5. Who Profits From Video? The Real Cost of Video Podcasting | #691

    1 h 21 minEpisódio 691

    Show notes In New Media Show #691, Rob Greenlee and podcast sponsorship strategist Losh Moodaley examine a practical question: when does the cost of video serve the creator’s business? Their conversation …

    Notas do episódio
    Show notes

    In New Media Show #691, Rob Greenlee and podcast sponsorship strategist Losh Moodaley examine a practical question: when does the cost of video serve the creator’s business? Their conversation connects production economics, audience relationships, sponsorships and human creativity in an AI-driven media environment.

    Three practical takeaways
    • Build an audience: connect platform discovery to a direct relationship. Rob and Losh discuss newsletters, websites and subscriptions as ways to reduce dependence on one distribution platform.
    • Earn trust: make relevance and human connection part of the experience. Their discussion of sponsorships considers how a useful integration can serve the audience, rather than simply increasing the number of ads.
    • Grow a media business: evaluate video against a defined goal and its full cost. Losh suggests considering customer acquisition and business value alongside advertising revenue and download counts.

    Try this: Add up the time and money behind one episode. Choose the outcome it should support—such as a qualified inquiry, a subscription or a useful audience response—and track the available evidence over a defined period. Compare that evidence with the cost before expanding production. This is an editorial exercise, not a prediction of revenue or growth.

    Who benefits from the move to video?

    Losh’s article, The Price of Visibility: The Hidden Economics of Podcast Video, frames the discussion. Video can introduce a show to new people, but equipment, editing, lighting and publishing work add costs. More viewing time does not automatically produce a sustainable business for the creator.

    Rob and Losh discuss changing viewing habits and the distinction between discovery, attention and commercial value. Their views on platform incentives and the future of distribution are interpretations and predictions expressed in the conversation.

    Evaluate the investment around your business

    Losh argues that the right decision depends on the purpose of the show. A hobby, an advertising-supported podcast and a show that supports consulting or product sales have different economics. She suggests looking at video as a possible customer-acquisition and marketing investment, rather than relying on one measure such as CPM or downloads.

    The useful test is what happens after someone discovers the content. A new viewer might become a subscriber, customer, community participant or professional contact. Those outcomes need evidence; they cannot be inferred from views alone.

    Build relationships and retain control

    Rob and Losh discuss using websites, newsletters, subscriptions and communities to maintain direct audience relationships. They also emphasize the value of intellectual property and the risks of relying entirely on another company’s distribution rules.

    The conversation considers direct brand relationships, memberships, services and experiences alongside conventional advertising. Losh questions generic sponsor integrations and discusses approaches that create a useful audience experience. These are opportunities to evaluate, not evidence of a particular show’s revenue.

    Community, commerce and the audience experience

    Rob describes his observations of Whatnot, including live sales, audience participation and collaborations between creators. He and Losh explore how elements of that experience might apply to other media businesses.

    They also consider where the model may not fit. Some visual content loses meaning when heard without a screen. Rob explains why he has sometimes edited audio and video separately, and questions whether a single production approach serves every audience.

    Measurement, AI and the human connection

    The discussion moves from what audiences call a podcast to how creators evaluate attention and business outcomes. Rob speculates that AI might eventually help reconcile fragmented metrics. This is a prediction, not a claim that a reliable unified measurement system already exists.

    Rob and Losh distinguish human-created work, AI-assisted human work and fully synthetic media. They explore the possibilities for new characters and experiences while returning to human connection, judgment and responsibility. Their forecasts about synthetic media should be understood as opinions about possible developments.

    Build for your audience and your own goals

    Losh’s closing advice emphasizes consistency, a suitable niche, understanding the audience and considering business models beyond standard advertising. Rob argues for testing whether a workflow and idea are sustainable before making a larger investment.

    The central editorial takeaway is to assess what video contributes to the creator’s goals, rather than treating platform visibility as an end in itself.

    Video chapters

    Choose a chapter to jump within the video player. These timings follow the edited video; the separate audio edition may differ.

    1. 00:00 — Who profits from video?
    2. 02:14 — Meet Losh Moodaley
    3. 06:22 — Demand for video and changing consumption
    4. 14:19 — Production costs and revenue pressure
    5. 15:13 — Video as customer acquisition
    6. 20:33 — Audience relationships and ownership
    7. 28:20 — HLS and distribution predictions
    8. 32:54 — Host reads and sponsor integration
    9. 35:47 — Direct audience support
    10. 38:19 — Live commerce and creator collaboration
    11. 43:08 — Different audio and video experiences
    12. 50:32 — Podcast definitions and measurement
    13. 53:48 — The human trust layer
    14. 55:47 — Human, AI-assisted and synthetic content
    15. 1:05:32 — Creative possibility and responsibility
    16. 1:10:24 — Creator purpose and business goals
    17. 1:14:36 — Advice for new creators
    18. 1:16:59 — Connect with Losh
    Guest resources

    Losh Moodaley is a podcast sponsorship and brand-partnerships strategist.

    About the host and the show

    Rob Greenlee hosts New Media Show and founded Trust Factor Lab. He is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee. Explore the episode library and episode newsletter.

    AI disclosure

    AI tools assisted with transcription, organization and editing of these show notes. The summary paraphrases the recorded conversation; the “Try this” exercise is an editorial suggestion. The episode features human host Rob Greenlee and human guest Losh Moodaley.

    The post Who Profits From Video? The Real Cost of Video Podcasting | #691 first appeared on New Media Show.

  6. How AI Is Changing the Creator Workflow | Descript CEO Laura Burkhauser #690

    49 minEpisódio 690

    WATCH OR LISTEN · EPISODE 690 Watch video | Listen to audio | Read show notes Watch video Prefer audio? Listen here. Open audio in a new window | Download audio Follow the audio podcast: Apple Podcasts | …

    Notas do episódio

    WATCH OR LISTEN · EPISODE 690

    Watch video  |  Listen to audio  |  Read show notes

    Watch video Prefer audio? Listen here.

    Open audio in a new window  |  Download audio

    Follow the audio podcast: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  RSS

    Show notes

    In New Media Show #690, Rob Greenlee talks with Laura Burkhauser, CEO of Descript, about AI editing, creative direction and the decisions that make a creator’s work distinctive. The conversation asks what becomes more valuable about human judgment as production tools become more capable.

    Three practical takeaways
    • Build an audience: give people a recognizable perspective and a useful story. More effects or faster output do not, by themselves, give an audience a reason to return.
    • Earn trust: review an automated edit for meaning and context. Laura argues that thoughtful editing can clarify a conversation; preserving authenticity still requires human decisions.
    • Grow a media business: choose production work that supports the audience and business you want to build. The discussion considers community support, relevant sponsors and media that helps a professional demonstrate expertise.

    Try this: Choose one repetitive editing task for AI assistance. Write down the intended story, compare the automated result with the original, and record the time saved and corrections needed before publishing. This is an editorial exercise informed by the conversation, not a promise of a particular result.

    Editing as craft, and editing as a production task

    Laura distinguishes between creators whose art is editing and creators whose primary art is storytelling. An experienced editor may want precise control over individual choices. A storyteller may want help removing the technical obstacles between an idea and an audience. Those needs call for different workflows.

    Rob and Laura explore the shift toward directing AI tools. A useful prompt depends on knowing the intended result, communicating it clearly and judging what the tool produces. Laura’s point is that a creator’s perspective remains important even when the technical work becomes easier.

    Reduce tool friction while keeping human judgment

    Laura describes an approach that reduces repetitive production work while leaving the creator responsible for the vision and story. Rob connects that to his experience assembling radio programs manually and using newer editing tools.

    The discussion also considers the expectations AI companies create. Claims about effortless production can overlook the creative decisions that still need attention. The practical question is which work should be automated and which choices deserve deliberate human review.

    Authenticity depends on the choices behind the edit

    Rob asks whether an unedited recording is necessarily more authentic than an edited conversation. Laura argues that editing can make meaning easier to understand. A close-up or reaction shot can clarify an emotional moment, provided it serves the conversation rather than changing its meaning.

    They also discuss the tension between being authentic and performing authenticity online. Laura emphasizes a recognizable human presence and engagement with a community. Rob relates this to his work with Trust Factor Lab and the importance of human connection as synthetic media becomes more common.

    Start creating, then learn what the business needs

    Laura was a Descript customer before joining the company. Producing a podcast with a friend helped her discover that she could create and share work without first mastering a complicated production process. Her advice in the conversation is to start recording, editing and learning.

    Rob and Laura question whether pressure to monetize immediately can discourage experimentation. They distinguish media sold as a product from media that supports another business, such as consulting, coaching or a founder-led company. They also consider community support and sponsorships relevant to a specific audience. These are possible models, not guaranteed outcomes.

    Algorithms, attention and the next creator workflow

    Laura explains her preference for intentional viewing, including turning off YouTube recommendations. Rob describes using both subscriptions and discovery. Their discussion asks what personalization systems optimize for and whether engagement alone captures a useful human outcome.

    In the closing discussion, Laura outlines a direction for Descript beyond individual editing tasks: helping creators develop subject areas, build a useful content library, distribute work and learn from it. These comments describe her perspective on future development at the time of the recording, not a list of features independently verified as available today.

    Video chapters

    Choose a chapter to jump within the video player. These timings follow the edited video; the separate audio edition may differ.

    1. 00:00 — AI workflows and the human creator
    2. 03:47 — Is editing becoming directing?
    3. 08:15 — Communicating a creative vision
    4. 13:44 — Reducing tool friction
    5. 16:46 — Authenticity and thoughtful editing
    6. 26:49 — Laura's experience as a creator
    7. 30:01 — Creating before expecting revenue
    8. 35:33 — Community support and relevant sponsors
    9. 39:35 — Intentional viewing and recommendations
    10. 42:43 — Personalization and human outcomes
    11. 46:22 — What comes next for Descript
    Guest resources

    Laura Burkhauser is the guest and Descript CEO in this episode.

    About the host and the show

    Rob Greenlee hosts New Media Show and founded Trust Factor Lab. He is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee. Find more conversations in the episode library or receive the episode newsletter.

    AI disclosure

    AI tools assisted with transcription, organization and editing of these show notes. The summary paraphrases the recorded conversation; the “Try this” exercise is an editorial suggestion. The episode features human host Rob Greenlee and human guest Laura Burkhauser.

    The post How AI Is Changing the Creator Workflow | Descript CEO Laura Burkhauser #690 first appeared on New Media Show.

  7. The Creator Reset: AI, Trust and What Comes Next | Jim Louderback #689

    1 h 10 minEpisódio 689

    In New Media Show #689, I’m joined by Jim Louderback, publisher of Inside the Creator Economy and former CEO of VidCon and Revision3, to explore what the next phase of the creator economy means for people …

    Notas do episódio

    In New Media Show #689, I’m joined by Jim Louderback, publisher of Inside the Creator Economy and former CEO of VidCon and Revision3, to explore what the next phase of the creator economy means for people building media businesses.

    Jim and I have lived through several shifts at the intersection of media and technology. This conversation connects the early days of video podcasting with today’s AI tools, changing audience habits, and the search for a lasting creator business. More ways to create and distribute content bring opportunity, but they also raise questions about attention, ownership, and trust.

    Digital Jim and the Human Premium

    We start with Digital Jim, the AI version of Jim that turns his human-written newsletter into short videos.

    Jim explains how the team at Popcorn uses his words, an AI voice, and a visual avatar to help him reach audiences on LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. He still writes the newsletter and reviews the videos before sharing them.

    That experiment leads to one of the episode’s central ideas: the human premium.

    Jim’s hypothesis is that, as audiences encounter more AI-generated media, they may place greater value on recognizable human voices, imperfect conversations, and experiences with real people. We discuss what that could mean for audience relationships, advertising, and in-person events.

    Podcasting in a Bigger Creator Economy

    We revisit Revision3, Diggnation, and the early use of short clips to introduce people to longer shows. Video podcasting and distributing a conversation in several formats have a longer history than today’s debate sometimes acknowledges.

    Jim describes an audio-plus approach: people can listen when that suits them, while video creates another way to discover and experience a show. We also discuss why creators spread their work across platforms, how short-form awareness differs from monetization, and the risks of depending on one platform’s rules.

    Could Personalized AI Media Disrupt YouTube

    Our platform conversation moves from Netflix’s interest in creator programming to a bigger question:

    What could disrupt YouTube? Jim suggests that a major technological shift, rather than another similar video service, could open the door. His audience-of-one idea goes beyond recommending existing videos. We explore the possibility of media generated specifically for an individual, along with what Jim calls robo-social relationships with AI characters that respond to and remember their users.

    We debate these predictions, including how they might compete for time people currently spend with human creators.

    Your Identity and Archive Have Value

    We discuss the business value of a creator’s name, image, likeness, voice, and archive. I share my experience exploring Royall.ai and receiving inquiries about using past New Media Show conversations as AI training material.

    That raises questions about guest permission, licensing, tracking use, and maintaining control over future uses of a creator’s work.

    Jim also describes an audio watermarking approach he has encountered, while acknowledging that he has not independently established how well it works. The discussion is about taking identity and content rights seriously as new business models emerge.

    Live Shopping and the Next Media Business

    Jim explains what he wants readers to get from Inside the Creator Economy: timely reporting, his interpretation of the news, and ideas they can question. We talk about the differences between email subscribers, LinkedIn newsletter subscribers, and the audience numbers platforms report.

    We then explore global creator markets, Whatnot, live shopping, and the role of personality and audience participation in commerce.

    TBPN’s combination of a live show, a focused audience, and widely distributed clips gives us another example to examine. We close with local AI tools and a practical encouragement from Jim: keep experimenting.

    My key takeaways:

    Use these tools to expand what you can create, while giving people a reason to connect with you. Your ideas, judgment, and relationships shape the value of the media business you build.

    Key topics

    • How Digital Jim turns a human-written newsletter into AI video
    • The human premium and the value of real audience relationships
    • Video podcasting’s history and an audio-plus approach
    • Multi-platform distribution, short clips, and platform dependence
    • Netflix, YouTube, and media generated for an audience of one
    • Robo-social relationships and competition for audience attention
    • Creator identity, archive licensing, AI training, and permission
    • Newsletter measurement, global creator markets, and live shopping
    • Whatnot, TBPN, and building a focused media business
    • Local AI tools, creative judgment, and continued experimentation

    Chapter timestamps

    • 00:00 Welcome to New Media Show 689, and the creator reset
    • 01:00 Meet Jim Louderback and watch Digital Jim
    • 03:00 How Popcorn produces Jim’s AI newsletter videos
    • 06:00 Bringing podcasting and the creator economy together
    • 10:00 Audio plus video and reaching audiences in more formats
    • 13:00 Multi-platform distribution and creator business risk
    • 17:00 The human premium in an AI media world
    • 24:00 Younger creators and the changing meaning of podcasting
    • 27:00 AI visuals and turning audio into video experiences
    • 30:00 Netflix and the value of creator programming
    • 32:00 What could disrupt YouTube
    • 34:00 Personalized media and the audience of one
    • 37:00 Robo-social relationships and AI companions
    • 43:00 Human creativity and the limits of average content
    • 44:00 Royall.ai and capturing a creator’s digital identity
    • 47:00 Archive licensing, AI training data, and guest permission
    • 49:00 Watermarking, content control, and future use
    • 53:00 Inside the Creator Economy and newsletter measurement
    • 57:00 Global creator markets and live shopping
    • 58:00 Whatnot, collectibles, and audience participation
    • 01:02:00 TBPN, live shows, and the power of distributed clips
    • 01:06:00 AI platforms, local models, and new media tools
    • 01:08:00 Keep experimenting and closing thoughts

    Guest Jim Louderback

    Jim Louderback publishes the weekly Inside the Creator Economy newsletter and produces, curates, and moderates creator events around the world. He is the former CEO of VidCon and Revision3, and his career also includes leadership and editorial roles at Discovery Digital Networks, TechTV, and PC Magazine.

    Host Rob Greenlee

    Rob Greenlee is the founder of Trust Factor Lab, host of New Media Show, and a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair. His work connects podcasting, video, creator platforms, audience trust, and the media business.

    AI disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and draft these show notes from the completed Episode #689 transcript and edited the full show. Rob Greenlee retains editorial responsibility. The New Media Show is human-hosted with human guests; this episode also includes a disclosed AI-generated Digital Jim video demonstration.

    The post The Creator Reset: AI, Trust and What Comes Next | Jim Louderback #689 first appeared on New Media Show.

  8. Podcasting’s Identity Crisis: Who Controls Podcasts Now? | James Cridland #688

    1 h 22 minEpisódio 688

    Your podcast can be available everywhere and still be hard to find. So who controls its future: the creator, the audience, or the platform? In New Media Show #688, Rob Greenlee welcomes back James Cridland …

    Notas do episódio

    Your podcast can be available everywhere and still be hard to find. So who controls its future: the creator, the audience, or the platform?

    In New Media Show #688, Rob Greenlee welcomes back James Cridland, Editor of Podnews, co-host of the Podnews Weekly Review, and a 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, for a conversation about what Podcast Week in New York City revealed about our industry.

    We compare notes on the IAB Podcast Upfronts, CreatorFronts, and a very different NYC Podcast Movement. James also shares his experience at the Sounds Profitable Business Summit.

    The week had plenty of energy, but it also exposed real differences in how creators, platforms, and advertisers see podcasting’s future.

    Podcast Movement’s Terminal 5 venue brought challenges around meetings, exhibitor space, and crowding.

    James argues that the headphone-based sessions worked better than expected. We also reflect on Tom Webster’s tribute to Todd Cochrane and why the industry still needs people willing to speak up when something is wrong.

    Podcasting has expanded its distribution. That doesn’t mean it controls where people discover shows.

    Sounds Profitable: Tom Webster’s presentation leads us into YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix, where podcasts compete with much more than other podcasts. James Cridland also cautions against confusing whether someone has ever used a platform with where they regularly listen.

    A major part of our conversation is measuring media consumption.

    James challenges the IAB’s approach to audio and video, while making another important point: tearing down the download without a workable replacement can undermine the business we already have.

    James offers a proposal worth discussing: share advertising revenue with podcast apps that provide useful consumption data.

    James argues that apps need a financial reason to invest in discovery and better listening experiences. I raise the concern about taking revenue from creators, and we explore whether growing listening could make that trade worthwhile.

    Rob and James also discuss open RSS, HLS video, and Podcasting 2.0 as ways to expand access. That includes discovery built around places and local interests, along with AI production tools that help humans make better content.

    Adding video should not make the audio listener a second-class audience. The conversation still needs to work when someone cannot see the screen.

    The question is how we keep podcasting open to a wide range of voices while competing in a much bigger media world. More reach matters. So do audience trust, creator choice, and a business that can sustain the work.

    Key Topics

    – Podcast Week NYC: the business summit, upfronts, CreatorFronts, and Podcast Movement
    – Remembering Todd Cochrane and the value of speaking up
    – Platform discovery versus open podcast distribution
    – Audio and video measurement, advertiser trust, and the download
    – James’s proposal to share revenue with podcast apps
    – Netflix, YouTube, and rising video production expectations
    – Open RSS, HLS, and location-based podcast discovery
    – AI production assistance and respecting the audio listener

    Guest: James Cridland

    Editor of Podnews, co-host of the Podnews Weekly Review, and 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee.

    – Podnews Daily Newsletter and Podcast: https://podnews.net
    – Podnews Weekly Review: https://weekly.podnews.net

    Host: Rob Greenlee

    – New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    – Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com
    – Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
    – Podcast Hall of Fame Inductee & Chair: https://podcasthall.com
    – New Media Show: https://NewMediaShow.com
    – Adore Network Audio: https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-audio
    – Adore Network Video: https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-video
    – Apple Podcasts Audio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    – Apple Podcasts Video: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-video/id392545647

    AI Disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and draft these show notes from the completed Episode #688 transcript, and I hand-edited for clarity and accuracy. The conversation and perspectives are human-led, and Rob Greenlee retains editorial responsibility. The New Media Show is human-hosted with human guests.

    The post Podcasting’s Identity Crisis: Who Controls Podcasts Now? | James Cridland #688 first appeared on New Media Show.

  9. Don’t Just Make Videos: Build a Creator Media Company | Roberto Blake #687

    1 h 42 minEpisódio 687

    Getting views, streams, and downloads is not the same as building a business. Subscribers aren’t automatically customers, and a successful YouTube channel doesn’t necessarily mean you have built something …

    Notas do episódio

    Getting views, streams, and downloads is not the same as building a business. Subscribers aren’t automatically customers, and a successful YouTube channel doesn’t necessarily mean you have built something sustainable.

    In New Media Show #687, Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee talks with Creator, Educator, Author, and Entrepreneur Roberto Blake, founder of Awesome Creator Academy, about what comes after becoming a content creator and why more creators need to think of themselves as independent media companies rather than defining themselves by one format or platform.

    Roberto argues that being a podcaster, YouTuber, streamer, or blogger is increasingly just a distribution choice. The bigger issue is the value you create, the audience relationship you build, and what you actually own.

    We get into the shift from audio-first thinking to broader creator media, why professionalism is more about preparation and performance than polished production, and how AI is changing the economics of being a creator.

    Roberto sees some of the strongest uses of AI in the operational work around content, including research, data analysis, transcription, organization, editing workflows, and other tasks that can free creators to spend more time on judgment, ideas, and relationships.

    A major part of the conversation is about turning attention into a real business.

    Roberto describes his framework as “reach, reputation, revenue,” or in a business context, “traffic, trust, transaction.” Getting attention is only the beginning. The real value comes from earning trust and then creating products, services, memberships, intellectual property, or other business models around that relationship.

    We also talk about what creators should own. That includes their brand, intellectual property, expertise, direct audience relationships, and the parts of the business that can survive changes at YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or any other platform.

    Roberto breaks creator businesses into three broad paths: entertainer, lifestyle brand, and thought leader, with different revenue and growth opportunities for each.

    The conversation goes much deeper into AI, human creativity, likeness rights, AI labeling, and synthetic AI media.

    Why Roberto believes the bigger risk isn’t simply AI-generated entertainment, but the potential misuse of synthetic media by institutions or people trying to manipulate audiences.

    The larger point is simple:

    Creators should stop thinking only about the next piece of content and start thinking about what they are building around it.

    Key Topics:
    – Moving from content creator to independent media company
    – Why podcasting, YouTube, and streaming are becoming distribution choices
    – Audio-first versus audio-only thinking
    – Professionalism versus production polish
    – Using AI for creator operations, research, editing, and workflow
    – Reach, reputation, and revenue
    – Traffic, trust, and transaction
    – Building direct audience relationships
    – Owning your brand, expertise, and intellectual property
    – Entertainer, lifestyle brand, and thought-leader business models
    – Building revenue beyond platform advertising
    – Why taste and personality may become more important as AI lowers the skill barrier
    – Human authenticity and real-world connection
    – AI likeness, voice cloning, and long-term IP value
    – AI labeling and the risks of treating every use of AI the same way
    – Awesome Creator Academy and Roberto’s approach to creator growth

    Guest: Roberto Blake
    Creator, entrepreneur, educator, and founder of Awesome Creator Academy

    Roberto Blake
    https://robertoblake.com

    Awesome Creator Academy
    https://www.awesomecreatoracademy.com

    YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/@robertoblake

    Host: Rob Greenlee

    AI Disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and edit this episode and create the above show notes from the completed Episode #687 transcript. The conversation, perspectives, editorial direction, and final editing were performed, and responsibility for the episode remains human-led. The New Media Show is human-hosted.

    The post Don’t Just Make Videos: Build a Creator Media Company | Roberto Blake #687 first appeared on New Media Show.

  10. Hidden Revenue: What Media Publishers Are Leaving Behind | Sean Howard, Flightpath #686

    55 minEpisódio 686

    Podcast media creator publishers may already have more revenue opportunity than they realize. The challenge is not always finding more listeners. It can be understanding what inventory is actually available to …

    Notas do episódio

    Podcast media creator publishers may already have more revenue opportunity than they realize. The challenge is not always finding more listeners. It can be understanding what inventory is actually available to sell, what to sell, whether campaigns will deliver, and where revenue is being lost.

    In this episode #686 of the New Media Show, Rob Greenlee talks with Sean Howard, CEO and co-founder of Flightpath.fm, about the growing complexity behind new media podcast advertising and why better forecasting, campaign management, publisher data, and revenue optimization are becoming more important.

    Sean explains how Flightpath grew out of a problem he experienced from both sides of the business. As an ad buyer, he found that publishers often did not know how much inventory they really had available. As a publisher, he saw the same problem from the other side: uncertainty about whether sold campaigns would actually deliver. Flightpath was built to bring those pieces together through traffic management, prediction, pacing, and cross-platform revenue visibility.

    The conversation also gets into dynamic ad insertion and the value of the podcast back catalog. Sean argues that publishers relying too heavily on baked-in ads may be leaving significant revenue on the table because listeners keep consuming older episodes long after release.

    Rob and Sean also discuss a larger issue facing content creator publishers today: platform dependence.

    As podcast companies expand across multiple hosting platforms, YouTube, Spotify, video, HLS, and other distribution systems, publishers need better access to their own data and a clearer understanding of the business risk that comes with relying too heavily on any one platform.

    The bigger question is whether the next stage of media and podcast revenue growth may come not only from finding more audience, but from better understanding and monetizing the audience publishers already have.

    Discussion Highlights
    – Hidden revenue in existing podcast inventory
    – Why forecasting and campaign delivery remain difficult
    – Dynamic ad insertion and back-catalog monetization
    – Frequency capping, pacing, and ad performance
    – Publisher ownership and access to data
    – Platform risk and using multiple hosting platforms
    – YouTube, Spotify, HLS, and video monetization
    – AI and revenue optimization
    – Flightpath’s role as a publisher intelligence and traffic management layer
    – Why better data can help sales and operations make better decisions

    Key Topic Timestamps:
    00:00 Hidden revenue opportunities publishers may already have
    01:00 Sean Howard and what Flightpath does
    03:00 Why Flightpath was built around forecasting and campaign delivery
    05:00 Fragmented platforms and the growing complexity of monetization
    07:30 HLS, open standards, and the return of video podcasting
    11:00 Audio and video advertising collide
    12:30 Using publisher data to identify campaign and platform problems
    15:00 Why publishers need access to their own data
    17:00 Dynamic ad insertion and the untapped value of the back catalog
    19:00 Spotify, YouTube, and changing control over ad inventory
    21:00 Choosing a hosting platform is becoming a business risk decision
    23:00 Why publishers may need to work across multiple platforms
    26:00 Measuring hosting platform performance and revenue impact
    27:30 Publisher autonomy and Flightpath’s platform strategy review
    31:00 Forecasting, pacing, and Flightpath’s Revenue Optimizer
    35:30 Where AI fits into forecasting and sales recommendations
    38:00 Podcast platforms evolving into intelligence and decision systems
    39:00 Using publisher data with AI and LLMs
    43:00 Advertising, subscriptions, Spotify, and YouTube
    44:00 Apple video, Spotify, and the HLS opportunity
    46:00 Podcasting becomes a more professional media business
    48:00 Why publishers need an independent intelligence layer
    50:00 Who Flightpath is built for
    53:00 Flightpath onboarding and supported platform integrations
    55:00 Closing thoughts and where to learn more

    Guest
    Sean Howard
    CEO and Co-Founder, Flightpath
    https://flightpath.fm
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanhoward

    Host
    Rob Greenlee

    Listen and Watch

    AI Disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and edit this episode and create the above show notes from the completed Episode #686 transcript. The conversation, perspectives, editorial direction, and final editing were performed, and responsibility for the episode remains human-led. The New Media Show is human-hosted.

    The post Hidden Revenue: What Media Publishers Are Leaving Behind | Sean Howard, Flightpath #686 first appeared on New Media Show.

  11. Human Audience Growth in the AI Era | Alex Sanfilippo #685

    1 h 3 minEpisódio 685

    As AI makes it easier to create more content, human relationships may become more valuable, not less. In Episode #685 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee talks with Alex …

    Notas do episódio

    As AI makes it easier to create more content, human relationships may become more valuable, not less.

    In Episode #685 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee talks with Alex Sanfilippo, founder of PodMatch and host of Podcasting Made Simple, about why relationships between hosts, guests, audiences, collaborators, and communities are becoming an increasingly important part of podcast growth.

    The conversation explores podcast guesting, better host-guest matching, AI-assisted workflows, audio and video podcasting, RSS and HLS, creator-owned communities, and why direct audience relationships matter as large platforms gain more control over discovery and monetization.

    Human Connection Wins

    Alex built PodMatch around a simple problem: podcast hosts could find guests, but finding the “right guest” and managing all the administrative work surrounding an interview took an enormous amount of time.

    The goal is to automate the work around the conversation without automating the human connection itself.

    Rob and Alex discuss why great podcast conversations create relationships that can continue long after an episode is published.

    Better Guests, Better Conversations

    A strong podcast guest should arrive ready to lead with value, not simply promote a book, company, or product.

    Rob and Alex discuss why:

    – Every interview should feel different
    – Guests should bring something new to each conversation
    – Hosts need to listen rather than simply read questions
    – Generic AI-generated pitches are easy to recognize
    – Guest and show alignment matters more than volume
    – Meaningful conversations are more likely to be shared

    Alex also explains how PodMatch is using AI to improve host-guest alignment while reducing research and administrative work.

    Audio, Video and the Changing Podcast

    The conversation expands into the growing convergence between podcasting and YouTube.

    Alex remains audio and RSS-focused but believes podcasting and YouTube are increasingly influencing each other. Podcasting brings depth and long-form conversation while YouTube brings visual discovery and engagement.

    Rob and Alex also discuss the HLS video format, alternative enclosures, separate audio and video feeds, and why the current publishing ecosystem can still feel unnecessarily complicated for creators.

    Build Relationships You Own

    As major platforms change algorithms, monetization rules, and distribution policies, creators have another reason to develop direct relationships with their audiences.

    Newsletters, private communities, memberships, events, collaborations, and other owned audience pathways can turn large platforms into discovery and recruiting channels rather than the entire creator business.

    Alex sees this community layer becoming an increasingly important part of PodMatch.

    Discussion Highlights

    – Why human connection becomes more valuable as content expands
    – How PodMatch matches podcast hosts and guests
    – Solo, co-hosted, and interview podcast formats
    – Podcasting versus YouTube content strategies
    – RSS, HLS, audio and video podcast distribution
    – What defines a podcast in 2026?
    – Why guests should lead with value
    – Creating unique conversations instead of repeating talking points
    – Why generic AI podcast pitches fail
    – Using AI to improve guest-host alignment
    – Podcast collaborations, review swaps, and podrolls
    – Building creator-owned communities
    – Turning platforms into audience acquisition channels
    – Why trusted relationships may be the creator’s strongest long-term asset

    Chapter Markers

    00:00 When content becomes unlimited, human connection becomes scarce
    01:45 Introducing Alex Sanfilippo and PodMatch
    03:25 Why podcast conversations matter
    07:10 Guests, co-hosts, and solo podcast formats
    13:05 Podcasting meets YouTube
    17:00 Finding the platform where your audience lives
    20:25 Audio, video, RSS, and HLS complexity
    27:25 What is a podcast now?
    30:05 Why podcast guests need to lead with value
    33:00 Every interview should be different
    35:20 Listening creates better conversations
    38:15 Why unique interviews get shared
    41:15 The problem with AI-generated podcast pitches
    44:20 Finding real guest-show alignment
    48:45 Why Alex has become more selective about guesting
    50:40 Using AI for PodMatch alignment
    54:35 Podcast collaborations, reviews, and podrolls
    57:15 Podcast relationships become communities
    58:45 Building audiences beyond rented platforms
    01:03:00 Creating relationships with your true fans
    01:05:15 Community and the future of PodMatch
    01:06:20 Where to connect with Alex
    01:07:00 Closing thoughts

    About Alex Sanfilippo

    Alex Sanfilippo is the founder of PodMatch, a platform that connects podcast hosts and guests while streamlining the administrative work around podcast interviews.

    He also hosts Podcasting Made Simple, where he helps independent podcast hosts and guests grow their influence, audiences, and businesses.

    Guest Links

    About the Host

    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, Chair of the Podcast Hall of Fame, Founder of Trust Factor Lab, and longtime new-media executive, creator, strategist, and industry leader.

    Listen and Watch

    AI Disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and edit this episode and create the above show notes from the completed Episode #685 transcript. The conversation, perspectives, editorial direction, and final editing and responsibility for the episode remain human-led. The New Media Show is human-hosted.

    The post Human Audience Growth in the AI Era | Alex Sanfilippo #685 first appeared on New Media Show.

  12. Own Your Identity: Who Controls Your Voice, and Likeness? | Anne Kavanagh, Royall.ai #684

    1 h 11 minEpisódio 684

    AI can now reproduce a person’s face, voice, movement, and likeness with increasing realism. The bigger question is becoming: Who gets to control that identity, authorize its use, and potentially get paid when …

    Notas do episódio

    AI can now reproduce a person’s face, voice, movement, and likeness with increasing realism.

    The bigger question is becoming: Who gets to control that identity, authorize its use, and potentially get paid when it has commercial value?

    In Episode #684 of the New Media Show, Host Rob Greenlee talks with Anne Kavanagh, co-founder of Royall.ai, about building a new permission and licensing layer around human identity.

    The conversation is not about stopping or being anti-AI. It is about establishing something that has largely been missing: proof and authorization before use.

    Your Identity Becomes an Asset You Control

    Royall.ai is developing what Anne describes as a biometric vault where people can register elements of their identity, including voice, face, likeness, and body motion.

    Those assets can be fingerprinted and watermarked, creating the foundation for detecting use, approving or rejecting it, and potentially licensing it commercially.

    That changes the discussion from simply asking whether AI can clone someone to asking whether the person actually gave permission.

    A creator could potentially say:

    • Use my voice for this campaign, but only for six months.
    • Allow my likeness to be used to train this model, but pay me.
    • Do not use my identity for this purpose at all.
    • The central principle is simple: You own you.

    Protection and Opportunity

    The same technology designed to identify unauthorized use could also create legitimate new markets for human identity.

    Anne describes a future where AI companies, studios, agencies, platforms, and brands could license verified human data rather than simply collecting material from the public internet.

    Creators could choose whether their voice, face, movement, or content can be used for AI training and receive compensation when they opt in.

    This becomes especially important as synthetic media becomes indistinguishable from human media. Rob also raises another possibility: as AI-generated content becomes abundant, verified or certified human-created content may itself become more valuable.

    Podcast Archives Create Another Rights Problem

    The discussion gets particularly relevant to podcasting. A podcast owner may control thousands of hours of archived conversations, but that does not necessarily mean the owner has the right to license every guest’s voice for AI training.

    Rob explains that the New Media Show archive has previously attracted interest for conversational AI training, but licensing complete conversations would require permission from the guests whose voices appear in them.

    Royall.ai is exploring infrastructure that could help identify those participants, request consent, manage permissions, and create licensing transactions across large content libraries.

    That could become a significant issue as decades of podcast, video, music, and creator archives become valuable training material.

    Discussion Highlights
    – Who should control your voice, face, and digital likeness
    – Creating a biometric identity vault
    – Consent before AI use
    – Detecting unauthorized likeness and voice usage
    – Licensing human identity for AI training
    – Getting creators paid for authorized use
    – Deepfakes, scams, and identity theft
    – Why trust is critical to biometric infrastructure
    – AI disclosure versus AI-assisted creation
    – The rise of verified human-created media
    – Creator contracts and synthetic likeness rights
    – Licensing podcast archives for AI training
    – Why guest consent matters
    – Royall.ai as an identity and permission API layer

    Chapter Timestamp Markers

    00:00 Who controls your likeness and voice identity?
    03:00 Introducing Anne Kavanagh and Royall.ai
    07:00 How the idea behind Royall.ai developed
    09:00 Verified identity, authorization and licensing
    10:00 Creating a biometric vault for voice, face and motion
    18:00 Detection, reporting and takedown tools
    20:00 Opting into AI training and getting paid
    24:00 Building a training-grade voice model
    28:00 Identity protection becomes an economic opportunity
    34:00 Why this is a human issue, not just a creator issue
    38:00 Deepfakes, students, scams and identity theft
    40:00 The trust challenge of storing biometric identity
    43:00 Building a registrar for human identity and likeness
    45:00 Royall.ai as part of the technology stack
    48:00 The principle: You own you
    53:00 AI tools, disclosure and audience trust
    59:00 Could certified human content become premium?
    01:02:00 Synthetic podcast hosts and transparency
    01:04:00 Creator contracts and consent for AI training
    01:05:00 Licensing podcast archives and guest voices
    01:08:00 Who controls your existing content libraries?
    01:11:00 How Royall.ai early access works
    01:14:00 Public images, copyright and identity ownership

    Anne Kavanagh Guest Links

    Royall.ai is currently onboarding users through an early-access process, with registration, fingerprinting, watermarking, detection capabilities, and enterprise/API integrations discussed toward the end of the episode.

    Royall.ai
    https://royall.ai

    Host, Rob Greenlee and Show Links

    New Media Show
    https://newmediashow.com

    New Media Show on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow

    Rob Greenlee
    https://robgreenlee.com

    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee

    Podcast Hall of Fame
    https://podcasthall.com

    AI Disclosure

    AI tools helped organize and edit the episode to remove filler words; this description was created from the completed full transcript of episode #684. The recorded conversation, human performances, perspectives, editorial direction, and final responsibility for the episode remain with Rob Greenlee and Anne Kavanagh. The New Media Show is human-hosted.

    The post Own Your Identity: Who Controls Your Voice, and Likeness? | Anne Kavanagh, Royall.ai #684 first appeared on New Media Show.

  13. Trust, AI and the Future of Podcast Advertising | Mike Kadin, RedCircle #683

    57 minEpisódio 683

    Podcasting has one advantage that much of digital media struggles to maintain: trust. In Episode #683 of the New Media Show, Rob Greenlee talks with Mike Kadin, CEO and co-founder of RedCircle. What does that …

    Notas do episódio

    Podcasting has one advantage that much of digital media struggles to maintain: trust.

    In Episode #683 of the New Media Show, Rob Greenlee talks with Mike Kadin, CEO and co-founder of RedCircle. What does that trust mean for podcast advertising as AI, video, HLS, YouTube, Spotify, and changing audience behavior reshape the business?

    Long-form shows create a different relationship between creators and audiences than short-form social content. That relationship has always been one of the reasons host-read podcast advertising can work so well.

    But what happens when AI can recreate the host’s voice?

    Mike makes an important distinction. The value of a host-read ad is not simply hearing a familiar voice. It comes from the host’s language, personality, experience, humor, and actual judgment about the product. RedCircle does not use AI-generated versions of creators to perform host-read advertising.

    Mike believes cloning the host’s voice without the actual human endorsement could undermine the very trust that makes the advertising valuable.

    Authentic Host Reads Still Matter

    Rob and Mike talk about the difference between reading advertising copy and genuinely recommending something a creator has used.

    RedCircle has seen similar shows, with similar audience sizes, run by the same advertiser and using the same talking points, produce very different results. One of the biggest differences can be the quality and believability of the host read.

    That also puts responsibility on creators to work with products they can credibly talk about.

    Mike explains that RedCircle will sometimes hear from a creator who tried a sponsor’s product and did not like it.

    Rather than force an endorsement, the company can take that feedback back to the advertiser and cancel the spot. That kind of process helps protect the relationship between the creator and audience.

    Using AI to Find Better Brand Matches

    Mike also talks about a newer RedCircle capability called Show IQ.

    Over the years of running campaigns, RedCircle has accumulated information on its creators’ interests and brand affinities, as well as historical campaign performance. Show IQ uses that information to help identify creators who may be a natural fit for a particular advertiser.

    This is an example of AI being used behind the scenes to improve the match rather than replacing the human doing the endorsement. The goal is to put advertisers with creators who can actually speak credibly about their products.

    Spotify, YouTube and Control of Podcast Monetization

    The conversation shifts to the growing influence of large consumption platforms. Spotify is experimenting with ways for listeners to move past advertising more easily. YouTube has already offered similar jump-ahead behavior around portions of videos that viewers commonly skip.

    Mike does not see this as some unexpected attack on podcasting. Spotify and YouTube have built massive distribution platforms and naturally want to control more of the economics that happen inside them.

    For creators, diversification becomes increasingly important.

    A creator can use YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms for distribution, but should also keep building direct relationships through websites, newsletters, subscriptions, and communities. No single distribution platform can be expected to always put the creator’s interests first.

    RedCircle Is Moving Into Video

    RedCircle has also started expanding beyond its traditional audio focus. Creators can now upload video through RedCircle and send it to YouTube, an expansion of its earlier audio-to-YouTube tools.

    Mike says YouTube was the obvious first priority because that is where the largest existing video audience is today. RedCircle is also watching Spotify video, Apple Podcasts video, and HLS as podcasting becomes increasingly multi-format. The advertising systems will eventually need to evolve along with the content.

    HLS Creates New Advertising Questions

    A significant part of the conversation focuses on HLS and Apple’s new video-podcast approach in this episode.

    Podcast advertising has traditionally been built around audio downloads. The video introduces a much more complex environment.

    An Apple Podcasts episode may still automatically download its audio before the listener ever presses play.

    If that listener later watches the video version, the advertising decision may already have been made. That makes traditional real-time programmatic video advertising harder to apply to podcast video.

    For now, audio advertising may become a common advertising format, whether someone is listening or watching. That works technically, but it is not necessarily the best video experience.

    Rob and Mike discuss the need for a new type of podcast video advertising that works whether someone hears the ad, watches it, or moves between both experiences.

    Audio and Video Are Converging, But Not Cleanly

    Rob raises a question he is dealing with directly on the New Media Show. Should a show have one combined audio-video experience, or should creators continue producing separate audio versions?

    The New Media Show has distributed separate audio and video feeds for years. HLS makes it easier to move between listening and viewing, but that convergence can also lead to compromises.

    Great video production does not automatically guarantee the best audio experience. The reverse is also true. Mike agrees there is a reasonable argument for preserving more flexibility between the two formats.

    Measurement Is Getting Harder

    Podcast measurement was already complicated.

    Now creators may have traditional podcast downloads, Spotify streams, YouTube views, Apple video consumption, social views, and various advertising impressions.

    Those numbers do not all mean the same thing. That creates an operational problem for creators trying to sell advertising and for brands trying to understand what they purchased. Mike believes technology needs to simplify this increasingly fragmented environment.

    Mike compares it to the music industry, where tools were developed to distribute music and aggregate results across many different services. Creator media increasingly needs the same kind of cross-platform infrastructure.

    What Is a Podcast Now? The episode also returns to a question the New Media Show has discussed for years.

    What exactly is a podcast? Mike admits he has two answers.

    As a longtime software engineer and RSS believer, Mike still thinks of a podcast as episodic media distributed through RSS.

    As the CEO of a podcast technology and advertising company, he sees younger people entering the business who do not know what RSS is and think of a podcast as the kind of long-form conversational content they see on YouTube.

    At some point, audience behavior begins defining the medium.

    Rob and Mike also discuss industry efforts such as the AMP work around definitions and measurement.

    Mike supports efforts to build standards but says they only become truly meaningful if the major platforms where people actually consume podcasts implement them.

    Where Podcasting Goes Next

    Mike believes the industry has to follow audience behavior. Creators are becoming multi-channel because audiences already are.

    Audio, video, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, RSS apps, and social platforms are increasingly parts of the same creator-media business. The opportunity is to build better tools that allow creators to distribute, monetize, and measure it all without having to manage the complexity themselves.

    HLS is one part of that transition.

    The larger change is podcasting becoming a much broader medium for audio and video creators while trying to preserve the trust that made it valuable in the first place.

    Discussion Highlights:

    – Why long-form podcasting creates deeper audience trust
    – Why authentic host reads still perform
    – AI-generated advertising and creator voice cloning
    – Why RedCircle does not use synthetic host reads
    – RedCircle Show IQ and better creator-brand matching
    – Dynamic versus baked-in podcast advertising
    – Spotify and YouTube gaining more monetization control
    – Why creators need direct audience relationships
    – RedCircle’s move into video
    – Why YouTube was its first video priority
    – HLS and podcast video advertising
    – Audio versus video ad creative
    – Separate audio and video podcast experiences
    – Cross-platform measurement problems
    – Alternate enclosures and adoption
    – What defines a podcast now
    – The need for meaningful industry standards
    – The future of multi-channel podcast monetization

    Chapter Timestamp Markers

    00:00 Podcasting, trust and long-form media
    01:00 Introducing Mike Kadin of RedCircle
    02:00 Why trust matters in podcast advertising
    03:20 AI-generated ads and audience trust
    06:10 Why RedCircle avoids cloned host reads
    09:00 Authentic creator endorsements
    11:00 Why some host reads outperform others
    12:20 RedCircle Show IQ
    14:00 The future of host-read advertising
    15:30 Dynamic versus baked-in ads
    17:20 Spotify and ad skipping
    21:00 YouTube and platform control
    22:20 Creators need direct audience relationships
    24:00 RedCircle moves further into video
    26:30 HLS and podcast video advertising
    31:00 Opportunities for video host-read advertising
    33:00 Ads that work in audio and video
    36:30 Separate audio and video feeds
    40:00 The fragmented consumption experience
    42:00 Podcast measurement gets more complicated
    44:30 HLS and alternate enclosures
    47:20 What is a podcast now?
    52:00 Standards and the major platforms
    54:00 Measuring advertising by performance
    56:00 The multi-channel future of podcasting
    58:00 Closing thoughts

    Mike Kadin Guest Links

    RedCircle: https://redcircle.com

    Host and Show Links

    New Media Show
    https://newmediashow.com

    New Media Show on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow

    Rob Greenlee
    https://robgreenlee.com

    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee

    Podcast Hall of Fame
    https://podcasthall.com

    AI Disclosure

    AI tools were used to assist with organizing and editing to remove filler words; this episode description was created from the completed full transcript of episode #683. The recorded conversation, human performances, perspectives, editorial direction, and final responsibility for the episode remain with Rob Greenlee and Mike Kadin. The New Media Show is human-hosted.

    The post Trust, AI and the Future of Podcast Advertising | Mike Kadin, RedCircle #683 first appeared on New Media Show.

  14. The Human Signal: What Becomes Valuable in AI Creation Era | Jaymi Bauer #682

    1 h 6 minEpisódio 682

    When AI content becomes abundant, what becomes scarce? In Episode #682 of the New Media Show, Host, Rob Greenlee talks with growth and brand strategist Jaymi Bauer. Jaymi is CEO and co-founder of Vaquera Group …

    Notas do episódio

    When AI content becomes abundant, what becomes scarce?

    In Episode #682 of the New Media Show, Host, Rob Greenlee talks with growth and brand strategist Jaymi Bauer. Jaymi is CEO and co-founder of Vaquera Group, creator of Resonance Design, and founder of a new women’s vitality venture called Reign.Care.

    She and Rob previously worked together at Microsoft during the Zune and Xbox eras, giving both a long view of how technology continually reshapes media and human behavior.

    The conversation is not anti-AI. It is about understanding where AI is powerful and where human creators may still have the advantage.

    The Human Signal

    Jaymi states that humans feel trust before they intellectually recognize it. We respond to tone, presence, energy, emotion, authenticity, and whether something feels genuine. AI can increasingly reproduce human language, imagery, voices, and creative patterns, but Jaymi believes audiences will continue seeking something deeper: content rooted in real human experience.

    Her advice to creators is simple: Become better at AI while becoming even more human. AI as Amplifier, Not the Source

    Rob and Jaymi explore AI as a creative and production layer rather than the original source of meaning.

    AI can:

    Research faster
    Organize ideas
    Improve production
    Expand visual possibilities
    Help creators distribute content
    Personalize discovery
    Build new interactive experiences

    But the strongest output still begins with a strong human seed: an idea, experience, perspective, story, or creative intention.

    Jaymi shares her experience of heavily using AI on a book proposal. The result was polished, but she felt it had become hollow and disconnected from her own creative voice. That became a reminder that efficiency does not automatically create resonance.

    Why Human Content May Become Premium

    As synthetic media becomes harder to distinguish from human-created media, Rob raises the possibility that creators may eventually label content as human-hosted or human-created, rather than simply labeling AI content.

    Jaymi believes genuine human interaction may eventually feel more valuable precisely because it becomes less common.

    That could increase the value of:

    Live conversations
    Human-created storytelling
    Live music and events
    Real relationships
    Distinctive personal perspectives
    Physical experiences
    Trusted communities

    The future may not be human versus AI. It may be human creativity amplified by AI.

    Creators Need AI Literacy

    Jaymi strongly advises creators not to ignore AI. Her view is that creators should learn the tools, experiment with them, understand their limitations, and explore what they make possible. But they also need stronger critical thinking and editorial judgment.

    Rob and Jaymi discuss how experienced professionals may have an advantage here because they have lived through multiple cycles in technology, media, business, and the economy.

    Knowing when AI is wrong, when to stop refining, what matters, and what audiences actually value may become increasingly important skills.

    AI Changes Discovery Too. AI is not only creating content. It is increasingly sitting between creators and audiences.

    Rob discusses how platforms such as YouTube use AI to analyze media, understand content, personalize recommendations, and decide who should see what.

    That means creators are entering an environment where AI may influence:

    Creation
    Editing
    Distribution
    Metadata
    Search
    Recommendations
    Audience targeting
    Personalization

    The creator still provides the human idea, but AI increasingly shapes how that idea reaches the world.

    A More Interactive Media Future

    The conversation also explores AI-powered audience participation. Rob describes emerging platforms where synthetic personalities, expert knowledge bases, and human audience members can participate in shared conversations.

    Instead of traditional one-way media, future shows could include creators, audiences, and AI agents discussing topics together.

    That could make podcasts, livestreams, sports media, education, and communities considerably more interactive.

    Discussion Highlights
    -What Jaymi means by the “human signal”
    -Why trust is often felt before it is understood
    -AI-generated media versus human-created media
    -Why creators should become “superhuman,” not anti-AI
    -AI as a creative amplifier
    -The importance of critical thinking and editorial judgment
    -Why AI-generated work can feel polished but hollow
    -How experienced professionals can work effectively with AI
    -AI’s growing role in discovery and recommendation
    -Personal LLMs and creator knowledge models
    -Human and AI participants inside future media experiences
    -Why live and human-created experiences could become premium
    -The possibility of labeling media as human-hosted
    -Creativity, trust, and relationships as long-term advantages

    Chapter Markers

    00:00 Why the human signal matters
    01:32 Introducing Jaymi Bauer
    02:48 What is the human signal?
    05:35 Can AI reproduce human connection?
    09:15 Staying human while using AI
    11:22 Collective AI knowledge versus individual human knowledge
    13:30 Why audiences may eventually reject synthetic sameness
    16:04 Will AI-generated entertainment satisfy us?
    18:35 AI as a new creative tool
    21:05 Lessons from Xbox and immersive media
    23:10 Why gamers still want human creativity
    25:10 How humans remain valuable
    26:38 The dystopian side of AI
    28:10 Could AI eventually give humans more freedom?
    30:05 Creativity as a human advantage
    31:15 Why creators need AI literacy
    33:15 Becoming “superhuman”
    34:25 Jaymi’s AI-generated book proposal mistake
    36:00 Using AI as a first draft
    37:20 Better prompts start with better human thinking
    38:25 When AI becomes inefficient
    40:20 Humans as AI tutors and experts
    42:15 What happens when AI gains real-world experience?
    45:10 Human truth and durable brands
    48:10 AI becomes the discovery layer
    51:00 Personal LLMs and expert AI models
    52:20 AI-powered audience participation
    55:00 Humans and AI in the same conversation
    57:10 AI companionship and relationships
    59:55 Will human-created media become premium?
    01:01:05 Hybrid human and AI production
    01:03:10 Where to find Jaymi
    01:04:00 Jaymi’s new vitality venture
    01:05:40 Closing thoughts

    Jaymi Bauer Guest Links:

    Jaymi Bauer on Substack
    https://jaymibauer1.substack.com

    “The Human Signal”
    https://jaymibauer1.substack.com/p/the-human-signal

    Vaquera Group
    https://vaquera.co

    Reign
    https://reign.care

    About the Host: Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, Chair of the Podcast Hall of Fame, founder of Trust Factor Lab, and longtime new-media executive, creator, strategist, and industry leader.

    Through The New Media Show, Rob explores the changing intersection of podcasting, video, creator-led media, artificial intelligence, platforms, audience ownership, trust, monetization, and the future of human-created media.

    Host and Show Links

    New Media Show
    https://newmediashow.com

    New Media Show on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow

    Rob Greenlee
    https://robgreenlee.com

    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee

    Podcast Hall of Fame
    https://podcasthall.com

    AI Disclosure

    AI tools were used to assist with organizing and editing to remove filler words; this episode description was created from the completed full transcript of episode #682. The recorded conversation, human performances, perspectives, editorial direction, and final responsibility for the episode remain with Rob Greenlee and Jaymi Bauer. The New Media Show is human-hosted.

    The post The Human Signal: What Becomes Valuable in AI Creation Era | Jaymi Bauer #682 first appeared on New Media Show.

  15. How Podcast Distribution Is Changing | Alban Brooke, Buzzsprout #681

    1 h 23 minEpisódio 681

    In Episode 681 of the New Media Show, host Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Alban Brooke, Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout, for a deep conversation about one of the biggest structural changes in …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 681 of the New Media Show, host Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Alban Brooke, Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout, for a deep conversation about one of the biggest structural changes in podcasting: the evolution of podcast hosting from audio-file distribution to a broader audio-and-video creator infrastructure.

    For most of podcasting’s history, the hosting model was relatively straightforward. A creator uploaded an audio file, the host generated an RSS feed, and that feed distributed the episode to listening apps worldwide.

    That podcast hosting model is changing.

    Video is once again becoming a significant part of podcasting, and podcast hosting platforms are being asked to do much more than store an MP3 and maintain an RSS feed. They increasingly need to manage video encoding, HLS streaming, direct platform connections, YouTube publishing, Spotify video, Apple Podcasts video, transcripts, analytics, AI-assisted publishing tools, and the traditional audio experience simultaneously.

    Buzzsprout, which launched in 2009 as an audio-only podcast host, has now made a major move into video. Alban explains that the turning point was Apple’s decision to support HLS video streaming into Apple Podcasts.

    Once Apple committed to HLS, Buzzsprout saw an opportunity to preserve one of podcast hosting’s original promises:

    “Upload once and let the hosting platform handle the complexity of getting the show everywhere.”

    Buzzsprout’s current video workflow allows creators to upload video and distribute it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube while continuing to deliver audio to traditional podcast apps.

    The technology underneath that process, however, has become much more complicated.

    A podcast host may now be managing RSS feeds, HLS playlists, multiple video resolutions, platform APIs, direct uploads, audio extraction, transcripts, and the different requirements of Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, iHeart, and other services.

    Alban argues that creators should not have to understand most of that.
    If podcast hosting is doing its job properly, the technical complexity should disappear into the infrastructure. Creators should be able to concentrate on making the show.

    That leads Rob and Alban into a larger discussion about RSS and what it still represents.

    RSS itself is not magical, Alban says. What matters is what RSS enables: a direct and portable connection between creators and their audiences. A creator using an open podcast feed can switch from one hosting company to another without rebuilding their audience from scratch. The relationship is not entirely controlled by a recommendation algorithm or a single platform. Alban contrasts this with YouTube and other social platforms, where algorithms ultimately determine how much of a creator’s content reaches subscribers.

    A creator can build a large audience on a platform and still experience dramatic changes in reach when the algorithm, product strategy, or monetization model changes.

    Podcasting offers something different.

    Alban describes media distribution as a spectrum ranging from discovery to delivery. At one end are platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, which are extremely effective at helping users discover content. The platform decides what it believes each person wants to see next.

    At the other end are systems such as RSS and email, where the user intentionally subscribes and expects to receive what that creator publishes.

    The opportunity for modern creators may be to use both.

    YouTube, social video platforms, and algorithmic platforms can enable discovery. RSS can provide reliable delivery and audience portability after that relationship is established.

    That combination may become one of podcasting’s greatest advantages.

    HLS, RSS and the Future of more Open Video Podcasting

    Rob and Alban explore how HLS video could extend those same open-distribution principles into video.

    Apple’s implementation currently involves a direct API relationship, but the podcast ecosystem is also experimenting with the alternate enclosure tag in RSS, which can place another media format inside the RSS feed.

    Buzzsprout has already experimented with alternate enclosures on selected shows, although Alban explains that the company is approaching broader implementation carefully because video creates dramatically larger bandwidth demands than audio.

    A bot downloading thousands of MP3 files is one problem. A bot repeatedly requesting multi-gigabyte video assets is another larger issue.

    The larger objective, however, remains open distribution.

    Alban believes HLS has the potential to enable multiple podcast applications to support video without forcing creators to confine their entire video audience to a single closed platform.

    Can Video Damage the Audio Experience?

    The conversation then turns to one of the most important creative questions raised by video podcasting. What happens to audio listeners when the video version becomes the source for both experiences?

    Alban shares an example of watching a video podcast on Netflix where George Clooney and the host repeatedly discussed an object visible on camera without ever explaining what it was.

    A viewer understood the conversation. An audio listener would have had no idea what they were discussing. That is exactly the kind of problem Alban wants creators to avoid.

    His recommendation is that podcasts remain audio-first in their communication, even when video is an important part of the production.

    That does not mean ignoring video.

    Creators can use cameras, sets, graphics, demonstrations, lighting, and other visual elements. But when something important is happening on screen, the host should provide enough verbal context that the audio listener can still follow the conversation.

    Rob raises the other side of the issue.

    There is a real difference between producing a video podcast and producing a highly visual YouTube show.

    YouTube creators may use graphics, demonstrations, rapid editing, screen captures, text, and visual storytelling that cannot realistically be translated into audio. If every visual element must work perfectly for someone with their eyes closed, video creativity can become constrained.

    That may eventually create two related but distinct production approaches: shows built as unified audio/video podcasts and shows designed primarily as visual media.

    Why Platforms Want Video

    Alban believes the major platforms have obvious reasons for encouraging video. Video keeps audiences looking at the screen.

    YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms benefit when users remain inside their applications, continually moving from one piece of content to the next.

    Short-form vertical video takes this even further.

    Alban says he deliberately limits his own use of platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels because he finds the experience almost too effective at holding attention.

    Audio works differently.

    A podcast can accompany the listener while running, driving, traveling, cleaning, mowing the lawn, or simply living life.

    Alban describes audio as a companion to life, while highly addictive video shorts platforms will increasingly compete to become the dominant activity itself.

    We should remain strongly optimistic about audio.

    Why Apple’s Move Changed the Market

    Rob asks why Apple chose this moment to place renewed emphasis on video, even though video podcasts have technically existed within Apple’s ecosystem for many years.

    Alban points to several forces coming together. YouTube has aggressively embraced podcasts and repeatedly highlighted the enormous amount of podcast viewing happening across its platform.

    Spotify has expanded its video strategy.

    Meanwhile, members of the open podcasting community have spent years exploring HLS as a more practical way of distributing video.

    Once Apple embraced HLS, Buzzsprout concluded that the technology had enough platform support to justify a major investment.

    Buzzsprout then built its video product around simplifying distribution across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and traditional audio apps.

    Why 1080p Video Matters

    Buzzsprout also decided to support 1080p video, something Rob sees as increasingly important as podcasts move from phones and laptops onto large television screens. HLS can provide different video streams depending on the device and connection.

    A mobile device (phone, pad, or glasses) may not need the same resolution as a large television or large-screen laptop or desktop computer.

    But as Apple Podcasts expands onto Apple TV and YouTube continues to report substantial podcast consumption on television screens, creators need source video that looks good in the living room.

    Rob and Alban agree that this is another sign that podcast distribution is becoming much broader than that of traditional listening apps.

    Audio Is Not Going Away

    Despite Buzzsprout’s investment in video, Alban does not believe every podcast needs cameras. Some content is inherently better as audio. Scripted audio, documentary storytelling, intimate conversations, educational programming, and many other formats can deliver everything the audience needs without video.

    Alban does not believe audio needs a technological gimmick to survive.
    Spatial audio, immersive sound, and advanced codecs can create interesting experiences, but the central power of podcasting remains remarkably simple:

    “The human voice and a compelling story.”

    Good audio recorded decades ago can still be powerful today because the idea, voice, and storytelling remain meaningful.

    Video is therefore additive rather than a replacement for audio.

    Is Podcast Hosting Becoming a Commodity?

    Rob then challenges Alban with another industry question:

    Simply storing a media file is no longer difficult. Most hosting platforms can generate RSS feeds, distribute episodes, and provide common publishing features.

    Alban agrees that hosting, narrowly defined as file storage, can look commoditized. But he argues that this misses the bigger job a podcast-hosting company should perform.

    Buzzsprout sees its role as helping creators successfully navigate the entire process.

    That includes technology, education, human support, distribution, publishing assistance, video, analytics, transcripts, and reducing the emotional and technical friction involved in putting something meaningful into the world. The competitive advantage is not simply storing the file. It is helping the creator succeed.

    AI Should Remove Work, Not the Human

    That philosophy carries directly into the episode’s discussion about artificial intelligence.

    Buzzsprout already uses AI to help creators generate titles, descriptions, social content, blog material, chapter markers, and transcripts. Alban is comfortable with AI handling parts of production that creators may not enjoy. Buzzsprout’s own materials identify its Co-Host AI tools as assisting with publishing tasks, including titles, descriptions, chapters, and supporting content.

    What he does not want AI to replace is the reason many people became creators in the first place.

    Alban enjoys researching an idea, thinking about it, writing, talking with people, recording conversations, and producing something that reflects human experience.

    If AI can clean audio, transcribe the episode, or reduce repetitive production work, that can be useful.

    If it replaces the host, opinion, conversation, or creative process entirely, something important may be lost. Alban compares his preferred relationship with AI to using a calculator.

    The technology is valuable. Yet, blindly refusing to use it entirely could be unnecessarily limiting. But just because a technology can perform a task does not mean the creator should hand over every task.

    The important question is:

    “Which parts of creating matter to you enough that you want to remain the person doing them?”

    AI, Disclosure and Audience Trust

    The deeper issue is trust.

    Alban describes hearing what he believed was an AI-generated host-read advertisement in a podcast he regularly listened to. When he later asked the creator about AI and received a categorical denial of using it, Alban’s confidence in the show changed.

    The problem was not simply that AI may have been used. The problem was the perception that the creator was not being transparent about it.

    Rob and Alban agree that disclosure becomes increasingly important as synthetic voices, AI-written scripts, avatars, automated media, and cloned personalities become harder to distinguish from human-created content.

    “Rob suggests that the industry may eventually move beyond labeling AI toward verifying or certifying what is human.”

    As synthetic AI-generated audio and video content becomes more common, audiences may increasingly value signals showing that a conversation, performance, appearance, or relationship involves real humans.

    That could increase the importance of live events, face-to-face meetings, physical communities, concerts, coffee shops, and other experiences where human presence is difficult to fake.

    The Return of Offline Experiences

    The episode broadens into a discussion about younger generations and technology.

    Alban notes that some younger people are becoming interested in non-connected devices, point-and-shoot cameras, film cameras, books, and other technologies that do not constantly demand attention.

    Rob sees similar interest developing around discontinued devices such as the Microsoft Zune portable media player devices.

    The larger trend may represent a reaction to always-connected life.

    Technology gives creators unprecedented reach, but human relationships still develop through attention, responsiveness, shared experiences, and time spent together.

    That principle also connects back to podcasting.

    Podcasting’s open architecture allows content to flow across applications and devices while maintaining a direct creator-to-audience relationship.

    As Alban sees it, the strongest future for podcasting combines the best of both worlds:

    “Open delivery through podcasting, algorithmic discovery through larger platforms, video when it adds value, audio when audio is enough, AI where it removes friction, and humans at the center of the creative relationship.”

    Topics Covered in This Episode
    – Why Buzzsprout moved from audio-only into video podcasting
    – Apple HLS video and the turning point for podcast hosts
    – Upload-once distribution across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and audio apps
    – Why technical complexity should disappear for creators
    – RSS as creator ownership and audience portability
    – Discovery versus reliable delivery
    – Algorithms compared with open podcast distribution
    – Alternate enclosures and open video
    – Protecting audio listeners when video is added
    – Unified audio/video podcast experiences
    – Video podcasts versus highly visual YouTube productions
    – Why platforms want creators producing more video
    – Short-form video and attention
    – Why audio remains a companion medium
    – 1080p video and television podcast consumption
    – Why audio-only podcasting remains healthy
    – Is podcast hosting becoming a commodity?
    – Buzzsprout’s creator-support philosophy
    – AI-assisted podcast production
    – Which parts of creation should remain human
    – AI voices, disclosure, and audience trust
    – The possibility of verified-human media
    – Younger generations and offline technology
    – The renewed appeal of disconnected devices
    – Open podcasting in the Liquid Content Era

    Chapter Timestamp Markers
    00:00 Welcome to The New Media Show Episode 681
    00:24 Podcast hosting is moving beyond the audio file
    01:18 Buzzsprout enters the video podcast era
    02:00 Introducing Alban Brooke of Buzzsprout
    03:15 What changed Buzzsprout’s thinking about video?
    04:01 Why Buzzsprout spent years focused on audio only
    04:50 Apple HLS video becomes the turning point
    05:33 Upload once and distribute video and audio everywhere
    06:00 Podcast distribution becomes technically more complicated
    07:00 Why the hosting platform should hide the complexity
    09:21 Podcasters increasingly do not know what RSS is
    10:53 Why RSS still matters
    11:08 RSS, creator control, and platform algorithm risk
    13:08 The difference between podcast delivery and discovery
    14:35 Using YouTube for discovery and RSS for audience delivery
    15:37 HLS brings open distribution principles to video
    16:49 Alternative enclosures and open video podcasting
    17:18 The bandwidth and bot problem with video
    18:04 Rob’s dual audio and video RSS strategy
    19:20 The tension between MP4 video and HLS
    20:15 What happens when video becomes the source of the audio?<b

  16. Liquid Content Era Needs New Measurement | Steven Goldstein, Amplifi Media #680

    1 h 14 minEpisódio 680

    In Episode 680 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee welcomes Steven Goldstein, founder and CEO of Amplifi Media, for a timely, future-leaning discussion. We have entered the Liquid Content Era. A podcast …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 680 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee welcomes Steven Goldstein, founder and CEO of Amplifi Media, for a timely, future-leaning discussion.

    We have entered the Liquid Content Era.

    A podcast conversation can now become an audio episode, full-length YouTube video, Spotify video, Apple Podcasts video, vertical clips, social posts, articles, newsletters, searchable transcripts, and potentially AI-discovered answers. The underlying content may be the same, but the way people encounter and consume it varies by platform.

    That creates an enormous opportunity for creators. It also creates a measurement problem.

    Podcasting built much of its advertising business around the download. That metric helped turn an emerging medium into a legitimate advertising marketplace, but Steven argues that it no longer adequately represents how audiences consume modern shows.

    Downloads were created in an era when bandwidth was limited and podcast applications often downloaded episodes to devices before the listener played them. Today, streaming is increasingly immediate, video consumption is growing, audiences move between devices, and clips can sometimes reach more people than the original episode.

    The question is no longer simply: How many times was the podcast downloaded?

    The better question may be: How many people actually listened to, watched, encountered the advertising, and engaged with the creator’s content across the entire media ecosystem?

    Why advertisers need this change.

    Large brands already buy television, web, streaming video, social, and other digital media through dashboards that provide comparable impression-based reporting. Podcasting remains fragmented across RSS analytics, platform dashboards, YouTube views, Spotify data, and different definitions of what constitutes meaningful exposure.

    That fragmentation makes podcast media harder to buy at scale.

    Steven explains that advertisers do not want separate teams manually reconciling podcast audio, video, clips, and platform metrics.

    If podcasting wants to attract substantially more advertising investment, it needs to fit more easily into the systems marketers already use.

    That leads into one of the episode’s central topics: the AMP Accords.

    The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting was formed to address three persistent problems:

    1. Defining a podcast
    2. Standardizing exposure metrics across platforms
    3. Creating a more consistent way to evaluate advertising effectiveness.

    The AMP Accords describe their goal as establishing cross-platform measurement standards spanning open RSS and closed platforms.

    One of the biggest proposed shifts is moving toward a 30-second play as a standardized exposure metric across audio and video.

    Steven is less concerned about whether 30 seconds ultimately proves to be the perfect number than he is about establishing a common starting point.

    Media measurement has always evolved.

    Steven draws on his experience in radio, where audience measurement moved from handwritten listening diaries to electronic Portable People Meters. The change was disruptive. Some formats gained audience under the new methodology, and others lost it. But advertisers demanded better information, and the industry eventually adapted.

    Podcasting is facing a similar moment.

    The industry should not allow the pursuit of a perfect measurement system to delay the adoption of a more useful one.

    The AMP framework also addresses advertising impressions and audience measurement. That matters because an advertiser ultimately wants to know whether someone actually received an advertising message, not simply whether a media file was automatically delivered to a device.

    Rob and Steven discuss the tension this creates for established podcast measurement.

    Some publishers remain strongly committed to the download because it has provided consistency and an open measurement methodology for many years. Steven gives the download credit for helping build the podcast advertising business but believes the medium now needs to move forward.

    The shift becomes even more important when video enters the equation.

    YouTube has become a major podcast-consumption platform with sophisticated analytics on views, watch time, audience behavior, retention, and discovery.

    Spotify has added video.

    Apple is expanding its video capabilities through HLS. Meanwhile, audiences increasingly move fluidly between audio and video rather than seeing them as completely separate media products.

    This raises another difficult question:

    What exactly is a podcast now?

    The AMP Accords propose a broad podcast definition that encompasses audio or video and open or closed distribution, provided the program remains meaningful without requiring constant visual attention.

    Steven likes the basic framework but emphasizes that audiences will ultimately shape the word’s meaning.

    People already call shows “podcasts” based on format and experience rather than on technical infrastructure. Most listeners do not know whether a show uses RSS feeds, direct platform uploads, streaming video, or another delivery method.

    Rob raises a concern about defining podcasting too strongly through an audio lens.

    If a video must always function perfectly with the viewer’s eyes closed, does that discourage creators from investing in richer visual storytelling?

    That question becomes increasingly important as video production matures.

    A modern video podcast can include visual demonstrations, graphics, archival material, set design, screen sharing, camera movement, and other elements that provide additional value to the viewer. Rob argues that creators should retain the freedom to build excellent audio and excellent video experiences, even when the two versions are not identical.

    The discussion then moves to another major part of liquid content: short-form video.

    Shorts or Clips were initially treated primarily as promotional tools designed to push people toward the full episode. That assumption is changing.

    Some audience members may never consume the full show. They may know a creator entirely through Shorts, Reels, TikTok, or other excerpts.

    Steven describes this as both an opportunity and a potential problem.

    If a creator publishes the four best moments from an hour-long conversation, some viewers may decide those clips provide everything they wanted from the episode.

    That means short-form may represent a separate audience, not simply a funnel into long-form media.

    At the same time, social clips have become an increasingly important discovery mechanism.

    Creators cannot simply ignore the places where audiences spend their time.

    That is the essence of liquid content: the audience determines where and how the media gets consumed.

    Artificial intelligence adds another layer.

    Steven believes creators should increasingly think beyond traditional SEO, Search Engine Optimization, toward AEO, Answer Engine Optimization.

    AI systems are increasingly becoming discovery engines themselves. Instead of searching through a list of websites or podcast episodes, a user may ask an AI system a specific question and receive a direct answer assembled from available sources.

    That shift could be especially valuable for niche creators.

    A podcast with deep authority in a narrow subject may become an important source of AI-generated answers if its content is well-structured, transcribed, accessible, and clearly associated with expertise in that category.

    Rob expands the discussion into recommendation systems.

    YouTube already uses AI extensively to determine which content should be presented to which audience. Similar systems will increasingly influence discovery throughout digital media.

    That creates a harder competitive environment.

    Steven argues that mediocre content will be crushed. As audiences face effectively unlimited choices and algorithms become better at filtering those choices, simply producing acceptable content may no longer be enough. Shows need differentiation, relevance, expertise, strong personalities, or storytelling that holds attention.

    That does not mean every successful podcast needs millions of listeners.

    Steven points to niche podcasts serving highly specific professional communities. A show about HVAC systems may never become a mainstream entertainment hit, but it can still become an extremely valuable business if it reaches the right technicians, manufacturers, buyers, and industry decision-makers.

    Influence within a valuable niche can matter more than raw audience scale.

    The conversation closes by examining the tension between short-form and long-form media.

    Consumers are time-starved.

    Summaries, clips, AI-generated takeaways, and compressed content are becoming increasingly useful.

    Yet long-form is not disappearing.

    Joe Rogan, Acquired, Dan Carlin, and other successful long-form creators demonstrate that audiences will still spend hours with content when the storytelling, expertise, personality, or subject deserves the investment.

    The real challenge is earning the audience’s time.

    In the Liquid Content Era, creators are no longer simply publishing episodes. They are building adaptable media assets that can move across platforms, formats, screens, algorithms, and audiences.

    The measurement systems now need to catch up.

    Topics Covered in This Episode:
    -What Steven Goldstein means by the Liquid Content Era
    -Why one piece of content now becomes many media products
    -Why the podcast download is becoming less representative of consumption
    -What podcasting can learn from radio and television measurement
    -Why advertisers need unified cross-platform metrics
    -The AMP Accords and the future of podcast measurement
    -The proposed 30-second play standard
    -Plays, audience, ad impressions, and ad audience
    -Audio versus video measurement
    -Apple HLS, YouTube, Spotify, and platform competition
    -Why the definition of a podcast continues to evolve
    -Whether video podcasts need to work with the viewer’s eyes closed
    -The difference between clipping content and creating for vertical video
    -Why clips may represent a separate audience
    -AI and Answer Engine Optimization
    -How algorithms increasingly control media discovery
    -Why mediocre content faces greater pressure
    -High-value niche content versus mass audience scale
    -What it takes to create a hit today
    -Why long-form content can still win

    Chapter Time Stamp Markers
    00:00 Welcome to The New Media Show Episode 680
    00:36 The Liquid Content Era needs new measurement
    01:10 Introducing Steven Goldstein of Amplifi Media
    02:07 Why media has entered the Liquid Content Era
    03:18 The New York Times as a liquid content example
    04:41 Podcasting moves from audio into multimedia
    05:29 Video was always part of podcasting
    06:22 Why the download originally made sense
    07:13 Streaming changes how podcast consumption is measured
    08:08 What podcasting can learn from radio measurement
    09:11 From listening diaries to electronic measurement
    10:00 Why advertisers need podcasting inside their dashboards
    11:05 Audio and video buying remain separated at agencies
    12:06 How television moved toward impression-based measurement
    13:13 Short-form video enters the podcast media mix
    14:12 Introducing the AMP Accords
    15:08 What the AMP Accords propose
    17:03 What AMP got right and what could go wrong
    18:41 Why 30 seconds is a starting point, not the final answer
    20:06 Moving beyond the download
    21:23 Downloads do not always equal actual listening
    22:03 The IAB and industry resistance to changing measurement
    23:20 Some shows will gain, and others will lose under better metrics
    24:18 Why Steven believes the download cannot be the future
    25:11 Consumer behavior is forcing podcasting to change
    26:02 Vertical video becomes a major media business
    27:01 Can YouTube, Spotify, and Apple align around new metrics?
    29:16 Comparing 30-second and 60-second exposure
    31:07 Plays, audience, ad impressions, and advertiser needs
    32:16 Why advertisers dislike hidden podcast audience numbers
    33:07 Measurement matters differently for niche podcasts
    34:19 How audiences move between audio and video
    36:05 Should audio and video come from the same media file?
    37:02 Why measurement does not need to be perfect to improve
    38:16 Liquid content keeps expanding into new formats
    39:14 What qualifies as a podcast now?
    40:02 The audience may ultimately define podcasting
    41:35 Does “eyes closed” unfairly prioritize audio?
    43:05 Could the new definition weaken video creativity?
    44:31 Separate audio and video podcast experiences
    46:07 Vertical video versus automatically generated clips
    46:52 Are clips replacing the full episode?
    48:04 Short-form audiences may be entirely different
    49:00 AI enters the Liquid Content Era
    49:28 SEO shifts toward Answer Engine Optimization
    50:27 AI becomes the first layer of media discovery
    51:13 Algorithms judge what audiences see
    53:04 Why mediocre content will be crushed
    54:02 What qualifies as quality content?
    55:04 Niche media does not need mass scale
    57:07 How specialized podcasts can build valuable businesses
    58:38 Why podcast creation remains flat despite creator growth
    1:00:16 Creators no longer need traditional media gatekeepers
    1:01:21 What the COVID podcast boom taught the industry
    1:02:27 High-value content and why hits are hard
    1:03:05 Differentiation as the foundation of a successful show
    1:05:05 What television can teach podcasters about format innovation
    1:06:22 Why creators compete for increasingly limited audience time
    1:07:34 Short-form versus long-form content
    1:08:22 Why people increasingly use AI to summarize long content
    1:09:08 Joe Rogan, Acquired, and why long-form still succeeds
    1:10:05 Gen Z will consume long content when it earns the time
    1:11:01 Structured YouTube content versus podcast conversations
    1:13:00 Final thoughts on the changing New Media landscape
    1:14:00 Where to find The New Media Show

    Guest: Steven Goldstein, Founder and CEO, Amplifi Media

    Amplifi Media: https://www.amplifimedia.com
    About Steven Goldstein: https://www.amplifimedia.com/about
    Steven Goldstein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-goldstein-a057b54
    Amplifi Media on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amplifi-media

    Steven Goldstein is founder and CEO of Amplifi Media and teaches The Business of Podcasting at NYU. His current work focuses heavily on the shift toward cross-platform audio, video, and social distribution, as well as what he describes as the Liquid Content Era.

    AMP Accords

    Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting: https://ampaccords.com

    The AMP Accords focus on three areas: standardizing impression metrics, developing cross-platform performance measurement, and creating a common industry definition of a podcast.

    Host, Rob Greenlee, and New Media Show Links

    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com
    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com

    AI Disclosure Note:

    AI tools were used to create a video and audio introduction clip, episode images, help organize and edit this episode and summarize its description, and create chapter markers from the completed Episode 680 transcript. The recorded conversation, human performances, guest perspectives, editorial direction, final review, and responsibility for the published content remain with actual humans Rob Greenlee and Steven Goldstein.

    The post Liquid Content Era Needs New Measurement | Steven Goldstein, Amplifi Media #680 first appeared on New Media Show.

  17. IRL Experiences Build Trust and Authority | Samara Beth Hurley #679

    1 h 12 minEpisódio 679

    In Episode 679 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Samara Beth Hurley, founder and CEO of Samara Beth & Co., for a wide-ranging conversation about experiential branding …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 679 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Samara Beth Hurley, founder and CEO of Samara Beth & Co., for a wide-ranging conversation about experiential branding, audience trust, personal authority, storytelling, live events, artificial intelligence, and the growing value of real human relationships.

    Creators have more ways than ever to attract attention through podcasts, video, social media, newsletters, events, books, speaking, search, and AI-powered discovery.

    But attention is only the beginning.

    The deeper challenge is turning attention into trust, trust into authority, and authority into relationships that can support a lasting creator brand or business.

    Samara brings more than 30 years of experience across events, experiential branding, public relations, marketing, publishing, coaching, speaking, and business strategy. She explains why memorable experiences engage more than the mind. They involve emotion, physical presence, environment, story, and multiple senses, making them more likely to remain with an audience.

    The central idea of the episode is that content may introduce people to a creator, but experiences can make that creator memorable.

    From Attention to Experience:

    Why creators need more than visibility, impressions, downloads, views, or followers. Samara explains that an immersive experience can involve all five senses and create a much deeper memory than a conventional piece of content. This can happen through an in-person event, retreat, workshop, book, video, virtual presentation, conversation, or carefully designed brand interaction.

    The goal is not simply to be seen.

    The goal is to make people feel something meaningful and consistent enough that they remember the creator, trust the message, and understand the value behind the brand.

    Samara also explains why events should be reverse-engineered around the desired audience result. Before selecting the venue, visuals, entertainment, content, or promotion, creators should determine what they want people to believe, feel, remember, and do after the experience.

    Credibility, Confidence, and Congruence:

    One of the central frameworks Samara shares is her three-part trust formula:

    – Credibility
    – Confidence
    – Congruence

    Credibility comes from experience, demonstrated knowledge, proof, media appearances, testimonials, awards, published work, results, and a consistent record of showing up.

    Confidence develops through practice. Samara discusses how speaking, presenting, selling, training, and communicating become stronger through repetition rather than waiting to feel completely prepared.

    Congruence means that the person audiences encounter across a website, podcast, social profile, book, stage, event, media appearance, and personal interaction should feel recognizably connected.

    Omnipresence With a Strategy:

    Samara describes herself as an “omnipresence fairy godmother” and explains why creators need to appear across multiple relevant platforms, media formats, and public channels.

    But omnipresence does not mean publishing without direction.

    Creators need a strategy that connects social media, podcasts, video, PR, books, articles, television appearances, events, awards, websites, and public profiles.

    Rob and Samara discuss the danger of throwing content onto platforms without a clear understanding of the audience, purpose, brand position, or desired business outcome.

    A creator may be visible everywhere but still be difficult to understand.

    The strongest public presence creates repeated, credible signals around who the person is, what they know, what they stand for, and why their work matters.

    Personal Brand Versus Business Brand:

    Samara explains the distinction between a personal brand and a business brand.

    A personal brand is connected to the individual’s name, expertise, story, reputation, values, speaking, publishing, and long-term legacy.

    A business brand may be structured so it can grow beyond the founder, employ a larger team, scale independently, and potentially be sold.

    Not every creator needs both.

    – A coach, speaker, consultant, author, or experienced executive may only need a strong personal brand.

    – A founder building a company that can eventually operate without them may need a separate business identity and brand architecture.

    Turning Personal Stories Into Authority:

    How frequent moves, career changes, family experiences, loss, divorce, business transitions, and personal reinvention shaped Samara’s current work.

    The conversation examines when personal experience becomes a valuable market asset rather than simply a private story.

    Samara argues that people connect to stories because stories help audiences see themselves inside another person’s experience.

    A strong creator does not need to reveal every private detail. A personal experience can be adapted, anonymized, reframed, or presented as a client, family, or community example when appropriate.

    The purpose is not personal exposure for its own sake.

    The purpose is to make knowledge relatable, memorable, and useful to the audience. Samara also describes how she integrated memoir elements into her business book, “WIN YOUR BRAND: The Unapologetic Playbook for Becoming Iconic”. Her personal stories support the larger lessons about branding, resilience, visibility, relationships, and authority.

    When the Brand Leaves the Screen:

    Why in-person events, retreats, masterminds, workshops, intimate gatherings, and community experiences may become more important as digital content becomes more abundant.

    Large conferences can provide scale and visibility, but smaller events can create stronger relationships.

    A person may speak to thousands of people from a major stage but only build genuine relationships with a smaller number through meals, conversations, workshops, shared activities, informal gatherings, and follow-up.

    Samara believes the market is moving toward more intimate experiences where participants can meet one another, build trust, share knowledge, and form partnerships.

    The most valuable part of an event may happen over coffee, dinner, a walk, a workout, a shared hotel stay, or a conversation after the scheduled programming has ended.

    Those interactions can create referrals, clients, collaborations, partnerships, friendships, and long-term business value.

    Creating Immersive Virtual Experiences:

    Not every creator or audience member can travel.

    Storytelling, visual design, direct eye contact, shared activities, gifts, music, food, demonstrations, physical materials, and guided participation can make virtual experiences more engaging.

    A virtual event cannot fully replicate physical presence, but it can be designed to foster stronger emotional engagement.

    Storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools.

    When a creator describes a setting, emotion, challenge, sound, physical feeling, or moment in detail, the audience can begin to experience that story even when they are not physically present.

    Samara supports the use of AI for research, workflow automation, idea development, organization, operational support, and production assistance.

    But warn against using AI in ways that create a false impression or weaken the audience’s confidence in the creator, thereby breaking trust.

    Rob discusses his decision to label The New Media Show as human-hosted and his earlier consideration of creating an AI-generated co-host or clone.

    They explore how synthetic voices, avatars, cloned appearances, generated scripts, and automated media could become increasingly difficult to distinguish from human-created work.

    The risk is not simply that AI content exists.

    The larger risk is that an audience believes it is interacting with a real person and later discovers that it was misled.

    Transparency, consent, rights, voice protection, likeness protection, and responsible disclosure will become more important as these technologies improve.

    Many of these tools remain inconsistent.

    They may produce images that do not resemble the person, use generic language, miss the creator’s personality, or create more work rather than saving time.

    Samara advises creators not to purchase every new tool simply because an early price or lifetime deal appears attractive.

    The AI marketplace is crowded, and many products have not yet reached a reliable level of quality.

    Creators should begin with a clear problem, test the technology, measure the result, and determine whether the tool actually improves the work. Professional photography, original video, custom design, trusted partners, and human creative judgment continue to matter.

    Content Repurposing Versus New Content:

    The conversation also explores the tension between repurposing existing material and creating new content for specific platforms.

    AI can help extract clips, rewrite posts, summarize interviews, search archives, and transform old material into different formats. But audiences and platforms may still respond more strongly to content created for the current moment.

    Samara explains that her social media team encouraged her to reduce some repurposing and create more original, audience-directed content.

    The larger lesson is that efficiency should not replace relevance.

    Creators need a balance between extending the value of existing work and continuing to produce fresh ideas, stories, and perspectives.

    Relationships Are the Long-Term Advantage:

    The episode returns repeatedly to the value of relationships.

    Platforms, algorithms, content formats, AI systems, and business models will continue changing. A creator’s strongest long-term assets may be credibility, relationships, reputation, trust, lived experience, professional network, and the ability to create meaningful human connection.

    AI can help operate the systems behind a business.

    AI can automate repetitive tasks, support follow-up, organize information, and free up more time.

    Samara’s argument is that creators should use some of that saved time to be with people, attend events, build relationships, have conversations, and create experiences that technology cannot easily reproduce.

    Discussion Highlights

    – Why attention alone does not create trust or authority
    – How immersive experiences engage memory and emotion
    – Using all five senses in events, books, media, and brand experiences
    – Samara’s three Cs of trust: credibility, confidence, and congruence
    – The difference between omnipresence and unstructured content publishing
    – Why creators need a clear personal-brand strategy
    – When a separate business brand is necessary
    – Turning lived experience into relatable authority
    – Using storytelling without exposing every part of private life
    – Why smaller, intimate events can create deeper relationships
    – Making virtual experiences more engaging and memorable
    – The value of books, speaking, PR, awards, podcasts, and media appearances
    – Balancing content repurposing with original platform-specific work
    – Using AI for research, automation, ideas, and workflow support
    – The limits of AI avatars, generated imagery, and creator clones
    – Protecting voice, likeness, intellectual property, and reputation
    – Why professional photography and original creative assets still matter
    – The importance of transparency when using AI
    – Using AI to create more time for real human relationships
    – Why networking after an event may be more valuable than the formal sessions
    – The movement toward smaller retreats, workshops, summits, and masterminds
    – Building a legacy while still being able to experience it

    Chapter Markers:

    00:42 Why creator brands need more than content
    02:22 Introducing Samara Beth Hurley
    04:00 How experiences engage the five senses
    05:20 Reverse-engineering events around audience outcomes
    06:23 Building connection in person and virtually
    08:47 Audience attention, energy, and human presence
    09:32 Omnipresence across platforms and media
    11:25 Samara’s three Cs of trust
    12:06 Building confidence through repetition
    13:28 Congruence and consistency across a brand
    14:25 Turning personal history into a relevant story
    16:20 Content overload and the need for strategy
    18:48 Why creators need a personal-brand strategy
    20:11 Building a legacy while living it
    21:06 Personal brands versus business brands
    22:01 Separating private life from professional content
    24:05 Executive transitions and second-act personal brands
    25:50 Recession-proofing a business
    26:32 The growing trust recession
    27:54 What an immersive brand means today
    29:25 Creating immersive retreats, workshops, and masterminds
    30:31 Bringing experiential elements into virtual media
    32:04 Storytelling that helps audiences feel present
    34:17 Why relatable content performs
    35:52 Using memoir and personal experience in a business book
    37:20 Turning stories into business and brand value
    38:29 Building trust through partners and vendors
    39:52 Using AI to help shape stories and scripts
    41:04 The difficulty of making AI speech feel human
    41:55 Human-hosted media and the future of creator clones
    44:04 Content scraping, archives, and AI repurposing
    45:14 When repurposed content stops performing
    46:12 Problems with AI-generated images and avatars
    47:20 Why creators should stop buying every new AI tool
    48:21 The coming AI platform shakeout
    50:37 How established brands survive technology shifts
    51:14 How creators should use AI today
    52:15 AI for research, editing, and practical support
    53:04 Why professional photos and original assets still matter
    54:00 AI, copyright, likeness, and intellectual property
    55:44 Using AI without replacing the creator
    57:04 Transparency and disclosure
    58:24 Adapting without losing human credibility
    59:21 Trust must be earned
    01:00:01 Why intimate events are returning
    01:02:01 Relationship building versus event scale
    01:03:23 Why smaller gatherings can be more memorable
    01:04:42 Samara’s future television and media plans
    01:06:05 AI can create more time for human connection
    01:07:05 Why the best networking happens after the event
    01:08:41 Using automation to support real relationships
    01:09:06 Responsible AI and protecting audience trust
    01:10:03 Why Rob chose not to create an AI co-host
    01:11:01 Avoiding deception with synthetic media
    01:12:18 Where to find Samara Beth Hurley
    01:13:05 “WIN YOUR BRAND” and Samara’s audiobook plans

    About the Guest:

    Samara Beth Hurley, professionally known as Samara Beth, is the founder and CEO of Samara Beth & Co.

    She is an experiential branding strategist, event producer, speaker, author, business coach, and entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience across events, public relations, branding, marketing, publishing, community building, and business development.

    Her work focuses on helping entrepreneurs, executives, authors, speakers, and creators turn expertise and personal stories into immersive brands that operate consistently online and offline.

    Samara is the author of “WIN YOUR BRAND: The Unapologetic Playbook for Becoming Iconic”, a combination of personal storytelling, branding strategy, resilience, and practical frameworks for building a memorable brand.

    Samara Beth & Co.
    https://samarabethandco.com

    Samara Beth Personal Website
    https://samarabeth.com

    WIN YOUR BRAND: The Unapologetic Playbook for Becoming Iconic
    https://brands.samarabethandco.com/winyourbrandbook

    Samara Beth Hurley on LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/samarahurley

    Samara Beth & Co. on Instagram
    https://www.instagram.com/samarabethandco

    About the Host:

    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, Chair of the Podcast Hall of Fame, and a longtime new-media executive, creator, strategist, and industry leader. He is the founder of Trust Factor Lab.

    The New Media Show
    https://newmediashow.com

    The New Media Show on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow

    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts
    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649

    Rob Greenlee
    https://robgreenlee.com

    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee

    Rob Greenlee on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee

    Podcast Hall of Fame
    <a href="

  18. Blubrry’s Next Chapter | Barry Kantz, CEO/CFO #678

    57 minEpisódio 678

    In Episode 678 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Barry Kantz, CEO and CFO of Blubrry Podcasting, for a candid conversation about Blubrry’s leadership transition, the …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 678 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Barry Kantz, CEO and CFO of Blubrry Podcasting, for a candid conversation about Blubrry’s leadership transition, the legacy of (RIP) former CEO Todd Cochrane, independent podcasting, video, artificial intelligence, monetization, measurement, human support, and the changing podcast-hosting market.

    For more than 20 years, Blubrry and its parent company, RawVoice, have helped build and support the open podcast ecosystem. The sudden passing of Blubrry founder and longtime New Media Show co-host Todd Cochrane forced the company, its team, and Todd’s family to navigate an unexpected personal and business transition.

    Barry explains how Blubrry responded, how leadership responsibilities shifted, and how his management approach differs from Todd’s hard-charging entrepreneurial style. Barry is bringing a more data-driven and systems-focused approach while trusting Blubrry’s experienced remote team to carry the company forward.

    The conversation also examines how podcasting itself is changing.

    Audio remains central to the medium, but video has become part of how audiences define and experience podcasts. Rob and Barry discuss YouTube discovery, the overlap between watching and listening, short-form clips, RSS distribution, Apple’s HLS video support, alternative enclosures, Podcasting 2.0, and Blubrry’s Vid2Pod tool for turning YouTube videos into audio podcast episodes.

    Barry also shares an update on Blubrry’s HLS video development and discusses the company’s new lower-priced starter plan introduced around the time of the recording.

    Artificial intelligence is another major part of Blubrry’s next chapter.

    Barry explains how he uses Claude as a daily assistant for analytics, automation, research, and company operations.

    Barry sees AI as a way to make podcast creation and management easier, especially for creators who may not have extensive technical experience.

    At the same time, Blubrry’s larger goal is to use technology to support human expression rather than replace the human connection that gives podcasting its value.

    Rob and Barry discuss low-effort AI-generated content, synthetic media, voice cloning, the limitations of automated clipping tools, and the growing need to distinguish human-hosted shows from fully automated productions.

    The discussion then moves into monetization and the opportunities still available to independent creators.

    Barry argues that smaller shows can create meaningful business value when they serve a clearly defined audience and develop strong relationships with listeners. Creators do not necessarily need millions of downloads. A focused show with several hundred deeply engaged listeners can provide valuable access to a professional, geographic, or consumer community.

    Barry also reflects on Blubrry’s early work with host-read advertising and Todd Cochrane’s long-running sponsorship relationship with GoDaddy as examples of how trust, consistency, niche relevance, and audience connection can create durable advertiser value.

    Rob and Barry also examine the challenge of measuring audio and video under a common standard.

    HLS video, progressive audio downloads, platform-controlled playback, and various delivery methods complicate the determination of what should count as a verified play. The discussion explores why common measurement matters to advertisers and why the industry may need different technical approaches for audio and video consumption.

    The episode closes with a broader look at the increasingly competitive podcast-hosting market.

    Hosting, storage, and delivery have become commodities. The competitive difference now comes from the tools, services, support, analytics, workflows, distribution options, and human expertise built around the infrastructure.

    For Blubrry, that includes PowerPress, WordPress integration, video support, Vid2Pod, Podcasting 2.0 features, AI-assisted workflows, monetization options, analytics, and access to experienced human support.

    Both reflect on the legacy Todd Cochrane helped create and provide a detailed look at how Blubrry plans to move forward in a media environment shaped by audio, video, AI, open distribution, creator ownership, and changing audience expectations.

    Key Discussion Topics:

    – Blubrry’s transition following Todd Cochrane’s passing
    – Barry Kantz’s leadership and management approach
    – How the Blubrry team responded to sudden change
    – Todd’s influence on podcasting and the open ecosystem
    – The evolving definition of a podcast
    – Audience movement between watching and listening
    – YouTube discovery and short-form video
    – Blubrry’s Vid2Pod technology
    – Apple HLS video support
    – RSS, alternative enclosures, and Podcasting 2.0
    – Blubrry’s lower-priced starter plan
    – AI-assisted podcast production and operations
    – Human-hosted media versus automated content
    – Voice cloning, authenticity, and audience trust
    – Monetization for independent and niche creators
    – Host-read advertising and direct sponsorships
    – Measuring audio and video consumption
    – Podcast hosting as a commodity
    – PowerPress and the continuing role of WordPress
    – Human customer support as a competitive advantage
    – The future of independent podcasting

    Chapter Time Stamps:

    00:00 Welcome to The New Media Show Episode 678
    00:44 Blubrry’s role in the open podcast ecosystem
    02:03 Introducing Barry Kantz, CEO and CFO of Blubrry Podcasting
    03:31 The sudden loss of former co-founder/CEO of Blubrry, Todd Cochrane
    05:22 How the Blubrry team responded
    06:29 Barry’s leadership style compared with Todd’s
    08:17 Bringing data and operational systems into the company
    09:57 How Todd might view today’s podcast market
    11:11 Video becomes part of podcasting
    13:20 Blubrry’s Vid2Pod product
    14:46 Barry’s transition from CFO to CEO
    18:14 The opportunity for independent creators
    20:00 Who now defines what a podcast is?
    21:07 Audiences move between watching and listening
    23:24 YouTube discovery and the importance of Shorts
    24:55 The limitations of AI-generated clips
    26:20 Blubrry’s Apple HLS video rollout
    28:12 Blubrry introduces a lower-priced starter plan
    29:08 Alternative enclosures and Podcasting 2.0
    30:34 Barry’s use of Claude as an AI assistant
    32:02 Supporting human creators while limiting AI slop
    33:20 Voice cloning and the challenge of replicating humanity
    36:18 Blubrry’s philosophy on podcast monetization
    37:30 How niche shows can attract direct sponsors
    39:27 Managing expectations for new podcasters
    43:16 Measuring HLS video and audio downloads
    46:45 New competition in podcast hosting
    47:36 Why hosting has become a commodity
    50:45 Product focus, acquisitions, and platform complexity
    52:01 WordPress, PowerPress, and AI-assisted websites
    55:00 Blubrry’s commitment to human customer support
    57:31 Closing thoughts on Blubrry’s future

    About the Guest:

    Barry Kantz is CEO and CFO of Blubrry Podcasting and one of the original founders of its parent company, RawVoice.

    Barry has produced podcasts since 2005 and has worked with Blubrry throughout its more than 20-year history. His responsibilities have included company finance, legal affairs, human resources, analytics, operations, and business leadership.

    Following the passing of Blubrry founder Todd Cochrane, Barry stepped into the company’s primary leadership role. He is now guiding Blubrry through its next chapter as podcasting expands across audio, video, artificial intelligence, open RSS distribution, WordPress, and creator-led media.

    Blubrry Podcasting
    https://blubrry.com

    Blubrry Leadership and Company Information
    https://blubrry.com/about

    Barry Kantz on LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/kantzb

    Blubrry Podcast Insider
    https://blubrry.com/podcast-insider

    About the Host:

    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, Chair of the Podcast Hall of Fame, and a longtime new-media executive, creator, strategist, and industry leader. He is the co-founder and current host of The New Media Show and the founder of Trust Factor Lab. Rob has worked across podcasting, radio, digital media, audio, video, creator platforms, partnerships, distribution, monetization, and emerging AI-assisted media for more than 26 years.

    His previous leadership roles include Microsoft, PodcastOne, Spreaker, and Libsyn, where he helped shape the growth of podcasting, distribution platforms, creator partnerships, and digital audio.

    Through The New Media Show, Rob explores how podcasting fits inside the larger new-media ecosystem, including video, livestreaming, artificial intelligence, platforms, audience ownership, intellectual property, advertising, trust, and sustainable creator businesses.

    New Media Show
    https://newmediashow.com

    The New Media Show on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow

    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts
    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649

    Rob Greenlee
    https://robgreenlee.com

    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee

    Rob Greenlee on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee

    Podcast Hall of Fame
    https://podcasthall.com

    AI Disclosure:

    AI tools were used to help organize and edit this episode description and create chapter markers from the completed episode transcript. The editorial direction, final review, industry perspective, and responsibility for the published content remain with Rob Greenlee. This description reflects the substance of the recorded conversation between Barry Kantz and Rob Greenlee.

    The post Blubrry’s Next Chapter | Barry Kantz, CEO/CFO #678 first appeared on New Media Show.

  19. How Brands Buy Creator Media | Dan Granger, Oxford Road #677

    1 h 18 minEpisódio 677

    In Episode 677 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee welcomes Dan Granger, founder and CEO of Oxford Road, for a detailed conversation about how personality-led media is changing what brands buy, how …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 677 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee welcomes Dan Granger, founder and CEO of Oxford Road, for a detailed conversation about how personality-led media is changing what brands buy, how audiences are measured, and what the podcast industry must do to support its next stage of growth.

    Audiences increasingly follow people rather than traditional media channels.

    A trusted personality can carry an audience across podcasts, YouTube, livestreams, newsletters, social platforms, communities, events, and direct business relationships.

    Advertisers, however, still tend to purchase and measure those formats as separate media channels.

    That disconnect is becoming one of the largest challenges facing creator media. A creator may record a single conversation and distribute it across multiple platforms, yet each platform reports exposure differently. Advertisers are then left trying to compare downloads, streams, video views, watch time, impressions, attribution data, and host-read performance without a consistent standard.

    Dan has spent his career connecting advertisers with personality-driven media. Oxford Road now describes its work as building performance systems across audio, video, creator, and programmatic media, with Dan serving as the company’s CEO.

    The conversation begins with Oxford Road’s growing investment in bringing brands, creators, platforms, and media leaders together in person.

    Dan explains how the company’s CAO Summit developed from the idea of a “Chief Audio Officer,” the person inside a brand responsible for making audio advertising work. That responsibility may belong to a founder, marketing leader, media buyer, or growth executive rather than someone with a formal audio title.

    The CAO Summit was designed as a peer-learning environment where advertisers could speak openly with other advertisers about measurement, attribution, creative performance, and the practical problems preventing brands from spending more in podcasts and creator media. Oxford Road continues to position the CAO Summit as a meeting point for the marketers, platforms, and creators shaping what it calls “Podcast+” media.

    They also discuss the Independent Podcast and Creator Awards, also known as the Indie PaC Awards. The program was created to recognize independently owned creators and shows at a time when consolidation continues across podcasting and digital media.

    Dan argues that independent creators remain central to the value of podcasting.

    Creators who maintain closer relationships with their audiences, retain more editorial control, and deliver strong results for advertisers. Oxford Road’s own published ORBIT rankings show that independent shows account for a large share of its strongest-performing podcast inventory.

    Defining an independent creator is difficult, though.

    A creator may own the intellectual property while accepting a minimum guarantee from a platform. A show may be represented by a large network without being owned by that company. A successful personality may have substantial corporate support while retaining full editorial control.

    The Indie PaC criteria attempt to consider who owns the content, whether the show publishes consistently, and whether the podcast or creator channel is a central part of the person’s business rather than a side project created primarily to support an existing celebrity career. The inaugural awards were announced as an event focused on creator ownership and independently produced media.

    That discussion leads into the episode’s central theme: personalities are becoming media businesses.

    Creators once waited for a network, publisher, studio, or broadcaster to select them.

    Today, personalities can build audiences directly and expand across formats without waiting for a traditional gatekeeper. Their name, voice, perspective, and relationship with the audience can become the media’s primary brand.

    Dan believes advertising dollars will continue moving toward these creator-led environments. A brand may no longer purchase only a podcast placement or a YouTube integration. It may sponsor the creator across several surfaces and negotiate rights to reuse the resulting content in paid campaigns. That changes the asset being purchased.

    The value can include the creator’s audience relationship, intellectual property, content, distribution reach, endorsement, likeness, and permission to repurpose the campaign. Dan sees trust as the element that connects those assets.

    Host-read advertising remains especially important because the recommendation comes through a person the audience already knows.

    The strongest integrations allow the creator to speak naturally, test the product, acknowledge limitations, and explain why it may be useful.

    Rob and Dan share early examples from the podcasting market in which creators criticize parts of a sponsor’s offering during paid integrations. That apparent risk can make the rest of the endorsement more believable because the audience hears an honest response rather than polished marketing language.

    The discussion also examines where an advertisement appears inside an episode.

    Dan is sharply critical of post-roll advertising because much of the audience has already left by the time the ad plays. Rob and Dan also discuss pre-rolls, mid-rolls, dynamic insertion, programmatic advertising, and the effects of placing too many ads in a single episode.

    Oxford Road has published PodLoad research comparing the number of advertising units placed within shows.

    Dan argues that an impression in a program carrying 6 minutes of advertising per hour should not automatically be valued the same as one in a show carrying 20 minutes of advertising. Excessive ad load can weaken attention and reduce campaign performance.

    Brand values and suitability add another layer.

    Dan believes advertisers should understand the values they claim to support and make intentional decisions about the creators and environments they fund.

    Dan also believes brands became overly reactive during the height of the brand-safety debate and then moved too far in the opposite direction.

    The goal should be a durable position that considers business outcomes alongside genuine organizational values. Audience demographics matter, but the creator’s tone, worldview, conduct, and credibility can also affect whether the partnership makes sense.

    The second half of the episode turns to the Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting, known as AMP.

    Dan convened AMP as a one-year industry task force focused on three core questions:

    – What qualifies as a podcast?
    – How should exposure be counted across audio and video?
    – How should advertising results be attributed?

    AMP includes representatives from platforms, advertisers, publishers, creators, agencies, and measurement companies. Its stated purpose is to develop voluntary cross-platform standards that make podcast inventory easier to compare, buy, sell, and measure.

    One of the group’s most discussed recommendations is moving toward a 30-second play threshold.

    Dan explains that he is less concerned with whether the correct threshold is exactly 30 seconds or 60 seconds. The larger problem is that different platforms use different definitions. That inconsistency prevents advertisers from confidently comparing performance across audio and video.

    The 30-second recommendation reflects what AMP members believed had the greatest chance of broad adoption. A workable shared standard can move the market forward even when it does not represent every participant’s preferred method.

    Dan compares the current landscape to islands that speak different languages. Each platform may have useful data, but the absence of a common language makes commerce harder. AMP is trying to provide a shared framework without requiring every platform to abandon its existing internal analytics.

    The group is preparing the AMP Accords as a framework covering podcast classification, exposure, and advertising effectiveness. The official AMP site identifies Oxford Road as the organization that convened the process.

    Rob and Dan then take on the most persistent question in podcasting: What is a podcast?

    Two areas continue to create friction.

    1. One is whether a podcast must be distributed through RSS.
    2. The other is whether the medium must be primarily audio.

    Dan believes RSS represents important principles, including open access and flexible distribution.

    Dan does not believe RSS should be the only requirement determining whether a show qualifies as a podcast.

    His practical test is whether the experience still works when the audience closes its eyes.

    Video can enhance a podcast without disqualifying it. A program that requires constant visual attention will remain open to debate, but he argues that advertisers need enough consistency to conduct business.

    Rob explains that RSS has increasingly become an industry-level, server-to-server distribution system. Many newer creators do not know where to find their RSS feed because hosting platforms now handle most submission and syndication work through dashboards and direct platform connections.

    Audiences care even less about the technical delivery method. They call content a podcast based on how the experience looks and feels.

    The conversation also covers Apple’s HLS video implementation. Rob supports the opportunity for high-quality streaming video but questions Apple’s use of a direct submission process rather than placing the HLS stream inside the open RSS feed. He believes alternative enclosures could enable the same video stream to reach more podcast apps without limiting it to a single platform.

    Dan views HLS as broadly compatible with AMP’s goal of measuring real consumption across audio and video. He also recognizes that open distribution, platform control, creator ownership, and practical commercial adoption will continue pulling the market in different directions.

    The episode closes with a look at what may happen to legacy media.

    Dan does not expect established media companies to disappear quietly. Many still have capital, infrastructure, distribution, and the ability to acquire or support major personalities.

    Dan expects some traditional media companies to adapt by functioning more like houses that provide resources to talent while allowing the personality to remain the visible brand.

    Dan also expects renewed opportunity in local media, which could return through creator-led, community-focused models rather than traditional newspapers or broadcast stations.

    Artificial intelligence will also become part of this future.

    Dan sees value in personalized and AI-supported content, provided audiences can clearly understand when material is authentic, synthetic, or manipulated.

    Rob argues that transparent labeling, human accountability, and audience awareness will become increasingly important as AI personalities and automated media gain adoption.

    Episode 677 captures a media market in the middle of a structural change. Personalities are carrying audiences across platforms. Advertisers want creator trust while also demanding dependable measurement. Platforms want control over distribution, while creators want ownership and flexibility.

    The companies that bring those interests together will help determine how creator media is bought, measured, and scaled.

    Topics Covered in This Episode

    – Why personalities are becoming media companies
    – The CAO Summit and brand-to-brand learning
    – Connecting advertisers directly with creators
    – The purpose of the Indie PaC Awards
    – How to define an independent creator
    – Why independent shows can outperform larger networks
    – Creator ownership and editorial control
    – Brands shifting budget toward creator media
    – Host-read advertising and audience trust
    – Why honest creator criticism can improve an endorsement
    – Pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll advertising
    – Podcast ad load and campaign performance
    – Brand safety, suitability, and values alignment
    – Buying creators across several media platforms
    – Licensing creator advertising content
    – The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting
    – The proposed 30-second podcast-play standard
    – Measuring audio and video through a common framework
    – Defining a podcast beyond RSS
    – Why video does not automatically change the medium
    – Apple HLS video and alternative RSS enclosures
    – The IAB’s possible role in industry adoption
    – Legacy media adaptation
    – The future of local creator media
    – AI content, personalization, and disclosure

    Chapter Time Stamp Markers:

    00:00 Welcome to The New Media Show Episode 677
    00:19 How personality-led media is changing the market
    03:10 Introducing Dan Granger of Oxford Road
    04:00 Why in-person media gatherings matter again
    06:14 How the CAO Summit began
    07:31 Defining the Chief Audio Officer
    09:19 Bringing advertisers and creators together
    11:34 The Independent Podcast and Creator Awards
    13:38 Deal Room and a new approach to podcast upfronts
    14:21 What makes a creator truly independent?
    16:06 Joe Rogan, ownership, and platform influence
    17:42 Publishing activity and independent-creator criteria
    18:20 Creators are taking control of the media world
    20:26 Personality-driven media reaches every institution
    22:12 Brands move more budget toward creator content
    25:16 Trust as the core creator-media asset
    27:00 Why host-read advertising still works
    28:22 Product testing and honest creator endorsements
    30:00 Ad placement, post-rolls, and wasted impressions
    31:18 How excessive ad load damages performance
    33:00 Rob’s early radio and podcast advertising experience
    35:46 Remembering Todd Cochrane
    36:46 What advertisers now value in creators
    37:00 Buying a personality across multiple platforms
    38:17 Licensing creator content for paid campaigns
    39:18 Brand safety, values, and commercial outcomes
    45:54 Introducing the AMP measurement project
    47:37 The 30-second versus 60-second play debate
    48:00 Why a shared measurement language matters
    51:38 AMP’s one-year mission and planned conclusion
    52:25 Why the industry still needs to define a podcast
    54:26 RSS, audio, video, and open distribution
    56:00 HLS video and cross-platform attribution
    57:12 Apple APIs compared with RSS alternative enclosures
    59:08 Is RSS still essential to podcasting?
    1:00:00 Why consumers no longer think about RSS
    1:01:30 Dan’s “works with your eyes closed” podcast test
    1:03:37 Why advertisers need a practical definition
    1:04:35 AMP’s position on podcasts without RSS
    1:05:49 The RSS education gap among newer creators
    1:07:43 Building standards that grow the entire market
    1:09:22 The IAB’s role in measurement adoption
    1:11:18 Will personalities replace legacy media brands?
    1:12:27 The possible rebirth of local media
    1:13:42 AI content, personalization, and labeling
    1:16:00 AMP’s contribution to a more scalable market
    1:17:35 Closing remarks

    Guest Links: Dan Granger, Founder and CEO, Oxford Road

    Oxford Road: https://oxfordroad.com
    Dan Granger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangranger
    Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting: https://www.ampaccords.com
    Oxford Road Thought Leadership: https://oxfordroad.com/thought-leadership
    Oxford Road ORBIT: https://oxfordroad.com/thought-leadership/orbit
    Indie PaC Awards Announcement: https://oxfordroad.com/thought-leadership/this-weeks-influencer-introducing-the-inaugural-indie-pac-awards-tiktok-resumes-its-long-form-push-orbit-deems-niche-sports-vips-and-more

    Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links

    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com
    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com

    AI Disclosure Note

    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode description and create chapter markers from the episode transcript. The editorial direction, final review, industry perspective, and responsibility for the published content remain mine. The discussion reflects the views expressed by my guest and me during the recorded conversation.

    The post How Brands Buy Creator Media | Dan Granger, Oxford Road #677 first appeared on New Media Show.

  20. Creators Become Media | Steve Wilson, Daylight Media and QCODE #676

    53 minEpisódio 676

    In Episode #676 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Steve Wilson, Chief Strategy Officer at Daylight Media and QCODE, for a wide-ranging conversation about the shift from …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode #676 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Steve Wilson, Chief Strategy Officer at Daylight Media and QCODE, for a wide-ranging conversation about the shift from producing a successful podcast to building a sustainable creator-led media company.

    Creators no longer operate in a simple world of publishing one show to ONE place and relying mainly on advertising.

    The strongest creators are building direct relationships with audiences across podcasts, video, short-form clips, newsletters, communities, subscriptions, live events, products, and services.

    Podcasting remains one of the most effective long-form formats for building trust and repeated audience connection.

    It is now one part of a larger media strategy shaped by video distribution, platform algorithms, artificial intelligence, audience ownership, and the growing power of individual personalities.

    Steve brings a valuable perspective to this discussion. Before joining QCODE, he spent years working with Apple Podcasts and iTunes. At QCODE, he helped develop and distribute premium scripted audio series featuring talent including Matthew McConaughey, Demi Moore, and Rami Malek. QCODE has since expanded through Daylight Media, which provides distribution, monetization, technology, marketing, and business support for a broader network of creators.

    Daylight currently works with roughly 70 creators and shows representing approximately 300 million monthly audio downloads and video views.

    Across that network, video now accounts for a significant share of consumption, although the balance between audio and video differs considerably from show to show.

    That difference is important.

    Some creators have audiences that strongly favor YouTube and Spotify video. Other shows continue to perform primarily through audio.

    For some programs, video may be valuable mainly as a discovery and social marketing layer rather than as the central product. Steve argues that creators should evaluate their format, audience, resources, and business goals before committing to a major video expansion.

    Rob and Steve discuss Apple’s HLS video support and why it may become an important addition to the podcast distribution ecosystem. HLS can give creators greater flexibility in delivering video while maintaining many of the ownership and control principles associated with RSS.

    The larger issue is whether creators retain access to their audience data, revenue information, advertising options, and the ability to move their shows between services.

    The conversation also examines what makes a show work in both audio and video.

    A strong video presentation may include thoughtful set design, lighting, visual storytelling, archival material, graphics, and physical objects that add context. The underlying audio still needs to stand on its own.

    Listeners should not feel as though they are receiving an incomplete version of a show because they cannot see what is happening on screen.

    Steve points to television, documentary production, and the work of filmmakers such as Ken Burns as useful references.

    A show can begin with excellent audio storytelling and add visuals that deepen the experience without making the audio audience feel secondary.

    There are also cases where the audio and video products should remain different. Scripted fiction uses sound to create a theater of the mind, allowing listeners to imagine the world and its characters. Turning that same property into a visual production may require a separate creative and business decision rather than a simple video version of the podcast.

    We also explore the potential for long-form content on Instagram, the renewed interest in vertical video, and the growing market for microdramas. They also revisit Quibi and consider whether some earlier media ideas failed because the technology, audience behavior, or distribution environment was not yet ready for them.

    The discussion then turns to one of the most important distinctions between podcasting and YouTube.

    YouTube can generate large spikes around individual videos, but performance may vary widely from episode to episode.

    Traditional RSS-based podcast audiences are often more consistent. That stability can make an audio podcast especially valuable to advertisers because future episode delivery and revenue are easier to forecast.

    YouTube is highly effective for discovery. Podcast feeds are often stronger at developing recurring habits around a series. Successful media companies will increasingly need to understand the value of both.

    Catalog discovery is another major opportunity. Podcasts and long-form videos can remain useful for years, but most platforms continue to prioritize newly released material. Steve argues that the industry needs better ways to help audiences find relevant episodes from existing catalogs based on subject, location, interest, and current context.

    Daylight recently acquired Podcast Review, a long-running editorial publication focused on podcast reviews, interviews, recommendations, and lists. Steve sees independent editorial guidance as an important part of helping audiences find strong shows beyond what algorithms automatically recommend. Podcast Review continues to publish consumer-focused coverage while operating as a Daylight Media property with stated editorial standards and disclosures.

    Rob and Steve discuss whether the audience now has more influence over what qualifies as a podcast. Listeners and viewers increasingly use the word to describe a style of recurring, personality-led media rather than a specific technical delivery method.

    Steve is less concerned with rigid format definitions. He compares the current debate to earlier questions about whether a streaming series released all at once should still be called television. Distribution formats change. Audience behavior changes. The most useful question is whether the content delivers the experience people expect from the show.

    The second half of the episode focuses on creators becoming media companies.

    Daylight works with creators at different stages, from established personalities such as Jon Stewart to growing shows entering advertising for the first time. Some partners need only ad sales support. Others are developing subscriptions, merchandise, tours, live events, networks, and additional shows.

    Steve describes Daylight as an infrastructure layer that often works behind the scenes. The goal is to help the creator’s brand remain visible while providing the operational systems needed to grow. Daylight was launched as an expansion of QCODE’s creator-support work, with services covering distribution, audience development, marketing, technology, products, and monetization.

    Creator-first structure differs from an older media model in which the studio or network brand often controlled the relationship between talent and audience. Steve believes the next era will give creators more leverage, flexibility, and ownership. The companies that support them will need to prove their value without taking over the show’s identity.

    Artificial intelligence is already affecting that work, although adoption varies widely. Some creators are using AI for research, transcription, artwork, editing, and production support. Others remain strongly opposed to it.

    Steve does not see the choice as a complete acceptance or rejection of AI.

    Each use case needs to be evaluated separately. Voice dubbing may help a creator correct a short line without having to re-record an entire session. Transcription can reduce production time. Synthetic performances or undisclosed manipulation may violate the audience’s expectations and trust.

    Both agree that growing volumes of synthetic content may also increase the value of live, in-person, and clearly human experiences.

    Podcast tours, creator conferences, community gatherings, retreats, and interactive events allow audiences to participate in ways that digital platforms cannot fully reproduce. The opportunity may extend beyond recording a regular episode on stage.

    Future creator events could include audience conversations, workshops, performances, shared activities, and experiences built around a particular community or interest.

    This episode offers a clear view of where creator media is heading. A show can remain the center of the relationship, but the greater opportunity lies in building a flexible media business around the audience, protecting creator ownership, and selecting formats that serve the content rather than following every platform trend.

    Topics Covered in This Episode

    – Why successful creators are becoming media companies
    – QCODE’s expansion into Daylight Media
    – Audio and video consumption across the Daylight network
    – Apple HLS video and creator-controlled distribution
    – Why every show needs a different audio and video strategy
    – Set design and visual storytelling for video shows
    – Preserving a complete experience for audio listeners
    – Scripted fiction, video adaptations, and intellectual property
    – Instagram, vertical video, and microdramas
    – YouTube discovery compared with RSS audience stability
    – Evergreen content and podcast-catalog discovery
    – Apple Podcasts editorial discovery
    – Daylight Media’s acquisition of Podcast Review
    – Whether audiences now define what a podcast is
    – Revenue beyond advertising
    – Subscriptions, merchandise, networks, touring, and events
    – Daylight as a behind-the-scenes creator infrastructure company
    – RSS, APIs, alternate enclosures, and platform control
    – Creator access to audience and revenue data
    – AI production tools and audience trust
    – The growing value of live and human experiences

    Chapter Time Stamp Markers:

    00:00 Welcome to The New Media Show Episode 676
    00:36 Creators are building full media businesses
    02:24 Introducing Steve Wilson of Daylight Media and QCODE
    03:05 How QCODE expanded into Daylight Media
    04:23 From premium audio fiction to a creator network
    05:16 Video now drives much of the network’s consumption
    05:59 Apple HLS video and creator flexibility
    08:27 Why there is no single audio-video strategy
    09:03 What makes a show work in video?
    10:44 Keeping audio listeners at the center
    12:09 Higher production values and video set design
    14:34 Theater of the mind and the value of audio
    15:37 Short-form video and social-first podcasts
    16:00 Could Instagram become a long-form video platform?
    17:33 Microdramas, vertical storytelling, and the Quibi lesson
    18:27 Audio-first creators and video anxiety
    19:24 YouTube volatility compared with RSS stability
    21:01 Tentpole episodes, long-form content, and audience habits
    22:10 Evergreen catalog discovery
    23:26 Apple Podcasts editorial discovery
    25:00 Daylight Media acquires Podcast Review
    25:46 Is the audience taking control of media definitions?
    27:52 Does the technical definition of a podcast still matter?
    31:03 Moving from a show to a media company
    32:14 Daylight’s creator network and growth spectrum
    32:54 Subscriptions, merchandise, tours, and new revenue
    33:35 Daylight as a creator infrastructure layer
    34:07 Why Daylight works behind the scenes
    36:12 The future of video distribution and RSS
    37:17 Alternate enclosures and location-based discovery
    38:24 Creator ownership beyond RSS purity
    39:59 Audio ads, video ads, platforms, and advertiser results
    41:07 Independent creators gain more media power
    42:07 How creators are using AI
    43:02 Where AI can damage audience trust
    45:05 AI voice dubbing and practical production uses
    45:34 The return of live and human experiences
    47:18 Podcast tours, conferences, and creator communities
    49:18 Building more interactive creator events
    50:51 Final thoughts on Daylight Media and QCODE
    51:31 Where to find Daylight and QCODE shows
    52:44 End of episode

    Guest Links: Steve Wilson, Chief Strategy Officer, Daylight Media and QCODE

    Daylight Media: https://daylightmedia.com
    QCODE Media: https://qcodemedia.com
    Podcast Review: https://podcastreview.org
    Steve Wilson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwilson7
    Steve Wilson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilsonomics

    Steve Wilson is currently Chief Strategy Officer at Daylight Media, with his work continuing across the QCODE and Daylight organizations.

    Host, Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links

    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com
    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com

    About Trust Factor Lab

    Trust Factor Lab helps creators, media leaders, executives, and brands build stronger audience trust across AI, video, podcasts, and creator-led media. Founded by Rob Greenlee, it focuses on content strategy, authority development, media positioning, AI transparency, audience growth, and business outcomes built through credibility.

    AI Disclosure Note:

    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode description and create chapter markers from the episode transcript. The editorial direction, final review, industry perspective, and responsibility for the published content remain mine. The discussion reflects the views expressed by my guest and me during the recorded conversation.

    The post Creators Become Media | Steve Wilson, Daylight Media and QCODE #676 first appeared on New Media Show.

  21. Why Podcast and Creator Awards Matter | Cameron Stack, Recognized.fm #675

    59 minEpisódio 675

    In Episode 675 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee welcomes Cameron Stack, founder and curator of Recognized.fm, for a conversation about podcast awards, creator credibility, industry recognition, and the …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 675 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee welcomes Cameron Stack, founder and curator of Recognized.fm, for a conversation about podcast awards, creator credibility, industry recognition, and the growing business behind awards, nominations, platform distinctions, editorial selections, and career honors.

    Podcast awards can be easy to dismiss as another trophy or promotional exercise. Credible recognition can have a much larger impact on a creator, a show, a network, or a media company.

    An award nomination or win can strengthen a media kit, support sponsor conversations, attract better guests, generate press coverage, and give prospective listeners another reason to take a show seriously.

    The difficult part is deciding which awards deserve the investment.

    Podcasting now has a wide recognition ecosystem that includes juried competitions, audience-voted awards, editorial selections, regional programs, platform honors, niche-category awards, professional distinctions, and lifetime-achievement recognition such as the Podcast Hall of Fame.

    Cameron created Recognized.fm to organize this expanding market and help creators understand their options. Recognized currently tracks more than 100 audio and podcast awards, with information that can be filtered by factors such as geographic scope, entry fees, voting format, and prestige.

    They discuss why creators should begin with a clear objective before paying to submit. A widely known international award may bring general visibility, while a smaller award focused on a creator’s profession, region, language, or subject category may carry more influence with the people they most want to reach.

    Example 1: A medical podcast may receive greater credibility in healthcare than from a broad entertainment competition.

    Example 2: A true-crime show may benefit more from an award respected by that community than from competing across every podcast genre.

    Submission fees also need to be considered. Independent creators may only have the budget to enter one or two competitions, while networks and larger publishers can treat award submissions as part of a broader marketing strategy.

    Cameron explains why creators should compare costs against potential returns in visibility, authority, business development, audience growth, and professional validation.

    The judging process matters just as much as the entry fee. Creators should understand who operates the award, how judges are selected, what criteria are used, whether the process is transparent, and how much weight the recognition will carry with the intended audience.

    Every award has its own purpose and incentives. Some are selected by industry juries. Others rely on fan voting, editorial judgment, platform data, or a combination of methods. Recognized.fm is building a clearer taxonomy so creators can understand those differences before committing their time and money.

    Awards also function as social proof. Audiences already use ratings, reviews, trailers, artwork, recommendations, and visible audience activity to decide whether a show deserves attention. A respected award or nomination adds another outside signal that the work has been evaluated and recognized.

    The recognition can strengthen sponsor decks, improve outreach to potential guests, support speaking opportunities, and help creators position themselves as credible voices within a category.

    The impact can continue long after the ceremony, as recognition becomes part of the creator’s biography, website, introductions, and business materials.

    We also explore the larger “recognition economy”. Awards are one part of an industry that includes trophy manufacturers, submission platforms, consultants, event producers, sponsors, judging systems, media organizations, and the businesses that support professional recognition.

    As creator-led media grows, new awards will continue to emerge around podcasts, YouTube shows, livestreaming, newsletters, social video, and other online formats. Established awards will also need to adapt as audiences and media habits change.

    Artificial intelligence will bring another layer of change.

    Cameron expects AI-related categories and dedicated AI awards to emerge as organizations seek ways to recognize new forms of production and technological achievement.

    Rob raises the trust questions that will accompany that shift, especially when established human-centered awards begin considering synthetic or substantially AI-generated work.

    The episode closes with a look at the physical trophies themselves. Cameron shares examples from the Webbys, Signal Awards, iHeartPodcast Awards, international design competitions, and other recognition programs. A memorable trophy can become a visible symbol of the award and extend its value through videos, studio sets, social posts, and public appearances.

    For creators, producers, networks, and media companies, Episode 675 provides a practical framework for deciding when awards are worth pursuing, how to evaluate them, and how credible recognition can support broader media and business strategies.

    Topics Covered in This Episode

    * Why credible podcast recognition matters
    * Cameron Stack’s background in podcast production
    * The development of Recognized.fm
    * Juried, fan-voted, editorial, regional, and platform awards
    * How creators should decide which awards to enter
    * Submission fees and potential return on investment
    * Broad awards compared with niche recognition
    * Awards as social proof for listeners and sponsors
    * Strengthening media kits and guest outreach
    * Podcast Hall of Fame and career recognition
    * Judging standards, transparency, and organizational bias
    * The larger recognition economy
    * AI-generated content and future award categories
    * Creator-native awards and legacy media ceremonies
    * Why memorable trophy design matters

    Chapter Time Stamp Markers:

    00:00 Why podcast awards and recognition matter
    02:05 Cameron Stack and the origin of Recognized.fm
    04:08 Recognition expands beyond traditional podcast awards
    05:47 Building a comprehensive guide to audio awards
    07:34 Should every creator submit to awards?
    10:23 The full podcast recognition ecosystem
    11:56 What creators gain from recognition
    13:33 Broad awards compared with niche awards
    15:00 Editorial selections and platform recognition
    17:16 Awards as credibility and social proof
    19:03 Measuring the return from an award
    21:39 Mapping the taxonomy of podcast awards
    24:52 Inside the Recognized.fm platform
    26:03 Events, jobs, and recognition-industry resources
    28:09 Future award discovery and submission tools
    29:54 Niche communities and the demand for recognition
    31:52 Judging standards, transparency, and trust
    34:15 Submission fees, bias, and due diligence
    38:23 How AI may reshape awards
    40:59 AI categories, positioning, and possible backlash
    43:22 The growing recognition economy
    46:01 Creator-native awards and legacy ceremonies
    48:06 Why the physical trophy matters
    52:27 The Webbys, Lovie Awards, and digital recognition
    53:31 iHeartPodcast Awards and major-industry trophies
    54:53 Signal Awards, the Ambies, and podcast trophy design
    56:00 Recognized.fm and closing thoughts
    58:49 End of episode

    Guest Links: Cameron Stack, Founder and Curator, Recognized.fm

    Recognized.fm: https://recognized.fm
    Podcast Awards Taxonomy: https://recognized.fm/podcast-awards
    About Recognized: https://recognized.fm/about-recognized
    Recognized Newsletter: https://recognized.substack.com
    Cameron Stack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-stack

    Recognized.fm, curated by Cameron Stack, focuses on making the awards and recognition industry easier to understand and navigate.

    Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links

    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com
    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com

    About Trust Factor Lab

    Trust Factor Lab helps creators, media leaders, executives, and brands build stronger audience trust across AI, video, podcasts, and creator-led media. Founded by Rob Greenlee, it focuses on media positioning, content strategy, authority development, AI transparency, audience growth, and trust-centered business outcomes.

    AI Disclosure Note:

    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode and its description, then create chapter markers from the episode transcript. The editorial direction, final review, industry perspective, and responsibility for the published content remain mine. The discussion reflects the views expressed by my guest and me during the recorded conversation.

    The post Why Podcast and Creator Awards Matter | Cameron Stack, Recognized.fm #675 first appeared on New Media Show.

  22. Video-First Podcasting Has Arrived | Rox Codes, Flightcast #674

    1 h 28 minEpisódio 674

    In Episode 674 of the New Media Show, Podcast Hall of Fame Host Rob Greenlee welcomes Rox Codes, CEO and co-founder of Flightcast.com. For a deep conversation about video-first podcasting, YouTube growth …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 674 of the New Media Show, Podcast Hall of Fame Host Rob Greenlee welcomes Rox Codes, CEO and co-founder of Flightcast.com.

    For a deep conversation about video-first podcasting, YouTube growth, AI-powered analytics, creator tools, and where podcast publishing is heading next.

    Rox Codes has spent years building tools for creators, including YouTube optimization, thumbnail and title creation, A/B testing, and creator growth systems.

    Flightcast was co-founded with Steven Bartlett of The Diary of a CEO. Rox is building a platform centered on a core shift in the market: serious shows are no longer just audio-first with a bonus video version.

    Many of the fastest-moving creators now think about YouTube first, then audio, clips, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, newsletters, social platforms, and every other surface where the audience may discover the show.

    Has video-first podcasting fully arrived, and is it now equal to audio, or is it becoming even more important for growth?

    Rox explains that Flightcast came from a very different starting point than traditional podcast hosting. Instead of beginning with RSS, downloads, and audio workflow, the platform was built from a YouTube creator mindset.

    YouTube has long been the clearest growth platform for creators because it combines publishing, discovery, audience development, monetization, and measurable performance into a single system. Podcasting, by contrast, has often separated those pieces across hosting platforms, apps, ad systems, analytics dashboards, and RSS-based distribution.

    The episode explores why this matters now. A modern show can become a long-form YouTube episode, an audio podcast, Spotify video, Apple video, short-form clips, newsletter content, social posts, community discussion, and brand inventory. Rox describes podcasts as a powerful format because a single strong two-hour conversation can yield many different media assets across multiple platforms.

    That creates opportunity, but it also creates complexity.

    They discuss Apple’s HLS video support, Spotify video, YouTube, RSS, 4K video, thumbnails in feeds, Netflix, Roku, FAST channels, Prime Video, and the growing need for creators to publish into more places without needing to understand every technical layer underneath.

    Rox argues that creators should not have to care about acronyms like HLS, VAST, RSS, or 301 redirects unless the technology directly affects their business. The software should handle the complexity so creators can focus on the show, the audience, and the growth strategy.

    A major theme of the episode is that video success is not just about uploading an MP4 file. Rox makes a strong case that the real shift is in mindset. On YouTube, titles, thumbnails, intros, pacing, retention, curiosity gaps, promise, progress, payoff, packaging, and audience behavior all matter. Podcasting has historically treated episode art and titles as secondary. YouTube treats them as the front door to the content.

    Rob and Rox spend significant time on thumbnails and titles, including why creators need to understand the psychology behind a click without reducing the work to empty clickbait.

    Rox explains that a thumbnail should create a question the viewer wants answered, while the episode itself must deliver enough value to earn attention and retention. The best creators do not copy blindly. They study what works, understand why it works, and apply that structure in their own voice, to their audience, and through their creative point of view.

    The conversation also moves into AI.

    Rox does not describe Flightcast as an AI-first platform, but AI is an important layer inside the system. He sees major value in AI analytics, back-catalog analysis, clip testing, title suggestions, descriptions, chapters, transcripts, and pattern recognition. His larger ambition is to bake more of the YouTube strategist and producer mindset directly into the software so creators can see what is working, what is not working, and where new growth opportunities may exist.

    Rob and Rox also discuss monetization. As video moves deeper into podcast platforms, host-read ads, dynamic ad insertion, video ad formats, brand partnerships, affiliate models, and creator-controlled advertising may begin to converge. Rox explains Flightcast’s ability to support programmatic, dynamic sponsorships and bring-your-own-programmatic monetization, while keeping the platform focused on growth and creator support rather than solely on ad sales.

    The episode closes with a look at the future of podcast hosting itself.

    Rox argues that basic hosting has become a commodity. The next layer is growth, analytics, experimentation, distribution, monetization support, and creator intelligence. In a world where AI can make software easier to build and copy, the real advantage may come from insight, speed, taste, data interpretation, and the ability to help serious creators make better decisions faster.

    For creators, publishers, networks, and podcast platforms, Episode 674 is a clear look at the next stage of podcasting: video-first, data-aware, AI-supported, YouTube-influenced, and increasingly built around shows that can travel everywhere.

    Chapter Topic Time Stamp Markers:

    00:00 Welcome to The New Media Show Episode 674
    00:19 Has video-first podcasting arrived?
    01:21 Introducing Rox Codes and Flightcast
    02:32 Building tools for YouTubers before podcasting
    03:18 Why podcast hosting needed a YouTube-first mindset
    04:13 Building the Flightcast playbook around video-first shows
    05:31 Bringing the Diary of a CEO playbook into software
    06:54 Can a platform support data-driven production?
    08:27 AI, automation, and the future of show creation
    09:13 LLMs and AI tools in creator workflows
    10:23 AI as a podcast data consultant
    11:19 Publishing, analytics, and experimentation
    13:41 Could Flightcast become a creator operating system?
    14:17 Podcasts as long-form source material for every platform
    16:39 Is YouTube success the strongest growth signal?
    17:19 Growth, retention, and why YouTube has the advantage
    19:44 Going from YouTube to audio vs audio to video
    20:49 Who Flightcast is built for
    21:28 Apple HLS, Spotify video, and platform complexity
    22:21 Can Apple or Spotify compete with YouTube video?
    23:43 Video as human connection
    24:24 Apple Podcasts video and the return of native video distribution
    25:51 Netflix, podcasts, and low-cost creator TV
    27:22 Why creator video can work across phone, laptop, car, and TV
    28:20 Apple TV, 4K, and the quality question
    29:16 Why creators should not need to understand HLS or RSS
    31:55 The podcast industry still has too much technical friction
    33:46 Alternate enclosure, iHeart, HLS, and RSS thumbnails
    34:27 Why episode artwork and thumbnails now matter more
    35:10 The thumbnail and title are the packaging
    37:14 AI thumbnail scoring and creative judgment
    38:08 Thumbnail psychology and curiosity gaps
    38:52 Retention editing, strong intros, and promise-progress-payoff
    40:10 Why better videos can multiply results
    41:19 The real workload behind YouTube-quality video
    42:37 Legacy media skills vs YouTube creator skills
    44:50 Faster testing cycles changed creator media
    45:32 Why video can be ten times harder when done right
    45:53 How AI can bake strategy into software
    47:00 Where Flightcast differs from early-stage creator tools
    47:32 YouTube algorithm changes and podcaster anxiety
    49:19 HLS, video ads, and creator-controlled ad insertion
    50:22 Dynamic ads across YouTube and podcast platforms
    51:33 Platform trust and monetization value
    52:01 YouTube brand connections and affiliate models
    53:18 Right brand, right creator, right price
    54:35 360 campaigns, affiliates, and creator investments
    57:17 Organic product mentions and brand relationships
    58:14 What podcast hosting becomes next
    58:46 Hosting as a commodity and growth as the real business
    59:37 APIs, AI coding, and software moats
    1:00:30 Where is the moat in creator software?
    1:01:07 Staying ahead through insight and experimentation
    1:03:32 Advanced analytics as the future advantage
    1:04:41 Every creator has a different data pattern
    1:05:14 MrBeastification, AI, and creator sameness
    1:06:10 Outlier analysis and creative inspiration
    1:07:15 Why outlier theory works when used correctly
    1:08:44 Packaging the topic before recording
    1:09:32 Does this conflict with podcasting culture?
    1:11:01 Why data-driven formats do not have to kill creativity
    1:12:23 Ryan Trahan and creative twists on proven formats
    1:14:17 Packaging as the price of audience attention
    1:15:04 Craft, creativity, and changing the playbook
    1:16:51 Podcasting’s radio roots and YouTube’s different rules
    1:17:27 Flightcast demo: stop guessing what content works
    1:18:00 Publishing video everywhere with unified analytics
    1:18:51 Measurement standards and the 30-second vs 60-second debate
    1:20:21 AI analytics, clips, and test channels
    1:21:35 YouTube API limits and thumbnail A/B testing
    1:22:51 Flightcast monetization and bring-your-own programmatic
    1:23:55 Transcripts, AI titles, descriptions, and chapters
    1:24:21 Flightcast pricing and plans
    1:25:41 HLS across all plans and video storage differences
    1:26:32 Future pricing credits for more clips
    1:26:48 Closing thoughts and where to find the episode

    Guest Links: Rox Codes, CEO and Co-Founder, Flightcast

    Flightcast: https://flightcast.com
    Rox Codes Website: https://roxcodes.com
    Rox Codes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxcodes
    Rox Codes on X: https://x.com/RoxCodes
    Rox Codes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChg53qPBdY1FF8gjOlB9zkg

    Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links

    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com
    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com

    Personal / AI Disclosure Note:

    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode description and generate show notes from the episode transcript. The views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. This article reflects my editorial direction and the substance of the conversation.

    The post Video-First Podcasting Has Arrived | Rox Codes, Flightcast #674 first appeared on New Media Show.

  23. Podcasting Beyond the Download | Casey Adams, Listener.com #673

    1 h 24 minEpisódio 673

    In Episode 673 of the New Media Show, host 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Casey Adams, founder and CEO of Listener.com and host of The Casey Adams Show, for a timely conversation about how …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 673 of the New Media Show, host 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Casey Adams, founder and CEO of Listener.com and host of The Casey Adams Show, for a timely conversation about how podcasting, video, social content, advertising, and new media measurement are rapidly converging.

    For more than 20 years, podcasting has relied heavily on RSS feeds, downloads, and audio-first measurement as the foundation of distribution and advertising value. That still matters, but the media environment around it has changed dramatically.

    Shows now are distributed across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, social video, newsletters, clips, livestreams, and direct audience communities. Audiences may call it all a podcast, even as the industry continues to debate its technical definition.

    Casey brings a founder, creator, and investor perspective to the discussion. He started podcasting as a teenager, interviewing founders and entrepreneurs, and later built MediaKits.com before moving into podcast analytics with Listener.com. His current work focuses on helping modern publishers understand how a single episode performs across audio, long-form video, short-form clips, newsletters, and social platforms.

    Rob and Casey explore why the term “podcast” now means different things to different groups. To many longtime industry professionals, podcasting still points back to RSS-based audio distribution. To many younger listeners and viewers, it means a format: a recurring show, often conversational, often video-enabled, and consumed wherever attention already exists.

    The conversation centers on one of the biggest questions facing podcasting and new media right now:

    How do you measure the true value of a show when the audience is no longer in one place?

    Rob and Casey also discuss why the download can no longer carry the entire weight of podcast measurement.

    A single episode may now generate value through an Apple Podcasts listen, a Spotify stream, a full YouTube view, a YouTube Short, a TikTok clip, a LinkedIn post, an X post, a newsletter mention, and a brand integration that travels across all of those surfaces. Each platform counts activity differently. Each platform has its own audience behavior. That makes reporting, sponsorship value, and campaign analysis more complex.

    Casey explains Listener.com’s concept of episode clusters: grouping the full set of related content around one episode so publishers and advertisers can see the larger cross-platform reach and performance.

    Instead of treating the audio file as the entire campaign, an episode cluster recognizes that one conversation can become long-form video, social clips, newsletter content, and multiple ad touchpoints.

    We also discuss the rising influence of creator-led media companies. Examples like TBPN, Jomboy Media, Substack’s media activity, and venture-backed new media brands show how independent shows and creator-driven networks are increasingly competing with legacy media for attention, trust, and advertiser value.

    The conversation explores why companies, CEOs, investors, and major brands now seek to control their own narrative through podcasts, owned shows, and trusted media relationships.

    We also examine the advertising side of this shift. Brands want better campaign reporting, but they also want context. A host-read placement, a social clip, a full video episode, and a newsletter mention should not all be treated the same.

    Modern publishers need tools that let them demonstrate the full value of their media ecosystem without flattening every metric into a single misleading number.

    Meaning for creators. Being a podcaster may no longer fully describe the work involved. Modern show builders are becoming media operators. They need to understand production, audience behavior, platform distribution, brand positioning, analytics, content packaging, and trust. The technical meaning of podcasting still matters, but the audience meaning matters just as much now.

    For creators, networks, agencies, and brands, Episode 673 offers a clear look at the next stage of podcasting: a media business built around trusted shows, distributed everywhere, measured more intelligently, and no longer limited to downloads.

    Topics Covered in This Episode:

    00:33 Why podcast measurement is changing
    01:00 Moving beyond the download
    01:44 RSS, streaming, and modern distribution challenges
    02:42 Introducing Casey Adams of Listener.com
    03:37 Casey Adams joins the show
    04:17 What Listener.com is trying to solve
    05:00 AI-powered analytics for modern podcast publishers
    05:41 Casey’s podcasting origin story
    06:30 Interviewing Larry King and learning from media legends
    07:18 Larry King’s warning about rejecting new media trends
    08:04 From MediaKits.com to Listener.com
    09:15 Rob’s early podcasting and radio background
    10:04 Why the industry struggles with change
    11:00 Does Casey still consider himself a podcaster?
    12:00 Podcasts as a format, not just a technology
    13:10 YouTube, Spotify, and the expanded podcast ecosystem
    14:34 Why modern shows must meet audiences where they are
    15:37 The audience now defines what a podcast means
    16:16 RSS audio vs the broader podcast perception
    17:16 Apple HLS and the pressure on RSS
    18:17 The industry needs to accept broader podcast usage
    19:26 Younger audiences and podcast consumption habits
    20:39 Larry King’s quote behind Listener.com
    21:25 Why RSS is becoming less visible to creators and audiences
    23:21 Respecting podcasting’s roots while accepting change
    24:00 The Uber analogy for podcasting’s disruption
    25:41 Journalists, creators, and independent media companies
    27:49 Creator-led media and the rise of new media brands
    28:33 Legacy media relevance is being challenged
    30:13 TBPN and the new media company model
    31:28 Treating a show like a full media ecosystem
    32:36 Year-long sponsorships and category exclusivity
    33:49 Why serious creators must think like media companies
    35:19 How podcast analytics supports advertiser relationships
    36:00 Silicon Valley’s renewed interest in “new media”
    37:23 The pandemic pushed legacy media into creator workflows
    38:16 Casey introduces the Listener.com platform
    39:05 Jomboy Media and creator-led sports coverage
    40:00 Episode clusters and cross-platform performance
    41:00 Tracking long-form video, audio, and short-form clips
    42:18 Episode reports for brands and publishers
    43:05 Why every platform metric should be valued differently
    44:00 How Listener.com supports campaign reporting
    45:00 Aggregating metrics from multiple platforms
    46:00 Audio, content, commerce, and newsletter integrations
    47:00 Using AI to match clips to episodes
    48:00 Listener AI and talking to your podcast data
    49:23 Making podcast data easier to understand and share
    50:00 Where podcast analytics and AI go next
    51:28 AI can guide creators, but execution still wins
    52:23 Using AI as a thought partner for content strategy
    53:24 Why creators must keep improving their shows
    54:47 What drives new media inspiration today?
    56:01 Why companies want to control their narrative
    57:15 CEOs, podcasts, and trusted long-form conversations
    58:22 Substack, owned media, and creator platforms
    59:21 New podcast metrics standards and platform conflicts
    1:00:35 How different platforms count views and plays
    1:02:16 Serving publishers while tracking industry standards
    1:03:00 Why brands need better cross-platform campaign reports
    1:04:28 Toward better host-read campaign reporting
    1:05:14 How platform changes flow into Listener.com data
    1:06:00 Why publishers should control their own data
    1:07:00 Putting a show’s full value forward
    1:08:03 Brand, trust, and modern podcast IP
    1:09:34 OpenAI, TBPN, and strategic media investment
    1:10:32 Why TBPN brought sponsors back
    1:11:11 How media brands can help shift company narratives
    1:12:15 New media as a strategic communications layer
    1:14:00 Lessons from AI-generated podcast network messaging
    1:14:46 The risk of platform influence after acquisition
    1:16:00 Why the TBPN deal was more than a podcast deal
    1:16:39 Will more companies buy or build media brands?
    1:17:40 HubSpot, distribution, and trusted voices
    1:18:08 Why creators must stay honest with audiences
    1:19:40 Authenticity and audience trust in sponsorships
    1:20:05 Casey’s closing thoughts on podcasting and new media
    1:20:34 Rob’s closing view on podcasting as one lane in new media
    1:21:41 How publishers can work with Listener.com
    1:22:43 Networks, independent shows, and Listener.com’s go-to-market
    1:23:56 Closing remarks and where to find the show

    Guest Links: Casey Adams, Founder and CEO, Listener.com

    Listener.com: https://listener.com
    Casey Adams Show & Website: https://www.caseyadams.com
    The Casey Adams Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-casey-adams-show/id1328795944
    Casey Adams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-adams-430b3114a/
    Casey Adams on X: https://x.com/CaseyAdams
    Casey Adams on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casey/

    Host: Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links

    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com
    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com

    Personal / AI Disclosure Note

    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode description and generate show notes from the episode transcript. The views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. This article reflects my editorial direction and the substance of the conversation.

    The post Podcasting Beyond the Download | Casey Adams, Listener.com #673 first appeared on New Media Show.

  24. The Future of Media | Leo Laporte, TWiT.tv #672

    60 minEpisódio 672

    In Episode 672 of the New Media Show, host 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Leo Laporte, founder and owner of the TWiT Podcast Network, longtime technology broadcaster, and 2015 Podcast Hall of …

    Notas do episódio

    In Episode 672 of the New Media Show, host 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Leo Laporte, founder and owner of the TWiT Podcast Network, longtime technology broadcaster, and 2015 Podcast Hall of Famer.

    He launched TWiT in 2005 and built one of the earliest independent technology media networks around a simple idea: make strong shows, distribute them everywhere the audience wants to watch or listen, and build a real relationship with the people who return every week.

    Leo has spent decades at the center of the shift from broadcast radio and cable television into online shows, podcasts, livestreams, video, and creator-led media.

    This conversation looks at where that model is heading now.

    The word “podcast” helped define an era of downloadable audio, RSS feeds, and iPods. Today, audiences find shows through YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Netflix, social platforms, livestreams, clips, newsletters, and communities.

    Most viewers or listeners do not care how a show is technically delivered. They care whether it is easy to find, worth their attention, and made by people they trust.

    Rob and Leo discuss why the technical barrier to starting a show has fallen so far, while the challenge of creating meaningful content has never gone away. Anyone can publish.

    Building a show that earns repeat attention takes perspective, consistency, subject knowledge, and a genuine relationship with an audience.

    Leo reflects on TWiT’s early video strategy, its experiments with live 24/7 programming, and the importance of creating a sense of place around a media brand.

    Video can deepen audience connection, while audio remains one of the most personal forms of media because it travels with listeners through daily life.

    The discussion also explores the growing complexity of distribution and measurement. Audio and video are increasingly becoming one media experience, yet advertisers still face fragmented metrics across RSS, YouTube, streaming platforms, and social video.

    Rob and Leo talk about Apple HLS video, the gap between download metrics and actual consumption, the limitations of existing IAB measurement standards, and why advertiser confidence still often comes down to audience fit and trusted host-read relationships.

    A strong audience relationship has more long-term value than a number on a dashboard that may not fully reflect who watched, listened, responded, or bought.

    Leo also shares his view that AI is a major structural technology transition. TWiT has expanded its coverage through Intelligent Machines, looking at AI, robotics, and the impact these tools will have on work, media, and daily life.

    AI can help creators research, edit, generate visuals, improve production workflows, translate content, and extend the usefulness of existing media. It can also generate massive volumes of generic content, clone voices, and make it harder for audiences to know what is real.

    Rob and Leo discuss whether clearly identified and certified human-led media may become more valuable as synthetic content becomes harder to distinguish from authentic work. They agree that human perspective, lived experience, spontaneity, and community will continue to matter deeply in a media environment crowded with automated output.

    The episode closes with a look at the next generation of media habits. Leo points to the rise of short-form scrolling, social video, and new creator business models, while also making the case for long-form conversations and communities that bring people together instead of pushing them further apart.

    For creators and media companies, the path forward is still clear: build work that people value, meet the audience where they are, stay flexible as platforms change, and create relationships strong enough to survive the next technology shift.

    Topic Chapter Time Stamp Markers:

    00:00 — Welcome to The New Media Show Episode 672
    Rob Greenlee introduces Leo Laporte and sets up the episode around online new media, podcasting, video, AI, and where media is heading next.

    02:15 — Leo Laporte Joins the Conversation
    Leo reflects on how long he and Rob have been part of the early era of podcasting and online media.

    02:45 — Is It Still New Media?
    Rob and Leo discuss whether “new media” still works as a term, and why podcasting may now be part of a much larger media category.

    03:30 — Why Leo Wanted to Call Podcasts “Netcasts”
    Leo explains why he resisted the term “podcast” early on and why he still thinks creators are really making shows.

    04:35 — Podcasting Beyond the Download
    The conversation moves into YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, RSS, streaming, and why the audience cares more about access than the delivery format.

    05:25 — Be Everywhere the Audience Wants You
    Leo explains one of TWiT’s core decisions: distribute content wherever listeners and viewers want to consume it.

    06:10 — Discovery Is the New Challenge
    Podcasting is easier to access than ever, but harder to discover because audiences now have millions of choices.

    07:35 — Why Starting Is Easy but Building a Show Is Hard
    Leo explains that technical barriers have fallen, but the real challenge remains content, authenticity, and audience connection.

    09:20 — Talent, Audience, and the Return of Media Gatekeeping
    Rob and Leo discuss whether attention is consolidating again around fewer large creators and channels.

    10:25 — Audience Size vs Real Business Value
    Leo separates building an audience from building a media business and explains why YouTube monetization still requires scale.

    11:05 — Radio, Podcasting, and the Early TWiT Model
    Leo talks about his radio background, his first podcast from 2004, and how broadcasting and podcasting share the same core idea.

    12:05 — The Brick House Studio and Legitimacy
    Leo explains why TWiT built a large studio: to show advertisers and audiences that online media could be a serious media business.

    13:05 — Video Was Always Part of the Plan
    Rob and Leo talk about how TWiT was doing video years before the current “video podcasting” push.

    13:40 — Audio Intimacy vs Video Presence
    Leo explains why radio creates intimacy, while video adds place, presence, and a different kind of audience relationship.

    16:05 — TWiT as a Lean-Back Media Network
    Leo describes his early vision for TWiT as a low-cost version of CNN or CNBC for technology coverage.

    17:00 — 24/7 Streaming and Live Community
    The conversation covers TWiT’s 24/7 stream, live programming, behind-the-scenes feel, and why raw authenticity helped the brand.

    18:40 — Why Technology Was the Right Beat
    Leo explains why covering technology kept TWiT relevant through major shifts from the iPhone to AI.

    20:35 — AI as the Next Major Technology Shift
    Leo compares AI to structural technology changes and explains why he sees it as a major long-term shift.

    22:20 — From This Week in Google to Intelligent Machines
    Leo discusses rebranding a TWiT show around AI and robotics as the center of technology coverage moved.

    23:15 — Can AI Create Real Media?
    Rob asks Leo about AI-generated content, and Leo explains why he still believes humans will remain central to media creation.

    24:20 — AI Tools, Voice Cloning, and Advertising
    Leo talks about using AI tools, ElevenLabs voice cloning, and the potential for AI-generated ad reads.

    25:25 — Why Human Spontaneity Still Matters
    Rob and Leo discuss whether AI clones can capture the same timing, originality, and human presence as real creators.

    26:35 — Zune, Apple, Siri, and AI Adoption
    A lighter segment on Zune leads into Apple’s AI plans and how mainstream users may begin to understand AI’s practical value.

    27:45 — AI Backlash, Jobs, and Human Value
    Rob and Leo discuss AI anxiety, job disruption, retraining, and why people need to understand where their human value lies.

    29:30 — Will the Word Podcast Survive?
    Rob asks whether “podcast” will remain the right term as audiences define the medium more than creators or platforms do.

    30:40 — Shows, Creators, and Human Creation
    Leo argues that “show” may be the better word and reflects on why humans are naturally driven to create.

    33:05 — Apple HLS and the Audio-Video Merge
    Rob and Leo discuss Apple HLS, streaming formats, video RSS, audio RSS, and the shift toward combined audio-video experiences.

    37:05 — Measurement Across Audio, Video, and Platforms
    The conversation turns to the challenge of consistent measurement across RSS, YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and other platforms.

    38:20 — Host-Read Ads, Video Ads, and Dynamic Insertion
    Leo explains how TWiT handles baked-in host reads, dynamic ad insertion, and the coming shift toward video ad insertion.

    39:10 — The Problem with Podcast Metrics
    Leo explains why measuring podcast consumption remains messy, especially across corporate networks, mobile listening, and YouTube.

    41:10 — Why Attribution Still Falls Short
    Rob and Leo discuss why promo codes, attribution links, and dashboards do not fully capture real audience behavior.

    43:15 — Trust as the Real Advertising Asset
    Leo explains why TWiT’s value to advertisers comes from trusted hosts, engaged audiences, and long-term sponsor relationships.

    45:00 — Podcasting 2.0 and Shared Economic Models
    Rob introduces the idea of shared value between advertisers, apps, creators, and listeners, and Leo reacts to the concept.

    46:15 — Oxford Road, Dan Granger, and New Metrics
    Rob brings up Dan Granger’s work around new podcast measurement standards and the 30-second vs 60-second listener discussion.

    47:35 — Why Creator-Side Metrics Matter
    Leo explains why he is skeptical of advertiser-driven measurement systems and why inflated podcast numbers damaged trust.

    49:15 — Subscriptions, Membership, and Reducing Ad Dependence
    Leo explains why audience-supported media would be ideal and how TWiT’s paid club fits into the business model.

    50:20 — The Art of the Host-Read Ad
    Rob and Leo discuss why Leo’s long-form host reads worked, including the value of making ads useful and content-like.

    52:45 — Where Media Consumption Is Heading
    Rob asks Leo what may come next in media, and Leo points to short-form scrolling, TikTok, Instagram, and changing audience behavior.

    54:00 — Leo’s Son, TikTok, and the Next Generation of Media
    Leo shares how his son built a major food audience through short-form video and turned it into a restaurant and cookbook business.

    55:35 — Long-Form Still Has a Future
    Leo argues that long-form shows can still matter if they create value, community, and real connection.

    56:45 — Community as the Core of Media
    Leo explains why connection and community remain the most important part of media, no matter how platforms change.

    57:30 — The Risk of Doom Scrolling
    Rob and Leo discuss short-form addiction, dopamine loops, and how constant scrolling can disconnect people from real community.

    58:35 — AI Slop and Synthetic Video
    The discussion moves to AI-generated video content, fantasy media, and the question of whether audiences will tire of low-quality synthetic output.

    59:35 — Human Clones, AI Presence, and Authenticity
    Rob asks whether AI versions of creators could extend their presence, and Leo reflects on voice clones, soul, and human perspective.

    1:00:35 — Human-Made Media May Become More Important
    Rob suggests that labeling human-made content may become more valuable as AI content grows more convincing.

    1:01:20 — Remembering Todd Cochrane and Podcast Hall of Fame
    Rob and Leo reflect on Todd Cochrane, the Podcast Hall of Fame, and the early podcasting community.

    1:03:10 — The Hall of Fame, Dave Winer, and Joe Rogan
    Leo and Rob talk about the Podcast Hall of Fame, Dave Winer, Joe Rogan, and recognizing major contributors to podcasting.

    1:04:45 — Closing Thoughts and Where to Find the Show
    Rob thanks Leo and closes the episode with where to find past episodes and future New Media Show content.

    Guest Links: Leo Laporte, Founder and Owner, TWiT Podcast Network

    TWiT Podcast Network: https://twit.tv/
    Leo Laporte Website: https://leo.fm/
    Leo Laporte on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-laporte-8aa224309/
    Leo Laporte on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeoLaporte
    Intelligent Machines: https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines
    This Week in Tech: https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

    Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links

    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com/
    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/

    AI Disclosure Note:

    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode, description, and generate show notes from the episode transcript. The views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. This article reflects my editorial direction and the substance of the conversation.

    The post The Future of Media | Leo Laporte, TWiT.tv #672 first appeared on New Media Show.

  25. Can Creator Economy Build a Better Podcasting? | Sam Sethi, TrueFans #671

    1 h 40 minEpisódio 671

    In this episode of The New Media Show, host 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Sam Sethi, founder of TrueFans and co-host of the Podnews Weekly Review. They had a wide-ranging conversation about …

    Notas do episódio

    In this episode of The New Media Show, host 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee welcomes Sam Sethi, founder of TrueFans and co-host of the Podnews Weekly Review.

    They had a wide-ranging conversation about the future of podcasting inside the larger creator economy.

    Podcasting helped create the independent creator movement through RSS, niche audiences, direct publishing, and long-form content that builds audience trust.

    Today’s creators are building broader businesses around video, memberships, newsletters, live events, merchandise, premium content, clips, community, and direct fan relationships.

    So, can the creator economy help build a better, more sustainable podcasting industry?

    Rob and Sam explore why podcasting can no longer think only in terms of feeds, files, downloads, and ad impressions. They discuss the rise of creator portals, the importance of owning the relationship with audiences, and how platforms such as Patreon, Substack, Beehiiv, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple are changing creator expectations.

    The conversation also examines whether advertising is becoming less central to the creator business model, and how subscriptions, premium content, micropayments, stablecoins, and value-for-value models could create new ways to share revenue among creators, listening apps, platforms, and even audiences.

    Sam shares his perspective on HLS streaming, watch time and listen time analytics, activity streams, super fans, publisher feeds, and “super feeds” that can connect audio, video, events, merchandise, blogs, and community into a more portable, creator-owned media presence.

    Rob and Sam also dig into the impact of AI on podcasting: AI-generated shows, human engagement as a discovery signal, AI bots scraping media, the rising need for clear content licensing, and the tension between making content available to AI discovery systems while protecting creator rights and value.

    This episode is a deep look at where open RSS, creator ownership, platform control, AI discovery, video, monetization, and audience relationships may be heading next.

    Topics covered in this episode include:

    • The evolution of podcasting into a broader creator-led media business
    • Why creators need direct relationships with fans, not just platform reach
    • Creator portals – memberships, newsletters, live events, merchandise, and premium content
    • Whether ad-supported podcasting is becoming less important
    • HLS streaming, listen-time and watch-time measurement, and better advertising accountability
    • Micropayments, value-for-value, stablecoins, and new revenue-sharing models
    • Activity streams, super fans, community engagement, and audience signals
    • AI-generated podcasts, discovery, AI bots, and licensing creator content
    • Publisher feeds, super feeds, playlists, and collective buying power for independent creators
    • Open RSS, data portability, proprietary platforms, and the future of media distribution

    The New Media Show is a human-hosted and guested conversation about the future of creator-led digital media, including podcasting, video, live streaming, AI, audience trust, discovery, monetization, platforms, and the changing relationship between creators and their communities.

    Watch the video and audio editions below and on YouTube; listen to the audio edition in your favorite podcast app; watch the video edition in Apple Podcasts; and visit NewMediaShow.com and RobGreenlee.com for more episodes and industry conversations.

    Guest Links: Sam Sethi, Founder/CEO, TrueFans

    TrueFans: https://truefans.fm
    Sam Sethi on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/samsethi
    Sam Sethi on TrueFans: https://truefans.fm/fans/sam
    Podnews Weekly Review: https://weekly.podnews.net
    Sam Sethi on Podnews Weekly Review: https://weekly.podnews.net/1538779/contributors/411-sam-sethi

    Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links

    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com/
    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/

    About the Host/Author:
    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair, a global new-media leader who bridges podcasting’s human roots and its AI-driven future. As founder of Trust Factor Lab and host of the New Media Show and Spoken Human, Rob helps creators start, grow, monetize, and future-proof their content. He has held leadership roles at Microsoft, Spreaker, Libsyn, StreamYard, Podbean, and PodcastOne, and serves as Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame.

    Personal / AI Disclosure Note:
    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this video, episode description, and generate show notes from the episode transcript. The views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. I have been working in podcasting, digital media, and platform adoption for more than two decades, and this article reflects my own position and editorial direction.

    The post Can Creator Economy Build a Better Podcasting? | Sam Sethi, TrueFans #671 first appeared on New Media Show.

  26. What Should Creators Disclose When Using AI? | Alberto Betella, RSS.com #670

    1 h 27 minEpisódio 670

    Should every use of AI in a podcast, video, or creator workflow be disclosed? A better question is whether AI created the actual substance of what the audience came to hear or watch. On Episode 670 of the New …

    Notas do episódio

    Should every use of AI in a podcast, video, or creator workflow be disclosed?

    A better question is whether AI created the actual substance of what the audience came to hear or watch.

    On Episode 670 of the New Media Show, Rob Greenlee is joined by Alberto Betella, co-founder of RSS.com and creator of “Should I Disclose AI?“

    Is a timely conversation about AI transparency, synthetic media, voice cloning, human trust, and the future of creator-led media.

    AI is now helping creators edit video, create captions, translate episodes, generate clips, improve workflows, personalize advertising, and accelerate production. But AI can also generate entire shows, clone voices, imitate experts, create deceptive media, and overwhelm platforms with low-effort content.

    The challenge is not simply whether AI was used.

    The challenge is understanding when AI use changes what the audience is actually receiving.

    Alberto shares his practical “Substance Test” framework for AI disclosure. The central idea is simple: if AI created the core performance, information, expertise, or experience that brought the audience to the content, creators should disclose it. But using AI as a supporting production tool does not necessarily mean the entire episode should be labeled as AI-generated.

    Rob and Alberto explore the difficult gray areas: AI-translated episodes, cloned voices reading human-written scripts, AI-written scripts read by humans, platform auto-labeling, watermarking, creator consent, programmatic advertising, AI search, and the future value of human-made media.

    They also discuss why disclosure should not be a punishment or a stigma. Transparency can give audiences more context, help platforms manage risk, and allow creators to use AI responsibly without pretending that every use of AI is deceptive or low quality.

    The bigger question is whether creators can use AI to make better work while still protecting the human trust, judgment, originality, and relationships that make media meaningful.

    Guest:
    Alberto Betella: Co-Founder, RSS.com; creator of Should I Disclose AI?

    Host:
    Rob Greenlee, 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, New Media Show host, and Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame

    AI Use Note:
    This episode includes an AI-assisted opening visual and the show notes based on the transcript. The conversation, editorial direction, and analysis are human-led.

    Rough Chapter Break Topics:

    00:00 Should creators disclose their use of AI?
    03:00 Introducing Should I Disclose AI?
    06:00 Human imperfection, authenticity, and audience trust
    10:00 The difference between AI tools and AI-created substance
    15:00 AI translation, cloned voices, and disclosure nuance
    22:00 Detection, watermarking, and platform AI labels
    26:00 YouTube auto-labeling and the economics of AI content
    31:00 Will “human-made” become a premium signal?
    33:00 AI-assisted post-production and human creative direction
    38:00 Video-first, audio-first, and platform-native content
    43:00 Voice cloning, consent, and personalized advertising
    47:00 Quality, creator reinvention, and the AI reset
    51:00 When AI can create useful new forms of media
    56:00 Disclosure without stigma or punishment
    57:00 AI search, one-answer systems, and human curation
    01:01:00 Prompt literacy, digital likeness, and the future of AI

    Guest Links: Alberto Betella

    RSS.com: https://rss.com/
    Should I Disclose AI?: https://shouldidisclose.ai/
    Alberto Betella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertobetella
    Should I Disclose AI? on GitHub: https://github.com/albertobeta/shouldidisclose.ai

    Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links

    Rob Greenlee Website: https://robgreenlee.com/
    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
    New Media Show Audio on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
    New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow
    Rob Greenlee on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/

    About the Host/Author:
    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair, a global new-media leader who bridges podcasting’s human roots and its AI-driven future. As founder of Trust Factor Lab and host of the New Media Show and Spoken Human, Rob helps creators start, grow, monetize, and future-proof their content. He has held leadership roles at Microsoft, Spreaker, Libsyn, StreamYard, Podbean, and PodcastOne, and serves as Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame.

    Personal / AI Disclosure Note:
    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this video, episode description, and generate show notes from the episode transcript. The views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. I have been working in podcasting, digital media, and platform adoption for more than two decades, and this article reflects my own position and editorial direction.

    The post What Should Creators Disclose When Using AI? | Alberto Betella, RSS.com #670 first appeared on New Media Show.

  27. Can Human Creators Still Win in an AI-Flooded Media World? | Rob Walch #669

    1 h 5 minEpisódio 669

    In episode 669 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee talks with Rob Walch, VP of Podcaster Relations at Captivate and DAX. Podcast Hall of Famers Rob Walch and Rob Greenlee discuss one of the biggest …

    Notas do episódio

    In episode 669 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee talks with Rob Walch, VP of Podcaster Relations at Captivate and DAX.

    Podcast Hall of Famers Rob Walch and Rob Greenlee discuss one of the biggest pressure points facing creators today: Can human creators grow, monetize, and maintain audience trust as platforms fill with AI-generated podcasts, synthetic video, cloned voices, and automated content channels?

    I apologize for the rough audio in this episode. The audio was choppy in the virtual recording, and I did the best I could to improve it.

    The conversation begins with a bigger question: Where is the line between useful AI tools and low-effort, fully automated content that weakens trust, damages advertising ROI, and makes it harder for original creators to be discovered and rewarded?

    AI can help creators research, edit, translate, caption, clip, and distribute their work more efficiently. But the human perspective, real creative judgment, authentic voice, and trusted audience relationship must remain at the center of the content experience.

    Rob Walch shares updates on Captivate, DAX, and the evolving podcast monetization landscape before diving into the rise of mass-produced AI content and the growing use of the term “AI slop.”

    Rob Greenlee and Rob Walch discuss why not every use of AI belongs in the same category, why transparency and disclosure matter, and how creators can use AI responsibly without losing the human value that makes their work worth following.

    They also explore YouTube’s evolving AI-labeling approach, the future of human-generated content, platform responsibility, advertising risks, Apple HLS video, YouTube’s new focus on audio listening, video-versus-audio strategy, and how AI tools may help independent creators manage a rapidly expanding distribution workload.

    The larger takeaway is that creators do not need to choose between being human and using AI. The opportunity is to use AI as a creative and operational assistant while keeping human thinking, trust, judgment, relationships, and original perspective at the core of the work.

    00:00 Welcome to New Media Show #669
    01:30 Introducing Rob Walch and His New Role at Captivate
    02:30 Captivate Marketplace and Creator Monetization
    05:00 What DAX and Global Bring to Podcast Advertising
    08:30 What Does “AI Slop” Actually Mean?
    11:00 How Mass AI Content Could Hurt Ad ROI and CPMs
    13:30 The Scale of AI-Generated Podcast Uploads
    16:00 Why AI Use Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
    18:00 Bad Human Content vs. Bad AI Content
    20:00 Platform Responsibility, Spam, and Fraud
    22:00 YouTube AI Labeling and Creator Disclosure
    25:00 AI Watermarks, Trust, and Human-Generated Content
    28:00 Will Advertisers Prefer Human-Hosted Shows?
    30:00 When Creators Should Disclose AI Use
    33:00 AI Tools for Research, Editing, Audio Cleanup, and Workflows
    36:00 Human Creativity Still Matters
    39:00 Platform Discovery, Algorithms, and Audience Signals
    44:00 Audio, Video, and YouTube’s Growing Interest in Listening
    49:00 Apple HLS Video and the Podcast Monetization Challenge
    54:00 Video Production, Baked-In Ads, and Creator Complexity
    57:00 Why New Creators Can Still Start Audio-First
    01:00:00 AI-Powered Clips, Repurposing, and Distribution
    01:03:00 Monetization Risks and Alternatives Beyond Advertising
    01:07:00 Podcast Standards, Video Metrics, and IAB Definitions
    01:11:00 The Future of Audio, Video, AI, and Trusted Human Creators
    01:19:00 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Rob Walch

    Guest and Host Links

    Guest: Rob Walch
    VP of Podcaster Relations, Captivate and DAX
    Captivate: https://Captivate.fm
    Global DAX: https://Global.com
    Podcast411: https://Podcast411.com

    Host: Rob Greenlee
    New Media Show: https://NewMediaShow.com
    Rob Greenlee: https://RobGreenlee.com
    Trust Factor Lab: https://TrustFactorLab.com
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://PodcastHall.com
    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
    Rob Greenlee Booking: https://calendly.com/robgreenlee

    About the Host/Author:
    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair, a global new-media leader who bridges podcasting’s human roots and its AI-driven future. As founder of Trust Factor Lab and host of the New Media Show and Spoken Human, Rob helps creators start, grow, monetize, and future-proof their content. He has held leadership roles at Microsoft, Spreaker, Libsyn, StreamYard, Podbean, and PodcastOne, and serves as Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame.

    Personal / AI Disclosure Note:
    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode description and generate show notes from the episode transcript. The views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. I have been working in podcasting, digital media, and platform adoption for more than two decades, and this article reflects my own position and editorial direction.

    The post Can Human Creators Still Win in an AI-Flooded Media World? | Rob Walch #669 first appeared on New Media Show.

  28. Is New Media Replacing the Creator Economy? | Ollie Forsyth #668

    1 h 8 minEpisódio 668

    In episode 668 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee talks with Ollie Forsyth, founder of New Economies and New-Media.co, about the fast-changing meaning of “New Media” and why creator-led media is becoming …

    Notas do episódio

    In episode 668 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee talks with Ollie Forsyth, founder of New Economies and New-Media.co, about the fast-changing meaning of “New Media” and why creator-led media is becoming one of the most important shifts in digital publishing, podcasting, video, newsletters, live streaming, and AI-powered content.

    The conversation begins with a bigger question: what does “New Media” mean now?

    For years, the term New Media has described digital media outside traditional broadcast, print, and cable. But in 2026, the meaning is changing again. New Media is becoming less about a format and more about who the audience trusts, where attention is moving, and how creators are building direct relationships through podcasts, YouTube channels, newsletters, X, Instagram, live shows, private communities, short-form clips, and emerging AI-generated formats.

    Ollie shares how New-Media.co started as a mapping project focused on tech newsletters, podcasts, and creator-led media brands, and quickly became a broader signal that a new category is forming. New Media is no longer just a description of online content. It is becoming a business, creator, and distribution category.

    Rob and Ollie explore whether podcasting is still its own category or is becoming one lane within a larger New Media ecosystem. Rob brings the long history of podcasting, RSS, video podcasting, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, and creator platforms into the discussion, asking whether the word “podcast” is still enough to describe what audiences now consume.

    A major theme in this episode is the difference between audience size and audience value. Ollie argues that creators do not always need massive audiences if they have focused, valuable, trusted communities. A show with 5,000 highly relevant listeners or viewers can be more valuable than a much larger audience that does not convert or engage.

    The discussion also moves into traditional media and why legacy media companies may struggle to adapt to this new creator-led environment. Ollie says the difference is not just production quality. It is the vibe, the trust, the format, and the feeling that audiences are getting access to something more direct and less institutional.

    Rob and Ollie also talk about how X, Instagram, YouTube, newsletters, and short-form clips are becoming the new media distribution stack. YouTube remains central for video and long-form discovery, while X and Instagram are becoming powerful platforms for attention and conversation for creators and media brands.

    The final part of the episode turns to AI-generated content, synthetic media, AI micro-dramas, AI-generated podcasts, disclosure, and audience trust. Rob raises the tension around the term “AI slop” and whether the podcast industry is reacting differently to bad AI content than it has historically reacted to bad human-created content.

    Ollie argues that AI can help create new forms of content, but it cannot replace the human element, charisma, taste, and trust that make a real show work.

    This episode lands on a core New Media Show idea: podcasting helped build the foundation of today’s creator-led media world, but the next era is broader, more video-driven, more AI-assisted, more platform-diverse, and more dependent on human trust than ever before.

    Key Topics:

    • What “New Media” means in 2026
    • Why creator-led media is gaining cultural and business influence
      New Media vs. the creator economy
    • How New-Media.co maps creators, newsletters, podcasts, and media brands
    • Why podcasting may now be one lane inside a broader media ecosystem
      Audience size vs. audience value
    • Why niche audiences can be more powerful than mass reach
    • How creators are building multi-platform distribution systems
    • YouTube, X, Instagram, Substack, newsletters, and short-form video
      The role of clips in modern media growth
    • Why traditional media struggles to capture the creator-led “vibe”
    • How legacy media companies could partner with creators
    • Why “podcast” may be an audience term more than a creator identity
      Netflix, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and the shifting meaning of shows
    • AI-generated podcasts, AI micro-dramas, and synthetic content
    • Disclosure and transparency around AI-created media
    • Why human taste, trust, charisma, and curation still matter
    • The future of podcasting inside the larger New Media category

    Chapter Markers:

    00:00 Welcome to New Media Show #668
    00:30 Why New Media Is Entering a New Era
    01:30 Introducing Ollie Forsyth
    03:00 What New Media Means Now
    04:00 How New-Media.co Started
    05:30 Why the New Media Category Is Gaining Attention
    06:30 Mapping the New Media Landscape
    08:00 How Creators Get Discovered
    10:00 Creator Economy vs. New Media
    11:30 Why OpenAI and TBPN Became a Signal
    13:30 Audience Value vs. Audience Size
    16:30 Timely vs. Timeless Content
    18:00 Why Distribution Channels Matter
    20:00 Are Podcasters Becoming Creators?
    21:30 AI Micro-Dramas and New Entertainment Formats
    23:00 Short-Form Content and Creator ROI
    25:00 Building Multiple Distribution Channels
    27:00 Is Podcasting Still the Right Term?
    29:00 Apple Podcasts, HLS Video, and YouTube’s Influence
    31:30 New Media as a Broader Category
    32:30 Why AI Companies Want New Media Shows
    33:30 Why Legacy Media Struggles to Adapt
    35:00 The Vibe Difference Between Traditional Media and Creator Media
    37:00 X, Instagram, and the New Distribution Stack
    40:30 YouTube, Video, and Future-Proofing Media Brands
    43:00 Planning Content Like a Media Company
    45:00 Is Podcasting One Lane on a Bigger Freeway?
    48:00 Why Creators Need More Than One Channel
    50:00 Does the Audience Care What We Call It?
    52:00 Is It Just a Show Now?
    53:30 Netflix, YouTube, and Audience Expectations
    55:00 Is New Media Here to Stay?
    56:30 Taste, Attention, and Human Connection
    58:30 AI-Generated Content and Podcasting’s Reaction
    01:00:30 AI Disclosure and Transparency
    01:02:00 AI Micro-Dramas and Synthetic Media
    01:03:30 Can AI Replace the Human Element?
    01:05:00 Bad AI Content vs. Bad Human Content
    01:07:00 Why YouTube Raises the Production Bar
    01:09:00 Why Human Curation Still Matters
    01:11:00 Where New Media Goes Next
    01:13:00 Closing Thoughts

    Guest and Host Links

    Guest: Ollie Forsyth
    Founder, New Economies and New-Media.co
    New Media: new-media.co
    New Economies: neweconomies.co

    Host: Rob Greenlee
    New Media Show: NewMediaShow.com
    Rob Greenlee: RobGreenlee.com
    Podcast Hall of Fame: PodcastHall.com
    Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
    Rob Greenlee Booking: calendly.com/robgreenlee

    About the Host/Author:
    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair, a global new-media leader who bridges podcasting’s human roots and its AI-driven future. As founder of Trust Factor Lab and host of the New Media Show and Spoken Human, Rob helps creators start, grow, monetize, and future-proof their content. He has held leadership roles at Microsoft, Spreaker, Libsyn, StreamYard, Podbean, and PodcastOne, and serves as Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame.

    Personal / AI Disclosure Note:
    I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode description and generate show notes from the episode transcript. The views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. I have been working in podcasting, digital media, and platform adoption for more than two decades, and this article reflects my own position and editorial direction.

    The post Is New Media Replacing the Creator Economy? | Ollie Forsyth #668 first appeared on New Media Show.

  29. Real-Time AI Is Changing Live Sports Media | Shalini Ananda, Ph.D. #667

    54 minEpisódio 667

    In episode 667 of the New Media Show, hosted by 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee, Rob talks with Shalini Ananda, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Neuron Systems, about how real-time AI is changing live sports …

    Notas do episódio

    In episode 667 of the New Media Show, hosted by 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee, Rob talks with Shalini Ananda, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Neuron Systems, about how real-time AI is changing live sports media, fan engagement, creator workflows, and the future of interactive content.

    This episode starts with sports, but it becomes a broader New Media conversation about the next-generation layer of interaction between humans and AI-generated media infrastructure.

    Neuron Systems is building a multi-agent AI platform for live sports content, including NBA and FIFA World Cup 2026 debates, video clips, quote cards, viral social media scripts, real-time voice commentary, fan-driven questions, and multilingual interaction.

    Rob and Shalini discuss how custom roles given to AI agents can become part of a new interactive media experience in which fans do more than just watch or listen. They can ask questions, shape debates, co-sign takes, create clips, and interact with AI-powered sports personalities in real time.

    Shalini also walks through how Neuron Systems works as a creator platform. Fans can join live huddles, talk with AI agents, follow different AI personalities, participate in faction-style engagement, and use higher-level creator tools to build agents, automate content pipelines, and connect content workflows to platforms like YouTube.

    The conversation also explores what this means beyond sports, including podcasting, live video, audience participation, AI-generated content, labeling, guardrails, trust, and the future of human-AI collaboration.

    Rob frames the larger question this way: if podcasting and digital media have long wanted deeper audience interaction, is real-time AI becoming the infrastructure layer that finally makes that possible at scale?

    Key Topics Timestamps:

    • 0:00 — Intro & Welcome
    • 1:04 — Meet Shalini & Neuron Systems
    • 1:59 — Vision: Real-Time Fan Engagement with AI Agents
    • 3:19 — Hybrid Human + AI Experience
    • 4:10 — Personalization & Cross-Language Connection
    • 7:12 — Specialized Agents & LoRA Fine-Tuning
    • 10:03 — The Human’s Role in an AI World
    • 11:28 — AI Doomsday vs. Reality
    • 16:21 — Platform Walkthrough: Huddles & Live Agents
    • 19:48 — Subscription Tiers & Faction HQ
    • 23:30 — Creating Your Own Agents & Sentiment Engine
    • 26:01 — Factions, Followers & Fan Communities
    • 28:50 — Evolution of Podcasting into AI Conversations
    • 31:16 — Guardrails, Hallucinations & AI Labeling
    • 32:38 — AI Slop vs. Human Slop
    • 37:15 — Spinning Up Shows Every Hour
    • 41:16 — Leagues, Broadcasters & Generational Shift
    • 45:59 — Shalini’s Background & Path to Neuron
    • 47:25 — What’s Next: Beyond Sports
    • 52:00 — Simplifying the Platform & Final Thoughts
    • 53:17 — Outro

    Guest and Show Links

    Shalini Ananda, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Neuron Systems
    Neuron Systems: https://neuronsystems.org/
    Shalini Ananda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalinianandaphd
    Shalini Ananda on X: https://x.com/Shalini_Ananda

    Host Rob Greenlee and Show Links:

    New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
    Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com/
    Adore Network: https://adorenetwork.com/
    Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/
    Rob Greenlee YouTube: https://youtube.com/@robgreenlee
    Rob Greenlee LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
    The New Media Show YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thenewmediashow

    About the Host/Author:

    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair, a global new-media leader who bridges podcasting’s human roots and its AI-driven future. As founder of Trust Factor Lab and host of the “New Media Show” and “Spoken Human”, Rob helps creators start, grow, monetize, and future-proof their content. He’s held leadership roles at Microsoft, Spreaker, Libsyn, StreamYard, and PodcastOne, and serves as Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame. Learn more at RobGreenlee.com and join the Trust Factor Lab Creator/Podcast Services.

    Personal/AI Disclosure Note: I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode and generate show notes. I have made hand edits; the views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. I have been working in podcasting and platform adoption for more than two decades, and this article reflects my own position.

    The post Real-Time AI Is Changing Live Sports Media | Shalini Ananda, Ph.D. #667 first appeared on New Media Show.

  30. Are Podcast Networks becoming Creator Networks? | Greg Wasserman #666

    1 h 23 minEpisódio 666

    In episode 666 of the New Media Show, hosted by 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee, Rob talks with Greg Wasserman, Head of Relationships at RSS.com and host of Podcast Network Insights, for a deep …

    Notas do episódio

    In episode 666 of the New Media Show, hosted by 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee, Rob talks with Greg Wasserman, Head of Relationships at RSS.com and host of Podcast Network Insights, for a deep conversation about one of the biggest questions facing podcasting, video, creator media, and digital networks right now:

    Podcast networks were originally built for an audio-first industry, but audiences have already moved the definition of a podcast beyond audio. Today, a podcast can be a YouTube show, a Spotify video, an Apple video podcast, a livestream, a short clip, a newsletter, a community, or part of a larger creator-led media brand.

    Greg brings a unique perspective from his work at RSS.com and from interviewing the leaders behind podcast networks, collectives, production companies, and niche media groups on Podcast Network Insights. He explains that podcast networks are no longer one simple model. Some are media-sales businesses. Some are community-driven groups. Some operate more like production companies, collectives, or full creator networks.

    Rob and Greg explore how the network model is shifting as video, live streaming, AI, Apple Podcasts, HLS video, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, FAST channels, private communities, and creator monetization reshape what podcasting can become.

    The conversation also asks whether independent podcasters should join networks, what creators need to understand before making that decision, and why the future may depend less on downloads alone and more on trust, audience relationships, collaboration, niche value, and direct monetization.

    00:00 Welcome to New Media Show #666

    00:32 Are podcast networks becoming creator networks?

    01:00 How audiences have already redefined podcasting

    02:00 Introducing Greg Wasserman from RSS.com

    03:00 Why Greg created Podcast Network Insights

    04:00 How different podcast networks define community

    05:00 Monetization, growth, and the changing role of networks

    06:00 Internal network community vs audience community

    07:00 Private communities, subscriptions, and audience relationships

    08:00 Nova Podcast Network and media-company network models

    09:00 Cross-promotion and collaboration inside networks

    10:00 Are creators returning to collaboration?

    11:00 Podcast networks as media companies

    13:00 Owned-and-operated shows vs independent rev-share shows

    15:00 Why ad revenue is not the only network business model

    16:00 Marketing Podcast Network and niche value

    17:00 Jay Shetty, Netflix, and platform exclusivity

    18:00 Is Netflix becoming a podcast network?

    19:00 Collectives, media companies, and different network definitions

    20:00 What is a podcast network today?

    21:00 Production companies and network partnerships

    23:00 How creators should decide whether to join a network

    24:00 Understanding your “why” before joining a network

    25:00 iHeart, ad inventory, and the volume-based network model

    26:00 Why sponsor status can distract from real monetization

    27:00 Does network branding still matter?

    28:00 Pineapple Street, GZM, Disney, and network identity

    30:00 MCNs, YouTube networks, and the return of multi-channel networks

    31:00 Silicon Valley, new media networks, and digital-native media

    34:00 Traditional media adopts podcasting, video, and companion content

    35:00 Apple Podcasts HLS video as a future distribution channel

    36:00 Why video attracts higher media dollars

    37:00 Know, like, and trust as a creator value

    38:00 Will Apple Podcasts HLS video matter?

    39:00 Free platforms, hidden costs, and creator control

    41:00 Future ad dashboards across Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and Twitch

    42:00 Platform exclusivity, Jay Shetty, Joe Rogan, and audience loss

    44:00 Creator hustle and why networks cannot do all the work

    46:00 Subscription fatigue and fragmented media access

    47:00 More than 20 ways creators can make money

    48:00 Lean creator teams, production help, and content scale

    49:00 How podcast networks are using AI

    50:00 AI-generated voices, sleep content, and audience behavior

    52:00 AI for ads, scripts, show notes, social, and workflows

    53:00 AI podcast networks and automated show creation

    54:00 Agentic workflows and creator production systems

    56:00 AI-generated content, humanity, and audience trust

    57:00 Algorithms, AI interfaces, and future discovery

    58:00 Platform algorithm changes and creator risk

    59:00 Human connection, live events, and AI video podcasts

    01:00:00 Why human storytelling still matters

    01:01:00 Could creators build AI clones of themselves?

    01:02:00 Avatars, HeyGen, Gemini, and disclosure

    01:03:00 Human-hosted content labels and AI transparency

    01:04:00 Video-first creators and separate audio/video feeds

    01:05:00 Why The New Media Show still uses separate audio and video feeds

    01:06:00 Audio-first creators, social media, and growth challenges

    01:07:00 Different networks play different games

    01:08:00 The future of compelling audio experiences

    01:09:00 Spatial audio, AI audio, and interactive media

    01:10:00 Personalized audience experiences and liquid content

    01:11:00 Can audiences be moved from YouTube to Netflix?

    01:12:00 Bundling, subscriptions, and platform experiments

    01:15:00 Algorithms vs human curation

    01:16:00 Netflix, FAST channels, and new distribution models

    01:17:00 The technology challenge behind FAST channels

    01:23:00 Greg’s Tesla and the future of in-car video podcast listening

    01:24:00 RSS.com, Podcasting 2.0, and AI labeling standards

    01:25:00 Closing thoughts and where podcasting is heading

    Guest and Host Links

    Guest: Greg Wasserman

    Head of Relationships at RSS.com and host of Podcast Network Insights

    Host: Rob Greenlee

    About the Host/Author:

    Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair, a global new-media leader who bridges podcasting’s human roots and its AI-driven future. As founder of Trust Factor Lab and host of the “New Media Show” and “Spoken Human”, Rob helps creators start, grow, monetize, and future-proof their content. He’s held leadership roles at Microsoft, Spreaker, Libsyn, StreamYard, and PodcastOne, and serves as Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame. Learn more at RobGreenlee.com and join the Trust Factor Lab Creator/Podcast Services.

    Personal/AI Disclosure Note: I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode and generate show notes. I have made hand edits; the views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. I have been working in podcasting and platform adoption for more than two decades, and this article reflects my own position.

    The post Are Podcast Networks becoming Creator Networks? | Greg Wasserman #666 first appeared on New Media Show.

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