The MRT Follows The Pod Money; AI Remixes Audio, Behind Radio’s Rating Shift; Hinge For Doctors; The Other Side of Podcast’s Video Boom
The Media Roundtable is back! This week, we’re following the money through the eyes of industry players and creators alike.
Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road ) hosts fellow Agents of Influence Hilary (Ross) Shafer (VP, Podcast and YouTube Influencer, Veritone One ), Bart Roselli (SVP Growth, Veritone One ), and James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Service, Oxford Road ). The team is talking: Spotify’s Payouts, the True Crime Cruise, Indie Podcasters, and more. Let’s dive in.
"You can't get a more captive audience than an audience on a cruise.”
Spotify’s Billions ?? - Spotify ’s taken heat for underpaying artists, but they’re pushing back, saying they’ve paid out $10 billion to rightsholders in 2024. If artists aren’t getting enough, Spotify argues that’s a contract issue. A few thoughts:?
1. We’d love to see what that $10B number would be if you excluded the Taylors, Drakes, and The Weeknds.?
2. Artists need to sustainably monetize their work. If not through streaming, creators must find other ways (merch, touring).
All Aboard the True Crime Cruise ??? - Need more evidence of the power of audio? In 2026, Wondery and Sixthman are hosting a True Crime Cruise with top true crime podcast hosts, murder mystery events, and a crime-solving immersive theater. It’s a new part of the monetization cycle when cruises become profitable for podcasts. This also speaks to the deep and passionate connection listeners have with hosts, especially in the true crime genre. Will there be branding opportunities? We’ll be on the lookout for clues. (Professor Plum on the promenade deck).
Indie Podcasters–Still Crushing It ?? - A few major podcast publishers have consolidated power over the last few years and grabbed headlines. So where are the indie podcasters? Still here and thriving. The keys to success include flexibility and multiple revenue streams ( Patreon , host ads, subscriptions). A tip for CAOs: Working with independent creators can give you a level of access and speed that’s hard to match, along with dedicated fans.?
For more insights into this week’s big money moves, tune into the full episode below.
The Classifieds
Those Are My Schemes, and These Are My Plans
Network: PodcastOne
Monthly Downloads: 40k?
MTV reality shows were the cornerstone of the millennial teen years. They mirrored much of what makes good reality TV today, but they also featured stories from kids and a younger generation we didn’t often hear from. Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra were stars of the iconic series, Teen Mom, and they’re still together nearly two decades later. Unlike some teen moms on the show, Catelynn gave her child up for adoption, becoming an advocate and mouthpiece for adoptees. Now married with three children, the couple joins PodcastOne for a new weekly podcast. Though the twosome have been in the spotlight since their teen years, they express gratitude to now be able to give their own POV on life events and share how their lives have changed. Click below to Break It Down!
We’re All Just Living In It
Network: Audioboom
Monthly Downloads: 270k
Current Civility Score: 59, MEDIUM
March is Greek Heritage Month! Perfect time to highlight one of the most visible Greek podcast hosts on the planet. Always lively, never tame Stavros Halkias hosts Stavvy's World, a weekly podcast that often goes off the rails and out of this world. Halkias is joined by comedic friends for convos that sometimes get deep—usually devolving into tangential jokes. Recent episodes have included fellow podcast hosts Adam Ray and Kate Berlant, plus a crossover with Are You Garbage? If you peeped the civility score, you might have already guessed the content is anything but cordial, but for this devoted audience, that’s the allure. Many DR advertisers looking for a solid male skew audience have found great success testing into this opportunity, including those in the Gaming category. Click the link below for performance good enough to make you say, “Opa!”
In Case You Missed It
Podscribe’s Benchmark
The Q4 2024 Podscribe Performance Benchmark report reveals insights on podcast advertising trends, including performance metrics and key findings. 68% of simulcast consumption occurs on YouTube , and episodic campaigns with video have grown 18%. Smaller podcasts are more cost-efficient, host-read ads drive 1.3x more conversions, and mid-roll ads perform best per impression. Longer ad reads, RON buys, and pixel-based tracking increase effectiveness. IPv6 measurement issues impact attribution accuracy. Watch the missed webinar here. Hot on the heels of Magellan AI ’s benchmark report comes this latest installment from Podscribe —and it’s a banger. CAOs, with these two reports, you’ve got the data you need to shape your podcast campaign planning.
Maximizing Your Audio Creative
Wondercraft has launched “Remix,” an AI-powered tool that allows marketers to edit existing audio ads without original files. Remix enables precise voice content changes while preserving background music, eliminating the need for full re-recordings. It helps advertisers update promotions, refresh messaging, adapt ads for different platforms, and cut production costs. Co-founder Oskar Serrander highlights its role in making audio production more accessible. The majority of ad impact comes from the creative message. Wondercraft makes it easier for marketers to maximize that impact.
Behind the Nielsen’s Revised Ranking Hype
尼尔森 ’s January 2025 Portable People Meter rating’s survey shows AM/FM radio audience growth, especially during drive times and weekends, due to a revised 3-minute listening qualifier. Younger demographics saw the most growth. CAOs, keep in mind—these increases reflect a change in measurement, not a change in radio listenership.?
#SaveTheLiveReads
Like a Dating App for Finding Doctors
Liars, cheaters, and con artists, beware—because trustworthy super sleuth podcast hosts Mackenzie Fultz P.I. and comedian Hanna Anderson of The Dating Detectives will find you! This dynamic diva detective duo knows how to spot the difference between the real deal and the fakes, making them excellent endorsers for this week’s #STLR, all about Zocdoc ! Hanna delivers a lengthy but highly engaging personal testimonial and recommendation for all the doctors she found to be tried and true, thanks to Zocdoc. Both hosts then substantiate all the best that Zocdoc has to offer, highlighting its unique design–comparing it to a dating app for finding the perfect doctor. Even better, it turns out that Hanna was a frequent Zocdoc-er well before the show sponsorship. Plus, the unmistakably familiar sonic ending (that Oxford Road helped bring to fruition) seals the deal. The Dating Detectives and Zocdoc—it’s a match!?
OXFORd In The News
Lights, Camera, Podcast?
Podcasting is going visual, but as Daniel Granger warns in a recent Variety article, the transition isn’t all upside. While video boosts engagement and monetization, it also raises costs and risks diluting content quality. To succeed, ensure video enhances—not distracts from—your brand. Plan strategically, stay authentic, and don’t rely too much on algorithms. Done right, video can elevate your podcast without losing its core appeal. Adapt wisely, and let your content shine—on or off camera!
If you've read this far, thank you!
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