Announcer: 0:00

The Pod news Weekly Review has used chapters all year so far. The last word in podcasting news. This is the Pod News Weekly Review with James Cridland and Sam Sethi.

Speaker 1: 0:12

I'm James Cridland, the editor of Pod news, and Happy New Year. And I'm Sam Sethi, the CEO of Truefans , and it's a happy new year from me too.

Announcer: 0:20

From your daily newsletter, the Pod news Weekly Review.

James Cridland: 0:24

Welcome to the Pod news Weekly Review. At the end of last year, we heard from some of our friends from across the podcast industry with their highlights from 2025 and their predictions for this year, 2026.

Sam Sethi: 0:36

So, James, how would you sum up what they said?

James Cridland: 0:40

Well, it was really interesting. I mean, you know, you you could very easily lose count of the amount of times people were talking about video and people talking about AI and a mention of Taylor Swift on there as well. Quite a lot of people mentioning uh Taylor Swift, but some absolutely fascinating um uh bits in there as well. Obviously, some um uh were quite sort of uh selly about how how excellent their companies uh had been, Greg Glenday, but um plenty more uh in terms of uh he he does he he doesn't think that you like eBit Dar, does he?

Sam Sethi: 1:16

Doesn't he think that you like uh Well I I just I just think it's a false prophet. Um yes, in in both senses.

James Cridland: 1:25

Um uh a couple of the things that I thought were really interesting. Um uh firstly, Shay from Amazon asking for standards in video, which is excellent that someone of Amazon's size is asking for standards like that. I think that's great news. So um good to hear that uh going on. Um, good to hear uh Jordan talking about AI slop and the value of human um connection and all of that. Um I mean it's what I've been talking about for the last year. It's excellent to hear Jordan uh saying that as well. So that was uh really good. Um two other ones that I spotted. Um uh Ben Cave from Apple, which was excellent that you managed to get hold of him. So congratulations on that. Teasing some new features in Apple Podcasts this year. I wonder what they're going to be. Um, and uh and Ellie asking uh from Pocketcasts, asking for more podcasters to use podcasting 2.0, particularly the location tag, which again I think points to something that they're planning. Um, but I was very excited um hearing her uh talking about that. You uh obviously heard all of them as well. What uh was there anything else that um uh uh came out for you?

Speaker 1: 2:44

Yeah, I mean I I liked uh Adam Bowie's take on it. Um I thought Adam was very uh good. And also Matt Madeiras came out with some crazy ones, um, which I thought was nice because yes, like you, I think everyone's got the same similar view. It's gonna be what is podcasting and what is video, where do the two meet, um AI slop, um, but also you know, if you look at Jayla Burford, Adobe, you know, they're bringing up smarter tools and they see it in the assisted intelligence area where AI will help us rather than the co-hosting area. Um and then I think outside of that I think generally, yeah, there was a lot of people who were positive. I think the growth in 2025 seems to be yes, there was a lot of layoffs and and some of the sadness there. But I think overall people think 2025 is when podcasting took another step towards maturity and 26 should be a great year.

James Cridland: 3:45

Yes, weirdly, nobody who works in podcasting turned around and said, I think 2026 is gonna be shit. Weirdly, that never happened. But uh no, it was really good, and um, you know, uh I I and I think what I enjoyed about it is hearing so many different voices, um you know, voices from across the world, but also voices in different parts of the industry and everything else. So um, yeah, it was uh really good rather than just the same old, same old. So uh yeah, good job, Mr. Sethy.

Speaker 1: 4:18

Well, thank you very much, but it was a joint effort. Now, moving on. It's our turn, James, to look back at 2025 to see what our predictions were at the beginning of the year, plus give our highlights and lowlights of the year itself.

James Cridland: 4:33

Yes, we will. So this podcast is sponsored by Buzzprout with the tools, support, and community to ensure you keep podcasting. Start podcasting, keep podcasting with Buzzsprout.com.

Speaker 1: 4:45

James, so let's kick this off then. Uh let's look at your highlights, lowlights, but first your predictions, and I'll mark you as we go through them. James, what was your first prediction for 25?

James Cridland: 4:58

Right, here was my first prediction. I think this is where the industry makes a choice between Spotify and YouTube and a bit of Apple, i.e., the proprietary stuff, and the rest of podcasting. Um the industry uh uh having to choose in 2025 between proprietary platforms and open platforms. Where do you think I landed there?

Speaker 1: 5:20

I think success. I mean, the industry did land on proprietary, sadly, and rather than open, they they they moved to YouTube. But I would say there was a silver lining in it all, James. I think just as much as we thought, you know, Spotify was proprietary and Apple for a large part of 25 as proprietary. Um, Apple opened the doors, um, and even Spotify teased us a little bit. Um, YouTube's remains a closed wall garden. So do you think in well, we have to wait for our prediction show for 26 before I was going to ask you the next question. So I'll I'll stop myself there.

James Cridland: 5:57

Yes, let's not do any of that. Let's go on to my second one, shall we? Indeed. One large podcast company will focus exclusively on video and stop doing audio.

Speaker 1: 6:09

So uh, will you say that one company did that? Would you say you were a success?

James Cridland: 6:16

Well, would you say that I was a success, Sam?

Speaker 1: 6:18

Yes, because I think Flight Studio was one of those companies. I think Pave possibly was another one. Um, and I think when we look at the general number of different production companies have all adopted video. Um, maybe they haven't exclusively gone to video, but they've very heavily leaned into it. I mean, we listen to companies like Message Heard and Listen, and they've all gone video.

James Cridland: 6:43

Yes, I I I think um, yeah, I mean Flight Studio obviously is still um still does audio uh of a CEO, which is hosted there, does very well in terms of audio, but I think certainly there are some podcast production companies, particularly with the deal that we saw with um iHeart and Netflix towards the end of the year and all of that. I I suspect that there will be podcast production companies now which are pr uh uh just making stuff for video and not for audio. Um, in fact, I know that there are uh because I see them coming in every day and I go, that's not a podcast. And I delete them. So right. Um so there are certainly companies doing that. Have companies switched over yet? Uh no, but there are certainly new um uh content companies who are doing that sort of thing. Um, so you've got me down for two successes so far. So let's see how I do with number three. I think that we will hear much more AI-driven voice content.

Speaker 1: 7:45

Well, there you go. That was an easy one, wasn't it? That was the that was a banker from heaven, wasn't it? It was like, oh, if everything else fails, I've got one.

James Cridland: 7:54

Yes, yes. Correct. And haven't we just seen a lot of that? We'll uh talk a little bit more about that in the highlights and lowlights, no doubt. Uh number four. A pullback in podcast industry events. We may see fewer podcast industry events happening, or we may see them scaled back rather a lot.

Speaker 1: 8:19

I think I'm gonna have to give you a big success on that one. I mean, sadly, um, we saw podcast movement evolutions um diminish quite a bit in 2025. Um, it's now part of South by Southwest. But equally, I'll give it to you because we've got uh Ashley Carmen over at Bloomberg with um On Airfest and the Business Podcast. Smaller events, invite only. So in both cases, I think the bigger events seem to pull back, but the smaller events are popping up with uh more vertical focus.

James Cridland: 8:54

Well, that's four out of five um that I've managed to get so far. So here's number five, and we'll see if I get this one. I think we will see an industry-wide campaign for open RSS happening in 2025. Oh dear.

Speaker 1: 9:09

Yes, oh dear indeed. Um, but I think you are on the right track. I think we need what you were asking for, which is a campaign for open RSS. I think I wrote a post recently on LinkedIn which seems to have gone down fairly well, which is basically saying, I don't think people understand what RSS is. I just think the TLA is so sort of oh yes, and it does RSS. Oh yeah, okay. I don't want to ask because I don't want to sound stupid. So um, so I'll just say yes, it's a podcast. But actually, a podcast without RSS is like fish without chips. Um, I think we don't sell the benefits of podcasting with RSS. Um, you know, publish once um play everywhere. Um, and that's why TikTok and YouTube and others can appropriate the term podcasting and not support RSS.

James Cridland: 10:01

Yeah, and it's been interesting. There have been uh grumbles and you know, and and uh and people having little clandestine conversations behind the scenes talking about a replacement to RSS for many years now. Um we haven't seen that, and we have seen, you know, some companies talking about RSS. I mean, you know, apart from anything else, RSS.com seems to quite like what RSS does. Um, so I think we have seen a lot of companies talking about the benefits of uh of RSS, but not in a um uh in a coordinated way, and I was expecting um a large company to be uh forcing that into the open uh last year. That didn't happen, which is a bit of a shame. And you know, so hopefully that'll happen this year because I do think that there is something, you know, as you've been saying recently, um, that uh RSS is important. So four out of five there. Um not bad, mate. Not bad. Yes, not bad. Let's go through your uh cheeky predictions. Uh I only say that because you've managed to get six. Well, yeah. But anyway, let's go through through them. Here is uh prediction number one.

Speaker 1: 11:14

My first prediction is the download as a metric will die.

James Cridland: 11:18

I think you wish that you had succeeded. Okay. There was a lot of talk, wasn't there, in the um uh in the last episode from lots of different people about how the download needs to die. Um uh and I uh totally agree. I don't think the download has died yet, and I think uh you know some of that needs to to basically be be pulled back to the open um standards and to see if we can actually get some proper data from more of the industry. But uh yeah, I think that the download metric, maybe it's not died, but maybe it's on life support. Um and so I can probably give you that. Thank you.

Speaker 1: 12:03

I mean in in hindsight, actually, I think one of the interesting metrics is when you do see the number of downloads and then you see the conversions to plays, you then go, Oh, what's my ratio? And actually, I think that's quite interesting. I think Apple could do the arm again and again. They did a massive one, didn't they? Um, where they snipped you know lots of people's downloads away. Um, they might do it again, you never know.

James Cridland: 12:29

Wow, well, yes, there's a thing. Imagine, just imagine. Just imagine. Right. Uh here is uh your second prediction of the year.

Speaker 1: 12:41

I think more advertising monies will head towards podcasts. My only concern is that I don't think we'll see a trickle-down effect. I think we'll see money going to the top and a lot of money going to the top, but I don't think we'll see the trickle down.

James Cridland: 12:54

Uh yeah, more advertising money for podcasts taken from TV and radio. I think that has definitely happened. Um, and so, you know, as uh as we saw, the numbers uh up to 2.4 billion. Um, and uh we'll have to wait until May, of course, for the next uh figures. But um, yeah, we we saw some really nice uh numbers there. Um I I think probably there's a conversation around is all of that money going to the top 10%? Um and I think that's a conversation that we might have in a little bit, but uh certainly more advertising money. Yes, you can have that one, Sam. Okay, thank you.

Speaker 1: 13:33

Uh number three. Secure RSS is a model that I think will allow podcast 2.0 apps to go to the mainstream content producers, audiobook providers, and music publishers.

James Cridland: 13:47

Now there was a lot of talk about secure RSS uh in your predictions last year and L402 and all of that stuff. I think charitably, no, you don't get that. Um but I think um but but you know, on a wider level, I do think that actually what we are seeing is the equivalent of secure RSS, if not um, you know, the standard that you are working on. But I think the equivalent of that, we are seeing more and more of that happening now. So Apple paid um subscriptions, uh, Patreon, of course, doing more stuff in terms of um paid um subscriptions for podcasting, Substack as well. Um, I suspect that we will see even more of that. And if you remember Norma Jean Balenke um talking a lot about this sort of thing as well. Um so I think um I think you probably get half, half a point. I mean, I would add Sadly is sadly it's not yours.

Speaker 1: 14:50

No, no, I would add two things. First of all, Spotify to that list as well, where they of course with video. Um, but I would also point out that both Fountain and TrueFans now have implemented um premium RSS now as it's gonna be renamed. Yeah, um and look, yes, we'll see whether 26 is the year that that starts to come into the podcasting 2.0 apps more, or we'll keep it within the wall gardens of Patreon and Substack and Apple.

James Cridland: 15:19

Yeah, no, I think uh I think that's absolutely right. Uh uh prediction number four.

Speaker 1: 15:24

Live podcasting will take hold. I I thought this was gonna happen in 2024. What are we waiting for?

James Cridland: 15:35

What are we waiting for? What are we waiting for? Now, interestingly, I suspect that we are seeing much more live podcasting happening on uh YouTube. And um, you know, there is, I mean, you know, every every second week there seems to be a live version of the rest is politics, for example, in the UK. Um, so I think live podcasting actually is taking off a little bit, but unfortunately not taking off in terms of open standards and not taking off in terms of where people consume real podcasts, which of course is uh Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and so on and so forth. Um, there's really no support, unfortunately, yet for live podcasting in there. Perhaps that's something that needs to be pushed a little bit more.

Speaker 1: 16:19

Well, I think um we also talked in one of the shows at towards the end of the year about Substack adding live podcasting as well. Um, although that's not, you know, true podcasting, it is um creator-based live shows. And uh my my premise is that I think you know local radio, something that you and I know a lot about, um uh is failing in the sense that the costs of the networks and um local radio stations closing. And I think live podcasting I thought was going to be the replacement for that yeah, the democratisation of radio in effect. Um but that hasn't happened. But I think it's not happened because uh what I'd call the traditional hosts, the large hosts in the podcasting community have not adopted live podcasting. RSS went, I don't think 50%, 60% of the way. You know, they created the capability, but you had to go and find your own live server. Users aren't gonna do that. Um other hosts have not even touched it with the barge pole. So I think um Fountain uh you know came out towards the end of the year with audio video, and I know they're gonna bring it out live. Um myself at TrueFans, we're gonna be the same. So either it's gonna be coming from those two companies and putting pressure on the traditional host to provide the capability, which is why it will take off. But yeah, big fail. And Dave Jones thinks the same as well, I think.

James Cridland: 17:45

Yeah, I think I think you know, sadly, it's one of those things that you know you can see so many opportunities for live podcasting. Um I mean, even me from the other side of the world where the time zones never work, you can see so many opportunities for live podcasting. Um, but uh yeah, it's just it's just hard right now to make uh that work. And of course, you've also got on the other side, you've got the um uh you've got the uh side of you know what working out what people are actually doing and policing what people are doing in those live podcasts. Because the last thing really that Apple Podcasts would want is for all of a sudden somebody doing you know only fans uh thro through that. Um you know that's not that's not a plan. So uh yeah, so I think that that's interesting. Um, your uh final one, you are trying to claim this.

Speaker 1: 18:42

I was gonna say more cuts to the injury because of AI, but I think I'll leave that on the cutting room floor.

James Cridland: 18:47

Now, here you say I'll leave that to the cutting room floor last year. Well, I was thinking he's gonna take it out.

Speaker 1: 18:54

Now I'm gonna stick it in.

James Cridland: 18:56

Now it's here and it says success.

Speaker 3: 18:58

Yes.

Speaker 1: 18:59

I'm claiming it gripped on by my fingernails to that one.

James Cridland: 19:04

So instead, this was your fifth one.

Speaker 1: 19:07

Location-based podcasting where it combines AI and location, I think is going to be really interesting. And the device I think that might be the way of doing that is something like the Meta Raybound glasses. Okay. I'm I'm gonna go for half here on this one. Give me, let me, let me sell my uh defense here. So the location tag was updated in 2025 to k to include both the location uh and subject, which was great. I think um we are beginning to see mapping capabilities appearing around the location tag. You mentioned Elliott Pocket Cars talking about something to do with that as well. I think uh Apple might have something in that space. Maybe the device isn't the Ray Ban meta to begin with, but I do think that uh location. Based podcasting didn't happen. So, yes, bit of a fail, but I think it's on its way.

James Cridland: 20:06

Yeah, I I think it's on its way, actually. I think I mean seeing RSS.com, for example, giving you free podcast hosting, but you have to put the new location tag in. The new location tag is actually very helpful here because that allows more granularity in terms of location-based stuff in there as well. Um, and so I think it yeah, it is definitely coming. It's a bit like where we were talking about Apple Podcasts putting podcasting 2.0 stuff um into you know uh into the uh uh into the service. I mean, you know, you you claimed that uh as a prediction in 2023, that was a fail, but it's now a tick because uh Apple most certainly has put uh a bunch of podcasting 2.0 stuff in. Um so I suspect that this is this will be a slow burner, but I suspect that there will be real opportunities for something like this for podcast hosts to put in. And that's very different to AI tags or something like that, which you know we're not going to see from any any podcast host because why should they? Whereas for this, you can see that there's gonna be some real opportunity. So um, yeah, I I think that's probably a a half as well. So um, so hurrah.

Speaker 1: 21:27

Hurrah. Worth putting the sixth one in then.

Announcer: 21:33

The pod news weekly review with Buzz with Buzz Sprout. Start podcasting, keep podcasting.

James Cridland: 21:42

Now we've got highlights and lowlights. Um the way that I suspect that we will do this, uh uh Sam, this is uh this is producing on the fly. Okay. Is we start we we start with lowlights and we do one each, and then we'll do uh highlights one each. Does that work?

Speaker 1: 21:57

Yeah, excellent. On the fly production, here we come.

James Cridland: 22:00

Yes, that's basically how it works. Um so uh the first low light uh for me of last year was the race to cheap TV shows. Um and I I've I've been grumbling uh all the way through, as you will know if you listen to this show, um, grumbling all the way through that there is a fundamental disconnect between what podcasts are here to do and what videos are here to do. Um and particularly that this insane race to get shows onto Netflix, which is way, way smaller than YouTube. Um, but you know, if if the Netflix man comes knocking, you'll say, Oh yes, of course, Mr. Netflix. I'll I'll take my show off YouTube where the viewers are, and I'll put it onto Netflix where the viewers aren't. And um uh yeah, so uh that's been one of my one of my lowlights uh for the year.

Speaker 1: 22:51

And I sadly think we're gonna see much more of it. I mean, beginning of the year we just saw Barstall do a deal with Netflix, and I'm sure that others are in the works.

James Cridland: 23:00

Yeah, no, indeed. What's your first lowlight? It's the same as mine, by the way.

Speaker 1: 23:05

Industry-wide lowlight, I think. Uh it was the passing of Todd Cochrane. Um, you know, uh he was a character. Um, he certainly didn't mess his words, uh, he said what he thought. Um, and I think he's a voice that will be sadly missed within the industry.

James Cridland: 23:22

Yes, no, I think I think uh uh Todd will be um certainly missed at uh Podfest and uh I know that we're doing a little uh bit of a thing for him at uh the podcast hall of fame as well. So uh yeah, no, absolutely I would completely agree with that.

Speaker 1: 23:39

And you know, again, uh another little low light for me, Ross Adams is a good friend, and uh he's stepping down from ACAST, you know, was a shock and a surprise. Um I still don't know what was behind that, but I wish Ross all the best in what he does next. I look forward to meeting up with him at some event in the future. Um, but yeah, congratulations to Greg Glenday as well. But uh yeah, for me Ross stepping down was a bit of a lowlight as well.

James Cridland: 24:05

Yeah, no, indeed. Indeed. And and you know, um uh for health reasons is all that we know. So um, so hopefully that means um that uh he is uh getting some good rest. He did an incredible job for the first eight years. So uh so uh certainly.

Speaker 1: 24:22

What's your next lowlight, James?

James Cridland: 24:24

Uh my next lowlight is um uh podcast movement. Uh and I and I'm kind of sorry to say this, um, partially because um the pod news newsletter has a 50% business um uh arrangement with podcast movement. Hello, James from the edit here. In fact, from the 1st of January, we don't. Uh podcast movement no longer owns half of uh pod news. Uh we are instead owned by Event Movement of the facilities company uh that run a bunch of these events. Um, but uh we're not no longer um 50% in partnership uh with Podcast Movement and Sounds Profitable, just so that you know. Anyway, back to the edit. But podcast movement, if you're at Chicago for Podcast Movement Evolutions last year or Dallas, the show uh it's really seemed to have lost its way. Um it lost its energy, it lost its excitement. Dallas was a bit better, but Chicago was um not great. And I, you know, I do think that things will change this year. I think we do need a strong US conference to be the meeting place of our industry. The podcast show in London is great, but I do think that we need um a strong US conference, and um, so I hope to see some really good uh movement there. But certainly podcast movement, I'm afraid, was a bit of a low light for me last year.

Speaker 1: 25:48

Yeah, I think my my one differentiator between UK-based shows and the US-based shows is energy. Uh and look, I'm I haven't gone to the uh podcast um movement, uh sorry, the evolution ones down in in Dallas and stuff, but the ones I've been to in Vegas and in LA, um they're too spread out. Um I don't feel the buzz. Um, the room doesn't feel active. Um you have to go hunting all the time to find where the energy is. Whereas you walk into the London podcast show and it just smacks you straight in the face, you know. There's there's stands everywhere, there's energy, there's people, it's all in one space, one time. Um, and in fact, the the the problem with the London show is in fact you can't get to see everything you want to see because there's so much, and it's packed into two days, so you often miss something. But I think somehow you've got to bottle that genie up and take it over to the US again and and find a location to do the exactly the same thing.

James Cridland: 26:49

I would agree, and I think one of the things that's really going to help with that is um for us to stop having to move around the uh the US with you know different people, and sometimes it's in Denver, and sometimes it's in Dallas, and sometimes it's in Washington, DC, except it's never really in Denver or Dallas or Washington, it's in uh the airport hotel um closest to the airport. Um, and so I I I think actually getting rid of all of that nonsense and having um a venue where you know where the venue is, you know where places are to go close to the venue, as we have in the UK, I think will be super helpful. And I think that's one of the things that has that hasn't really helped uh in terms of podcast movement over the last um 10 years or so. Um so it'll be nice to see hopefully a little bit more consistency um there. And I'm, you know, I'm curious as to what I see at Podfest uh a little bit later this month because um, you know, my recollection of that the last time I went was it was a very different place, very much more grassroots, but there was a lot of energy and there was a lot of sort of excitement there. And I'm wondering whether the energy and excitement is still in the industry, it's just not been at podcast movement. So um, yeah, it'd be interesting. Uh, your second lowlight of uh last year was I guess the rush to video.

Speaker 1: 28:20

Uh every production company is now making video podcasts. Now, look, I get it from a business point of view, why wouldn't you, right? You're doing audio, you do video. It would be crazy for them not to. But um we we had hoped there would be more support for things like HLS and the alternative enclosure. We saw um Omni begin to put in HLS. Um, we saw um people start to use the alternative enclosure, but not you know all the time. I think the problem is chicken and egg again. I think Apple, Apple, Apple, Apple is the key to unlocking this because uh HLS is an Apple standard. Um they used to do video, they could support HLS video in the Apple podcast again, and that would then make production companies say, Oh, okay, well, if Apple are doing it, we'll we'll add HLS back in. Apple could support now that they have tags from the podcasting 2.0 community, could support the alternative enclosure. And I think that would fix a lot of the problems that we're seeing where podcasts are just being uploaded to YouTube or Spotify directly with no RSS and no uh backlinks to anything. Um, yeah, I think that's the problem.

James Cridland: 29:35

Yeah, I would I would certainly agree. I don't know whether HLS is the future um uh at all. Um I I'm still a bit dubious about it, but I think certainly video being in an alternate enclosure makes a lot of sense. And uh at least video to be pulled from there for um the likes of Apple and Spotify to then re-encode onto their own systems the way that they want to end up doing it. Because they'll have to have a look at the video anyway, again, because only fans. So um, you know, so so obviously that's gonna needed to be to be done.

Speaker 1: 30:11

What have you got to do? Well, I'm the only fans check app. That's my job.

James Cridland: 30:15

Yes, that's all I do. Um so at least that's your job for uh my number three um uh in terms of lowlights is um the definition of the word podcast. Um I I'm I'm deeply worried about what this means for our industry. Um if the definition of a podcast becomes more intertwined with with video and we still can't decide on a definition, then I think we will, if we're not careful, see podcast revenue disappearing into YouTube, disappearing into video, budget lines, and um we'll see shows described as, well, shows rather than podcasts. Uh and I think if we're not careful, that means that our entire industry will just vanish. And the attention from media buyers will just vanish. And you know, we might not have a $2.4 billion industry next year. We might have a three or four billion dollar industry, but we'll never know because it'll go onto the YouTube line and not onto the podcast line. And that really concerns me. And I hope that we get that fixed soon. But how?

Speaker 1: 31:25

How?

James Cridland: 31:25

I mean, you not not up to me.

Speaker 1: 31:30

I thought you might have some secret source you're about to reveal. No, I think it goes back to our conversation about RSS. I think the lack of understanding around what it is. I mean, when you talk about podcasting 2.0, we're talking about updating the RSS. We're not talking about updating podcasting particularly. We're saying that the actual metadata within the feed is being updated with location, person, chapters, transcripts. And that's what's happening and that's what's being adopted. But I don't think the mainstream public understand that. And I think that's the reason why um YouTube and others can get away with it.

James Cridland: 32:06

Yeah, I think so. Making things simpler, uh, I wonder whether we'll see any changes from Spotify uh in terms of the way that they do video, not necessarily from a technical point of view, but from a uh another point of view. I don't know. Um, you know, maybe that's around the corner, but certainly um, yeah, all of that is just a bit um, it's a bit sad, really. Um talking about uh making things easy and simple. Yeah. Uh what's your third low light? Yes.

Speaker 1: 32:35

Uh micro payments failed again. I think I've had that uh low light in 24, in 23. Yeah. Um the adoption hasn't gained any real traction. I think we see early adopters on platforms like Fountain and TrueFans and some of the others, like you know, Podcast Guru and etc., are using it. But um boy oh boy, some of the things that they have to jump through in terms of hoops to get a wallet and then to confirm that they can get micropayments into that wallet before even then changing the standard. Um, we went from key centre to L and address. And I often think when we talk about L and address, James, uh people probably don't even know what that means, which is it's an email-like address for the wallet. So just as your email could be Sam at TrueFans, my wallet address could be Sam at TrueFans as well. And it needs to be that simple.

James Cridland: 33:29

And you see, even saying that simple, uh as soon as you say the word wallet, most people go, What? So I think I think it's it it's it, you know, all of that um is complicated. Maybe things like stablecoin help. I don't really understand stable coin. Um uh I'll be honest, but maybe that is the sort of thing that helps. I don't know, but uh yes. Um uh yes, I think you know, micropayments failing again. Um, and actually, I I would go further. I would actually say that micropayments has gone backwards. Um, we're receiving far, far less um payments via streaming SATS than we were. Um there's far less excitement about all of that sort of thing. Um and so what what concerns me is that the movement in terms of micropayments isn't even static, the movement is in reverse right now, and we need to fix that, we need to fix that fast, and nobody seems to be particularly interested in doing that, which is a real shame.

Speaker 1: 34:35

Um I think people, and I'm not I'm not sure that people aren't interested. I think we have the problem, we understand the problem, right? Uh and micropayments is the attempted solution out of that problem, which is how do I give a creator a uh a little micro reward um without paying all of that money to the credit card companies. That that's the the real thing, and as you say, it could be that Bitcoin micropayments becomes a store of value because people don't want to give away their micropayments, um, and instead it might move to a stable coin, which is fundamentally just a digital coin linked to uh fiat currency. So it could be that in 2026 we switch, but right now um the rock being pushed up the hill is still being pushed up that hill.

James Cridland: 35:25

Well, uh my fourth um uh lowlight, and then we'll be moving on to the highlights after number five, so that's good news. My fourth lowlight, um uh, and I'm gonna be uh I'm gonna be brutal because I'm gonna mention a company here. Inception point AI. That is my fourth lowlight and AI slop like it. Um from my point of view, AI has a place in podcasting, but allowing AI to publish shows unchecked, as Inception Point AI have not only been doing but bragging about doing is just an abuse of audience trust, and it's filling the podcast directories with SEO-tuned crap that has the capability to push real shows out. I think that we have to do something about this as an industry, and we have to shame companies like Spreaker who are making the money out of this, um, because um they are essentially killing the industry if they're not careful. So we have to shame companies like uh Spreaker who are enabling this, we have to shame companies like Inception Point AI who are making this SEO-tuned crap, and we shouldn't be standing for it. And what frustrates me about the conversation that we've had for the last six months is everybody has looked at what Inception Point AI are doing and gone, oh that's cute, isn't it? And put their head in the sand. And I think we should be making a stand about this uh for next year. So um that would be nice. It's not going to happen, of course. Um, but uh yeah, I think that's been one of my real lowlights of the year.

Speaker 1: 37:01

Didn't get a Christmas card from them then.

James Cridland: 37:04

A glowing LinkedIn message, a glowing LinkedIn message saying how wonderful it was seeing uh the figures from this very show and how it proves that people want to hear information about Inception Point AI. Um, which I thought was was an interesting take. Okay.

Speaker 1: 37:25

But uh that's good PR spin for me.

James Cridland: 37:28

I mean, I mean great PR spin. Um uh I mean, you know, uh but but uh yes, uh um uh you know, uh it's it's it's no no um no surprise probably that I don't think that it's a very good idea, but um I I I'm just astonished that the entire industry has just sat in their hands and gone, oh no, this is all absolutely fine, there's nothing to see here. Um when whereas there clearly is.

Speaker 1: 37:54

So I do suspect that people are looking at this as the canary in the coal mine, right? If it succeeds, others will follow. And if it fails, they'll go, yeah, yeah, it wasn't for us.

James Cridland: 38:05

Well, it wasn't for us. Yes, no, indeed. What's your uh number four?

Speaker 1: 38:10

So my number four is basically podcast events still focus on AI, video, and celebrity, but they fail to talk about podcasting 2.0. I have tried with both Jason's um from both events, the London Podcast Show and Podcast Movement, to try and get um a track that's dedicated to the technology element of podcasting. No take-ins from either, really. Um I've had conversations for yeah, at least a couple of years. And and you know, as I say, one swallow doesn't make a summer, well, one podcasting 2.0 session doesn't make a conversation. So it was good to see Adam Carey at Podcast Movement, um, but that's not enough, right? It needs to be, you know, loads of different people. Now we we have um what I would call sideshows that you know, at the London Podcast show, the PSP do a uh lovely little get together, we all have a great conversation, we talk about what we're going to try and do, but everyone in that London podcast show never heard a word of what we said. Um there was no audience to it, and so you know, when when Apple come out, which was probably feels like, oh, Apple's just invented this, have they?

unknown: 39:26

Wow.

Speaker 1: 39:27

Well, you know because to most people that would be the case, right?

James Cridland: 39:29

I I I guess I don't mind too much about that, and I guess um I guess a uh you know, a track about technology is probably not the thing that any podcast event organizer wants to see. But I think a track on what's possible on the podcast apps of the future um uh absolutely is. And I think you know, I would love to see much more um conversations about the location tag, for example. Um, and I think, you know, as I've said in this podcast along uh you know, many, many times, where we've failed is actually there's no such thing as podcasting 2.0. There's lots of things in podcasting 2.0. Many things have have been a total failure, and that's fine. Let's just underline that. That's fine. And then there have been a few things that have been a success. Um, and we want more successes. And what I would love to have is a bit more uh focus on some of the new things that we know works and just focus on that. Um so uh I would love to, if I can get the API that I'm looking for in terms of locations, for example, then I would love to um spend time and effort and money, because it will need money, building a fancy location-based podcast um app and you know, and produce something which is amazing, which really shows, oh wow, so you can do this, can you? Um, but you know, uh and and to talk about location podcasting as much as possible. RSS.com now really um uh banging that drum should hopefully mean that there's quite a lot of content in there, um, which is a great first step. So, you know, hopefully we get to see a little bit more of that.

Speaker 1: 41:22

Yeah, I mean, to the point where I think events should do it, though, is you know, how are they gonna get um let's say I don't remember rss.com talking of them um presenting at the London Podcast Show. I don't remember Fountain, I don't remember uh Podcast Guru, I don't remember Adam Curry, I don't remember Dave Jones. I mean, the point is there are many voices that are not being heard from. They might not be, you know, I I I take your point, selling bums on seats. Oh, come and listen to a technology thread, right? I don't think anyone's rushing to that one, apart from but the way that you you rephrased it, which was, you know, come and hear about the future of podcasting, I think that that would be a seller, right? And because I think people are bored of oh, here's AI. Yes, look, you can take your voice and turn it into a digital voice. Wow, I've seen that 50 times, right?

James Cridland: 42:15

And here's a panel of of four people totally agreeing about video. Exactly.

Speaker 1: 42:20

So so and you know, so that's why I think there needs to be something. I mean, the the other I suppose just one thing I'd like to say. Within the the mess and mix of micropayments and events, um we tried also to get a music thread. Now, Jason Carter is a lovely man and he comes from the BBC and he used to one of his jobs was outdoor music events and also discovery of new music. And I really had hoped Jason would be the person who would go, Wow, there's a music element to podcasting, is there? Wow, how can I get you know involved in that and how can we highlight some of that? And within this technical threat, whatever you want to call it, we would have had that as part of it. Um again, I think there's lots of opportunities, but I think events are missing them all right now.

James Cridland: 43:11

Well, we'll see what happens in terms of those uh events uh in 2026. Um, my final lowlight, which is a weird one, is the BBC. There we are. Yes. Uh I think I think they've done things a bit of a disservice in terms of closing BBC Sounds overseas, but still promoting it. Um, whenever you listen to a BBC podcast, you hear promos for other shows saying listen on BBC Sounds, which is something that you can't get. It's not rocket science. Um, they're the largest broadcaster in the world, and they can't even get that bit right. Um, and just the inept messaging that they've been giving all year in terms of can I still listen to the BBC? Can I still uh access the podcasts? Where are they? Um I don't know if you've ever tried using the international app. Well, you won't have done, but the the international app is um uh as an old program director of mine would have said, it's a bag of washing. James, it's a bag of washing. Um it's really not great. Um, so I think you you know they've done uh some pretty bad uh things. Uh and then obviously there's everything else with capital E's. Um, but uh yeah, so that's been a bit of a low light. Just as a Brit, uh even if I am a Brit abroad now, fake Brit, um I think I think that's a bit of a shame. So uh yeah. What's your um what's your uh final lowlight? And then we can start being positive again.

Speaker 1: 44:40

Yeah, um I I think the the final lowlight was for me, and it was a very personal one for me, was um I was very keen to get a podcamp 2.0 um to run alongside the London podcast show. Uh we got the sponsors, we had the speakers, we thought we had the venue, and then the venue let us down at the last minute, and everything then really then collapsed inward because um trying to find a venue at the you know 11th hour is just not possible, and the cost then would have just gone through the roof. So on a personal note, that was uh a very low light for me because I I was really excited to try and get that. You know, you and I did the uh Pod News Live events in Manchester and London. I thought they both went pretty well. Um, and I thought, yeah, I'm pretty sure I can do this one as well. And uh yeah, sadly, um it didn't happen. And I still think that needs to happen. So uh we'll see.

James Cridland: 45:39

No, I agree. Who would have thought it? Putting on events is quite hard. Um, but uh yeah, no, it's um uh it's it it was a shame that that didn't uh happen, but uh who knows what the future may bring. Indeed.

Speaker 1: 45:54

James, let's get happier. Let's get happier. Come on. Yes, let's. What's your highlight of 2025?

James Cridland: 46:01

Okay, well, of my five highlights of 2025, I think number one um is actually um uh events. It's events that I've been to, particularly the podcast show in London and Pod Summit in Calgary. They were really good, very different, but really good examples of a podcast conference which is really nicely put together, works very well, is specifically built to bring people together. Um, they do uh uh good work there. Now I'm an advisor for the podcast show in London, I should point out, but I think um those are excellent. And um, if you are uh considering uh doing uh an event uh in uh 2026, um then uh certainly do um make it to the podcast show in London. Um have a uh think about pod summit in Calgary. That's normally in September in Calgary. Obviously, podcast movement is going to be in September as well, although we still don't have a date for that, so not quite sure what is going on there. Um, but um certainly those two uh events are fantastic, so um I really enjoyed them.

Speaker 1: 47:10

No, have to agree with those. Um, because guess what? That was my holiday of the year. Um, the London podcast show. Um I I just love meeting up with friends in the industry. Um, and you know, we do our pod news drinks the night before, that all seems to go well, um, even though my bank balance didn't. Um you got yourself to play. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, well, actually not quite true, podex, but we'll we'll we'll skip past that. Um no. No no.

James Cridland: 47:41

Um yes, um, you know, and again the A Cast Arms, the the PSP meeting, so yeah, lots of that um and I think and I think what I enjoy about those meetings and a bit of podcast movement as well, um uh having been rude about it, um uh is is actually the conversations that you have um over dinner or the conversations that you have uh in the corridors. Um that those those are the real uh benefit that you actually get from those. So um yeah, I've I've found that really. In fact, that was um uh I think Podfest was the first place that I met uh Evo Terra Um who just came up to me after you know uh after uh he was um uh being a speaker or something, and he said, Um, I'm I'm off for lunch. Do you want to come and come and join me? And we had a very nice lunch, and um, and that was a great and that was a great way of meeting somebody. So uh yeah, no, I think that that that's uh certainly a good thing. Um what was your second highlight then, James? My second highlight was uh Apple Podcasts. Um not just implementing new features. I know that they don't go as fast as anyone wants, but um Apple Podcasts not just implementing those features but thinking really carefully about how to raise all podcast creators uh with them. So if you look at how they did transcripts a couple of years ago, um everybody has transcripts now. You don't have to do anything special, but if you want to control those transcripts, then you can do them yourself. And the same thing goes for the automated chapters now, and I think that they have thought really strongly about those. I wish that they would think strongly about those with the rest of the industry, which is a separate conversation. But I think Apple Podcasts properly implementing those new features and really moving things forward uh is really good. I noticed um uh a social media post from Dave Jones, the Dave Jones, saying that he now uses Apple Podcasts to listen to a lot of his podcasts that he has to listen to for work. Um, because they they it it's got it's got automated chapters in there now. And if Dave Jones is saying that, then you know that they've done something well. So um uh I think that they've done a really good uh a really good uh job, and it was great to hear Ben uh in uh our show last time.

Speaker 1: 50:04

Yeah, I mean you have to take your hat off to Apple, but then again, you know, when you're a trillion dollar company, um what else would you expect? Indeed, indeed. What's your second? Um my second, James, is very much like yours. The Apple adopting podcasting 2.0 tags, but not just Apple. Um, it was also great to see Pocketcast taking the leap and also Overcast. Um, and I think you know we've seen many other companies now. Um, as I said, Spotify teased us with adding uh the podcast namespace, um, but it didn't actually do transcripts properly. But you know, I think it's it's great. And again, one of the things with this show um is we sometimes make predictions um in 2023, as you said earlier, that don't come true at the time, yes, but have come true since. Yes.

James Cridland: 50:54

And I think um Apple Apple will be on on Android, I said, in 2023, and it kind of is now, kind of. Kind of. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 51:02

So I mean I think I think, you know, so again, uh a highlight is because I think if I'm you know looking at Apple, who I am a fanboy of, and um, and say Apple, please be the open champion, please be the company. Now, if you listen to Ben Cave, I thought it was quite interesting when he said, you know, it's the home of podcasting. That's how they perceive it internally. They are the um, you know, people looking after podcasting. And so if that's their thought process, then I think it's great that they've now started. I wish they would go further and faster. I'm one of those people. Um, but you know, I think as a highlight for 2025, it was certainly a good highlight.

James Cridland: 51:46

Uh my third uh highlight for 2025 is slightly self-serving, it's the podcast hall of fame. Now, uh just before you say well, you were only saying that because you got in, um, I'm actually uh quite pleased to see just a wider set of people in that uh Hall of Fame. Uh, it was uh uh, you know, up until recently, mostly men, all from the US, um, and very OG. Uh now there are many more people in there, not just from the US, but from other countries as well. Uh, lots of women in there now. I mean, great to see Ariel um being in there as well. Um, uh, a bunch of um really good uh people in into the Hall of Fame. And I think it shows just that the industry has grown up a bit. And um we're not just looking at somebody that did a show that not very many people had to listen to in 2005. Um, we're now um looking at um, you know, far more than that. So I think hurra for them.

Speaker 1: 52:49

I think it's followed the natural arc of its development, you know, um, you know, geeky white men getting together to to come up with technology, followed by um more maturity to bring women into the conversation and then more maturity to bring the international audience into the conversation. So it just feels like it's followed a natural arc, really. No, indeed. Your third? And well, talking of people who are doing wonderful things, um, congratulations to Justin Jackson for stepping into the leadership role for the Podcast Standards Project. I think the Podcast Standards Project is highly needed. I did take a role in it and had to step away from it. I don't think I could fulfil that role in the way that I wanted to. Um, but thank you for Justin to step up. And I think you know he's a lovely man, and uh his you know energy enthusiasm I think will help bring everyone together. Um, and the other part of that really is related to Adam Curry, um, who spoke at podcast movement after he said he'd never do it. Um so I'm really glad. I hope Adam makes it to London and does one as well because uh it'd lovely to meet him, lovely to see him there. Um not holding my breath on that one, by the way.

Speaker 3: 54:01

But yeah, good luck.

Speaker 1: 54:04

Yeah, and we might might if we get it back into Amsterdam or Holland somewhere, but um no. Um look, it was great to see that, and uh I hope Justin can steer the PSP forward in 2026.

James Cridland: 54:14

Um research and data for me was a highlight. Um, there are a lot of good companies out there who are doing some good data, uh, whether that sounds profitable, whether that's Edison Research, um, Rajar in the UK, Triton, uh Podscribe, uh, and many others as well. There's some a really good amount of research and data. It's valuable, it's useful, it helps us grow. But I think what's nice about it is sounds profitable stuff is open to everybody. Uh, if you're a partner, you get to see it first, of course. Um, but otherwise it's open to everybody. Uh Rajar has a ton of open stuff for the UK. Uh Triton has a ton of open stuff as well in terms of um some of the data that it releases and so on and so forth. Um, I think it's just really helpful. So um uh more of that, and certainly if you were to have a look at other parts of the industry, particularly radio, um, nobody shares their radio figures. Um uh really, nobody shares any research and data other than just the boring audience numbers. Um, so the fact that there is so much data for our industry is, I think, a really good thing. So hurrah for that.

Speaker 1: 55:27

Indeed. Uh my fourth was uh more companies started hosting. I think Riverside, we heard about Patreon, Fountain, TrueFans, but also on the other side of the fence, we saw Podhome bring out a new listening app as well. Um, I think when we talk about our prediction show, I think I'll have a lot more to say. But it was exciting to see hosting become much more of a commoditised feature rather than a dedicated function.

James Cridland: 55:54

No, indeed. Indeed. Uh and my fifth was um more routes to monetization. I don't think this has been really sort of properly noticed yet, but there's been quite a lot of change in the last year in terms of um the way that podcast um creators can make money. Uh it's it's it's never been easier, actually. Because you got yes, you got you know Spotify, of course, with their uh partners program and YouTube, but then you've got people like rss.com or blueberry um or libsin who are all offering automatic ads. You can just tick a button and away you go, and you're earning money from the ads that you make. You might not be earning an awful lot of money, but you are earning money, which is a great step forward. So um rss.com and companies like that have done really well, as by the way, have um BuzzSprout our uh our sponsor as well. Um, plus, of course, you've got tools from Patreon and Substack who have grown their tools uh last year, uh, and supporting cast and others as well. It's not the only reason why we make podcasts, but the fact that there are now even more ways that you can more easily earn money out of it is, I think, a really good thing. So, um, and I don't think it's sort of, you know, it's it's uh basically been done by stealth, I guess.

Speaker 1: 57:17

I think the perception now is that for quality content you will probably have to pay. I mean, I'm seeing more and more of the um Restiers shows going behind membership walls on YouTube. I don't know if you've noticed that trend as well.

Speaker 3: 57:31

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 57:32

Um we've also seen people like Scott Galloway um doing something what I what I'm gonna call pod drops. Um fundamentally taking one story that's a headline, literally going online and talking about one story, then dropping off so they're like 15 minutes long, but they're monetizing against that as well. So I think there's um a lot of things that are occurring, as you say, stealth-like. I mean, I think the biggest target is still Patreon. I mean, people don't talk about how much money people are paying through Patreon. They gave out two billion dollars last year to creators. Um, you know, we talk about the ad industry being 2.4 billion. Well, you know, it's not far behind, and and I think that's something that we'll see a lot more of in 2026, I think. Yeah, no, indeed.

James Cridland: 58:22

And what's your final uh highlight?

Speaker 1: 58:24

Um, my final highlight really was um I we talk about video and we talk about, you know, we talked about HLS, but I I was excited to see Fountain again. Well done, Oscar and the boys, um, for supporting it. Omni, um, Pod 2, my own company, True Fans, but um it was also good to see that companies like the New Media Show with uh Rob Greenley, who you know had banged the drum with Todd for many years and he he never really sort of did it, um, have actually adopted the the alternative enclosure correctly and they're using that. Um I think that's that's exciting that you know uh again we talk about the chicken and egg. I think if hosting companies can put HLS support or video support, it doesn't have to be HLS, as you said, James, um and then the apps will then adopt it, and vice versa. Maybe we'll get the big boys like Apple to think, hmm, okay, now's the time to do it. So it was exciting to see those companies do it, yeah.

James Cridland: 59:26

Yeah, no, indeed. Indeed, it's very exciting. So um we we've we've done quite a few of these now, haven't we? We've done predictions and uh stuff uh for uh well uh you know 2023, 2024, and so on and so forth. I find some of these um uh some of these uh amusing um uh looking back, gosh, looking back at uh 2023 and the pod news puppies being a highlight uh and things like that.

Speaker 1: 59:56

Can I just confirm they were dogs? Yes.

James Cridland: 1:00:01

Yes, they were. Um and uh yes, and and and lowlights like uh the end of pod the the end of Google Podcasts before YouTube music was mature enough. I wonder if it's mature enough now. Um but um yeah, so a bunch of uh a bunch of all of that uh uh stuff it's been it's been fun to do. Have you spotted anything in the archives?

Speaker 1: 1:00:23

Yeah, I mean one of yours was in 2023, mass layoffs driven by profit and dumb decisions, and we said fail.

James Cridland: 1:00:29

Fail. Actually, we said fail. Yes, that's that's a definite success now. Yes, yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:00:37

Another one of yours was mass market adoption of podcasting 2.0. We said fail again, yes. Um, and again, that has taken a little longer, but congratulations, you were prescient. Um yes, I saw those. Um one of my lowlights continues to be a low light with a slow adoption of micropayments and wallets in 2023.

James Cridland: 1:00:58

Oh, really? There you go. Yeah you go.

Speaker 1: 1:01:00

Yeah, well, there you go. Um uh yeah, I think again, one of your predictions in 23 was the download will be less valuable and listen time more valuable. I think again, still the jury's out, uh as we said earlier. I mean, we it it's moving, but I think by the end of 26, I think you would have had that as a success if you had that as one of your predictions now.

James Cridland: 1:01:23

Yeah, well, yeah, no, absolutely. Um no, I think it's all good. So um next week, this time next week, uh, we will be doing our predictions for uh this year, uh, which uh should be fun to do. Um what what what has happened for you over Christmas and the new year, Sam?

Speaker 1: 1:01:45

Well, as an empty nester, now you've not got this problem yet, but I've got I'm an empty nester, which means both my kids have moved out pretty much. And so it's great having them back. Uh the energy in the house just gets lifted, and um boyfriends are around, friends are around, lots of merriment. And in our village, we do a boxing day game, so the whole village gets out.

James Cridland: 1:02:04

Yeah, I'm sure you do.

Speaker 1: 1:02:06

Yeah, we do. We do. So the whole village gets out, and it's great we have um people leave their clothes on, do they for this? They do, yes. No, that's another event, but yeah, that's midsummer. No, um no, the the Boxing Day game's great with you know bouncy um do you remember those orange bouncy balls that you used to sit on them, space hoppers? Um, yes. Space hoppers, yes. Yes, space hoppers. Yes, we have loads of space hoppers, we have you know silly games, tugs aboard, and then we all hop to the local pubs and just drink ourselves silly again. So, yes, lovely. Well, so what happened for you, James, over Christmas?

James Cridland: 1:02:43

Fantastic. And it does, it does seem as if you've had this this uh cold now, uh Sam, for the last three months.

Speaker 1: 1:02:50

No, it's just come back this week. I don't know what's going on. Look, if you live in a wet, miserable country, what do you expect? Well, yes, yes, there is that. Yes. So what's happened for you, James?

James Cridland: 1:03:03

Oh, it you know, uh uh hot and humid and a bit weird. Uh 41, wasn't it?

Speaker 1: 1:03:10

41 degrees at one point.

James Cridland: 1:03:12

Yes, yes. Well, yes, it's um yes, it's uh hot and humid, and uh I I just I I I'm still so I've been here for 10 years, and I still don't understand walking into a shopping centre and you know, out of the blistering heat and the humidity, uh, you know, and your shirt is sticking to your back and everything else, and you walk into the air conditioning and the music is playing let it snow. Um, and there are uh pictures of you know, there are uh uh you know Christmas trees there with fake snow on it, and you can get your photograph with Santa and none of it makes sense. It's very upside down. Yes, literally, it's very upside down, but uh still no, we we uh we haven't gone anywhere, um, partially because um the rest of the family are doing a big uh holiday in uh July of this year, uh going to Germany and then going to the UK. Um and uh and I said uh okay, so you're going with my mother-in-law uh uh uh on a boat um in Germany for two weeks. Um, how can I opt out of that? So I successfully managed to opt out of that. Um, but that does mean that that's when their big holiday is, and so for the summer uh here, um, i.e. what we've just had, um we have just stayed here. So it has been better.

Speaker 1: 1:04:42

So you won't be going down the Danube, as they say.

James Cridland: 1:04:44

I will not be, uh they will be. Uh that's not a euphemism, but I will not be. I will not be. So there we are. Uh that's it for this week. We will be back on the 9th of January with our predictions uh show, as I've just said, and on the 16th of January with the first Pod News Weekly show of the year. Now that is going to be a bit weird because I will be at Podcast Movement. Um and in fact, I am taking part in the new media show on stage, uh, which is um uh being recorded on the 17th. Right. Um so that might be fun. So we will um we will see what happens there in terms of um it's all right, it's just a copy of this show. They well, if you remember what we did a couple of years ago is we actually just took the new media show and we stuck it out as this show as well. Yes. So who knows? We might we might be doing that. Yes, but anyway, we will see. But back uh next week with our predictions show um and uh looking forward to doing that.

Speaker 1: 1:05:47

Uh you can still support this show by streaming Sats. I know we said micropayments. Oh my god. But we'll keep going, keep going. Uh you can give us feedback certainly using the bus browser fan mail link in our show notes. You can send us a super comment, it does work in TrueFans, and uh boosts do work elsewhere. Uh become a power supporter, like the 22 power supporters. Ooh, now that's going to be updated shortly, but we will leave you to find out about that on the 16th of January. But for now, the 22 Power Supporters at weekly.podnews.net.

James Cridland: 1:06:19

Indeed. Uh our music is from Studio Dragonfly. Our voiceover is uh Sheila D. Um uh for this audio we used Clean Feed. I should say that we used a tool which I can't tell you about uh last time around to clean up some of the voices um uh of our many contributors. Um hopefully I'll be able to talk about that uh tool in uh episodes to come. But uh thank you to um the anonymous person for giving us access uh to that. And uh this show is hosted and sponsored uh as ever by Buzz Sprout. Podcast hosting, made easy. Oh no, they don't say that anymore. By Buzz Sprout. Start podcasting, keep podcasting.

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