285 - Inside the Latest Podcast Trends: Awards, Advertising & Audio Loopholes

April 16, 2025 · 53 min

In this News & Comment episode, we kick things off with the latest chart data (hello again, Mel Robbins 👀), then unpack what’s fueling the continued rise of true crime shows and why certain podcast genres dominate the charts but not the conversation. Plus, we hear firsthand from cohost, Dominic Lawson about what it’s really like to be nominated for a major award — and not take it home.

Also on deck: the rise of book-style audio content and why not all “read aloud” shows are eligible for monetization. Spoiler: some platforms want more than just your voice reading public domain texts. And speaking of platforms, we dive into advertising — from banner ads to animated video experiments to what we’d all do with $500 in podcast promo cash.

Episode Highlights:

[02:50] Chart Toppers & the Mel Robbins Takeover

[06:29] Why Her Podcast Resonates—and What We Can Learn

[13:27] Genre Deep Dive: True Crime’s Long Reign

[16:49] Virtual Podcast Stores? A Discovery Idea We Loved

[20:24] Dominic Lawson on the Ambies & Launching Something New

[25:36] Awards Watch: What’s Open for Submissions Now

[27:28] PMC’s New Ad Campaign (and Lessons from It)

[40:23] Upcoming Events: In-Person & Online

[41:02] Audiobook Podcasts: Legal Loopholes & Monetization Limits

[44:00] TikTok Reading Trends & a Surprise Influencer Reveal

[47:33] Let’s Share Your Show! Community Threads & Support