Podcast Movement Evolutions joined forces with Sounds Profitable to create a one-of-a-kind experience for the podcast industry at SXSW 2026. Together, they drew hundreds of creators, executives, marketers and podcasters into conversations that reflected the continued development and maturity of podcasting beyond its indie roots.
The Podglomerate was on the scene, where we recorded two live episodes of our Signal Award-winning series Podcast Perspectives and moderated two official SXSW panels on “So Everyone Has a Podcast. Should They?” and “Will Podcasts Survive the YouTube Era?” We were there across all three days, and everything we saw and experienced spoke directly to our award-winning work helping brands and creators produce, monetize, and grow their shows.
Whether you’re looking for expert podcast production, or you just want to stay in the know about what’s happening in the industry, check out our services or subscribe to our newsletter.
Now let’s dive into our trends and takeaways from SXSW 2026.
TAKEAWAY #1: Authenticity reigns supreme
The heads of Libsyn, Acast, and Audacy, three of the most powerful independent podcast companies, sat down together to discuss where the industry is heading. And despite coming from different angles, they kept landing on one theme: authenticity.
For this live recording, we spoke with Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn), Greg Glenday (CEO, Acast), and Leah Reis-Denis (Head of Podcasts, Audacy). All three executives made clear that they see generative AI tools as support for creators. “We think of AI as an enablement tool for creators first and foremost,” said Monaghan. “We’re not looking to create AI-generated content.”
Glenday agreed: “One of the things that makes us AI-proof as an industry is that listeners want authenticity. Nobody wants a synthetic David Spade. They want a relationship with David Spade.”
When talking about video podcasts, the group was on the same wavelength. Audacy remains audio-first, but Reis-Dennis was direct: “We’re not living in the last decade. We’re looking toward the next decade. We are embracing video.” Glenday raised a concern that resonated with the crowd: platforms currently require creators to pick one destination for video, which conflicts with podcasting’s spirit of open distribution. “If it’s not open, it’s not really a podcast,” he said. All three agreed that measurement remains the biggest unresolved challenge, with Apple and Spotify only beginning to clarify what data they will share with hosting companies.
The main takeaway is that for podcasters, authenticity is a structural advantage. Every major question facing podcasting right now, from AI to video to international expansion, ultimately comes back to protecting the creator-listener relationship that makes podcasting worthy for audiences.
TAKEAWAY #2: Podcasting has a communication problem, not a measurement problem
This discussion examined what actually happens when advertisers buy podcast ads, where friction exists in the process, and what the industry needs to do to unlock the next wave of spending.
Woost gave an interesting observation. His argument is that podcasting’s episode completion rates (averaging 74% per episode, with short-form episodes at 80% or more) and minimal ad-skipping behavior give the industry genuinely compelling metrics to sell against, but the industry consistently undersells them. “Why are we not doing a better job communicating all those amazing stories?” he asked. “The data’s already there. We don’t actually need to ask anyone else for data.”
Bradbury brought a valuable agency perspective: buyers have built years of trust and infrastructure around downloads and ad delivery, and asking them to abandon that is a hard sell, even if a new approach is better. She pointed to Molson Coors as a model for brands that really invest in audio through engagement and cultural alignment. Bizzarro added that performance brands often see their digital costs per acquisition drop after layering in podcast advertising. “They’re hearing the ads, they’re seeing the endorsements, and then they’re going on social [media] and it’s this model that speaks to each other.”
The takeaway here is that brands aren’t failing to invest in podcasting because the data isn’t there. It’s because the industry hasn’t gotten great at telling the story the data supports. That gap is a real opportunity.
TAKEAWAY #3: Know your “why” before you begin recording
This panel addressed a very real problem: too many brands and creators are launching podcasts without coherent reasons for doing so. At the top of the discussion, Umbro asked the audience of marketers and creators how many had purchased podcast ads in the past. Not a single hand went up, and that goose egg set the tone.
The panel began by introducing a useful framework for thinking about how to enter the podcasting space: visiting, renting, or owning. Visiting means pitching for interview slots on existing shows. Renting means buying advertising. Owning means building your own podcast from the ground up. Morton made the case for why brands often rush towards owning when renting might serve them better. “If you want to sell a widget tomorrow, you should probably be an advertiser. But if you care about the loyalty of your customers, the way they feel about your brand, the way they evangelize for you, then the relationship we get to build with them on a podcast is incredibly powerful.”
Barletta backed that statement with data from Sounds Profitable. They survey over 5,000 people in the U.S. twice a year about their listening habits, and podcasting consistently scores in the top three across all ad-supported media on trust and perceived authenticity. This includes broadcast media, YouTube, and all social media platforms. Most organizations can tap into that quickly through an ad buy, not necessarily by starting their own podcast. Robinson reinforced this from the creator’s side, noting that Instagram and TikTok followers don’t automatically convert to podcast listeners, and that building an audience from scratch takes far longer than most brands expect.
The takeaway: before investing time and money into podcasting, spend some time answering these questions. What is your goal? How will you measure it? What are the KPIs? What is the timeline? What is the budget? The answers should determine when you visit, rent, or own. Most organizations will get more value from starting with a test ad buy than from committing to producing a podcast they’re not equipped to sustain.
TAKEAWAY #4: When it comes to video, don’t try to be on every platform
This started out as a debate about podcasting’s odds of survival in the age of YouTube, but it turned into a practical conversation on how creators, networks, and brands can actually make video work for them. Moderated by Chris Boniello, VP of production services at The Podglomerate, this panel drew on three very different vantage points, and the interplay between them provided some sharp advice for the audience.
There was one point everyone agreed on: video’s primary value is discoverability. Sweet made the case for YouTube specifically. As the second largest search engine in the world, it surfaces content to audiences who would have never found a show through a podcast app. “YouTube is different because it’s the top discovery [source],” she said, adding that titles and thumbnails matter far more on YouTube than on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, where listener intent does most of the work.
However, discoverability only gets a show so far. Absten was direct about economics. “I’m monetizing an RSS feed, period.” A TikTok view that never converts to a download doesn’t translate to dollars, and creators and networks need to be clear-eyed about which platforms drive revenue versus which ones build awareness.
The panel’s most candid moment came when Absten warned creators about trying to tackle every platform at once. “Video can break a podcast before it makes it, more often than not, because it is such a heavy lift,” she said. Her advice: start with clips, test one channel for at least 90 days, and let the data guide the next move. Baker reinforced this with HubSpot’s own strategy, which is publishing its long-form video exclusively on YouTube, directing listeners there from their audio podcast, and keeping their audience together rather than keep them split across platforms. “If you’re a product for everyone, you’re a product for no one,” Absten added.
The takeaway here is that there is no single right video strategy, but the wrong one is trying to be everywhere at once. Begin with using clips on one platform, and give it time. And treat your video and audio podcast formats as distinct offerings for distinct audiences. The person who discovers your show on TikTok and the person who subscribes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify are looking for very different things.
Conclusion
Together, these panels and discussions show that podcasting has reached a surprising level of maturity. The questions that we heard, including how to measure what you can’t always see, how to bring more brands into podcasting, and how to preserve authenticity while embracing new formats, are ones that will shape the future of the industry.
The creators and companies who are thriving right now are honest about what the data says about listener engagement, and they protect their relationship with their listeners above everything else. So if you’re an organization figuring out your first step into podcasting, a creator looking to grow your show, or you’re a seasoned publisher navigating the shift into video, one thing is clear: the path forward starts with focus and clarity.
At The Podglomerate, we help brands and creators at every stage from production and marketing to monetization and audience development. We can help you build podcast strategies that actually work and drive results. If these insights from SXSW 2026 sparked a question about where podcasting fits in your company’s plans, reach out to learn more about our services and sign up for our newsletter.
