audience trust

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

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show with Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee and Guest Alban Brooke, Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout.comIn 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?
20:52 The Netflix example of a broken audio experience
22:01 Why adding video can unintentionally hurt audio listeners
22:50 Alban’s case for audio-first communication
23:52 Why unified audio, video, and transcripts need to stay in sync
25:04 Video podcasts versus YouTube-first visual shows
26:15 Why platforms keep pushing creators toward video
27:15 The addictive power of short-form vertical video
28:32 Audio as a companion to real life
29:20 Why Apple chose this moment to emphasize video
30:34 The podcast industry’s push toward HLS
31:03 YouTube and Spotify increase competitive pressure
32:00 Why Apple’s HLS implementation changed Buzzsprout’s plans
33:23 Buzzsprout goes all-in on simplified video distribution
34:03 Why Buzzsprout chose 1080p
35:04 Podcast consumption moves onto television screens
35:41 How HLS adapts video quality to different devices
37:09 Apple TV and the big-screen podcast opportunity
38:43 Could HLS eventually replace audio delivery?
39:16 Why Alban believes audio-only podcasting remains strong
40:35 Video audiences can be additive rather than replacements
41:14 Could audio become more immersive?
42:02 Spatial audio and the history of immersive sound
43:03 Why the human voice matters more than audio technology
44:02 Does audio even need to compete with video?
45:33 Video is additive, not the death of audio
46:51 Is podcast hosting becoming a commodity?
48:00 Hosting versus full creator infrastructure
49:03 Removing technical and emotional barriers for creators
50:14 Why human support still differentiates podcast platforms
51:17 Where AI fits into podcast hosting
52:00 Buzzsprout Co-Host AI and production assistance
52:33 Using AI for tasks creators do not enjoy
53:32 Protect the parts of creating you actually love
54:28 Rob’s use of AI in pre-production and post-production
55:04 Why flowing human conversations resist scripting
55:43 The value of unscripted New Media Show conversations
56:27 AI is already capable of strong writing
57:06 Why the act of creation still matters
58:47 Creator attitudes toward AI become increasingly divided
1:00:44 Using AI like a calculator
1:02:09 AI-generated host reads and the trust problem
1:03:27 Why undisclosed AI can damage audience relationships
1:04:26 AI use versus dishonesty about AI use
1:05:17 Will we eventually label human-created content instead of AI-generated content?
1:06:19 Why real-world human experiences may become more valuable
1:07:38 Could “Certified Human” become a media signal?
1:08:20 AI avatars, recruiting fraud, and human verification
1:09:21 Trust can take years to build and minutes to destroy
1:10:35 Finding the middle ground on AI
1:11:07 Where AI saves time without replacing the creator
1:12:08 Preserve the human parts that matter
1:13:03 Generational differences around technology and AI
1:14:11 Gen Alpha, point-and-shoot cameras, and rejecting connectivity
1:15:01 Designing intentional distance from addictive media
1:16:18 The unexpected return of the Microsoft Zune
1:17:12 Books, film cameras, and disconnected technology
1:18:19 Human relationships existed before social platforms
1:19:01 Alban’s relationship with social media
1:20:17 Why offline relationships can matter more
1:21:19 Media creation becomes increasingly fragmented
1:22:00 Podcasting as truly liquid and open content
1:22:34 Closing thoughts with Alban Brooke
1:23:00 Where to find The New Media Show

Guest Links: Alban Brooke, Head of Marketing, Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com
Buzzsprout Video Podcasting: https://www.buzzsprout.com/features
Buzzcast: https://buzzcast.buzzsprout.com
Alban Brooke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albanbrooke
Alban Brooke is Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout and co-host of Buzzcast, where he discusses podcast technology, creator trends, industry developments, and practical strategies for podcasters.

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 681 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 Alban Brooke.

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

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show with Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee and Guest Samara Beth Hurley, Samara Beth & Co.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
https://podcasthall.com

AI Disclosure

AI tools were used to create a video and audio introduction clip, episode images, help organize and edit this episode and its description, and create chapter markers from the completed Episode 679 transcript. The recorded conversation, human performances, guest perspectives, editorial direction, final review, and responsibility for the published content remain with actual human Rob Greenlee and Samara Beth Hurley.

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

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show with Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee and Guest Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford RoadIn 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.

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

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show with Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee and Guest Steve Wilson of Daylight Media & QCODEIn 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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast (audio): Play in new window | Download

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

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show with Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee and Guest Cameron Stack of Recognized.fmIn 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.

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The Future of Media | Leo Laporte, TWiT.tv #672

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

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.

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Can Human Creators Still Win in an AI-Flooded Media World? | Rob Walch #669

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show with Rob Greenlee #669 with Guest Rob Walch, VP, Podcaster Relations at Captivate.comIn 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.

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Is New Media Replacing the Creator Economy? | Ollie Forsyth #668

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast (audio): Play in new window | Download

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