Can Fiction Story Podcasts Survive Video Push | Lauren Shippen #652

March 1, 2026 ~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show #652 with Rob Greenlee and Lauren Shippen

On Episode 652 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee shares a screen with Lauren Shippen, Creative Director at Atypical Artists, to tackle a growing tension in creator media around audio fiction, which is thriving as a storytelling format but is being pressure-tested by the industry’s video-first discovery push.

Fiction podcasts did not stop working. What changed is how platforms signal value, how audiences discover new shows, and how creators feel forced to look video-ready to compete.

The real question for fiction creators in 2026 is not “How do I force my story into video?” It is “How do I protect the magic of audio storytelling while adding the right discovery layers for today’s platforms?”

Lauren shares what fiction creators often misunderstand about sustainability, what typically breaks first when the story stalls, and where video helps, hurts, or becomes unrealistic.

Rob lays out a practical framework for separating audio as the product from video as the discovery layer, plus realistic tiers of visual strategy that will not turn your show into a second production company.

Quick answers for creators

What is the episode about
A practical conversation about protecting audio fiction storytelling while adapting to video-driven discovery across platforms in 2026.

Should fiction podcasts become video podcasts to grow
Not automatically. The strategy is to keep audio as the core product and use video selectively as a discovery layer when it improves reach without breaking the production model.

What is the biggest mistake fiction creators make
Trying to solve growth with promotion before fixing story retention fundamentals like onboarding, pacing, cadence, and season design.

How should fiction shows think about video?
As budget tiers. Start with lightweight discovery assets and only move toward full narrative adaptation if the economics and workflow support it.

Topics we cover

– Why fiction creators feel pulled between story-first goals and video-first platform expectations
– The top growth inputs fiction creators still control, even when platforms shift
– Story architecture that drives retention before promotion pacing, onboarding, cadence, and season design
– Video pressure: what is real, what is hype, and what creators should ignore
– Audio only vs video for fiction when format helps and when it hurts
– Budget tiers for video lightweight discovery assets vs full narrative adaptation
– Trailers as conversion assets and how to build a simple start here listener path
– Why human recommendations still beat algorithm chasing for story shows
Community reality checks what to prove before building Discord or fan spaces
– Where AI helps scripted storytelling workflows, and where it can damage authorship and trust
– A practical 30-day growth plan for fiction podcasters

Chapters:

00:00 Story Versus Screen
01:41 Meet Lauren Shippen
03:22 What Counts As Podcast
06:00 Video As Discovery
08:18 Netflix Podcast Strategy
15:30 Monetization And Paywalls
19:48 Apple Video Feed Tension
22:36 Always On Audio Fiction
27:47 Audience Growth Beyond Podcasts
32:50 AI Slop Versus Art
40:21 Sports Analogy For AI
42:38 Why AI Lacks Heart
43:31 Gaming and Interactive Futures
45:03 If Everyone Can Generate It
47:10 The Internet Shapes AI Adoption
48:45 Podcasting as Human Story
51:14 Blurring Fiction and Truth
54:01 Atypical Artist Slate Tour
57:17 Making Shows Work Economically
01:03:54 Producing and Adapting Workflow
01:06:04 Origin Story Bright Sessions
01:10:21 New Projects and Immersive Marketing
01:14:14 Serial Model and Journalism Worries
01:15:38 Fiction Podcast Evolution
01:17:22 Wrap Up and Next Episode Tease

Featured projects mentioned

The Bright Sessions
Rebel Robin
2000 and Late
Breaker Whiskey

Resource Links:

Host: Rob Greenlee [https://robgreenlee.com]
The New Media Show [https://newmediashow.com/]
Adore Network [https://AdoreNetwork.com]
Podcast Hall of Fame [https://PodcastHall.com]
Rob on YouTube [https://YouTube.com/@RobGreenlee]
Rob on LinkedIn [https://LinkedIn.com/in/robgreenlee]

Guest: Lauren Shippen [https://www.laurenshippen.com/]
Atypical Artists [https://www.atypicalartists.co/]

Book Rob Calendly [https://calendly.com/robgreenlee]

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How AI-Created Podcasts Impacting Humans? | Jeanine Wright #650

February 8, 2026 ~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

AI-generated podcast hosts and shows are rapidly changing podcasting, video podcasting, and the creator economy across all distribution platforms, including AI LLMs.

In this episode of The New Media Show Live #650 from Feb 4th, 2026, Host Rob Greenlee, CEO/Founder of Trust Factor Lab, explores how AI-generated podcasts affect people, trust, and the future of media with Jeanine Wright, Co-Founder and CEO of Inception Point AI.

Jeanine Wright will help us better understand what Inception Point AI is building and why AI-generated personalities are different from human-created podcasts and AI-assisted editing tools.

This conversation is designed to help podcasters, creators, media executives, and advertisers understand AI-generated podcast content without fear. It will be a clear, accurate discussion about how synthetic hosts work, how audiences respond emotionally, and what the next 12 to 24 months may look like as AI improves.

As humans seem to be rejecting AI-generated content, its human consumption is growing and quality is rapidly improving.

Key topics covered in this 60-minute conversation
-AI-generated podcast hosts and synthetic media explained in plain language
-How AI personalities are created using story plus technology
-How listeners build trust and emotional attachment with AI voices
-Disclosure and transparency for AI-generated content
-Authenticity and credibility in AI-created podcasts versus human-created podcasts
-Ethics, consent, voice, likeness, and IP issues in synthetic media
-Brand safety, advertising readiness, and monetization for AI-hosted shows
-Platform discovery and distribution when AI content volume explodes
-What human creators should do now to stay differentiated and future-proof?
-Practical strategies for building trust and growth in 2026 and beyond

Who this episode is for
-Podcast creators and video creators
-Media companies, podcast networks, and platform teams
-Advertisers and brand safety leaders
-Listeners curious about AI-generated content and the future of podcasting

Watch live at YouTube.com/@RobGreenlee and join the conversation
Watch On-Demand/Podcast Audio and Video Versions at https://newmediashow.com

Guest
Jeanine Wright, Inception Point AI
https://www.inceptionpoint.ai

Host
Rob Greenlee
https://robgreenlee.com
https://www.youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
https://www.youtube.com/@spokenhuman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
https://www.instagram.com/robwgreenlee
https://x.com/robgreenlee
https://AdoreNetwork.com
https://PodcastHall.com

00:00 Introduction to the New Media Show
00:55 Guest Introduction: Janine Wright
01:42 Addressing AI Controversies
05:18 AI’s Impact on Jobs and Content Quality
13:36 Exploring AI-Generated Content
14:41 AI Personalities and Content Creation
22:42 Future of AI in Content Creation
31:32 Transparency and Ethical Considerations
43:25 Human Creators in an AI-Driven World
46:40 Exploring Swap Farms and Bot Traffic
47:28 The Evolution of Podcast Quality
50:45 AI in Video Content Creation
52:20 Digital Clones and Ethical Considerations
56:50 AI Personalities and Content Creation
01:04:19 The Future of AI in Podcasting
01:23:09 Advertiser Reactions and Industry Impact
01:25:43 Final Thoughts and Future Conversations

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What Actually Grows a Podcast or Show Now? | Jordan Harbinger #649

January 31, 2026January 31, 2026 ~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show #649 - Guest Jordan Harbringer and Host Rob Greenlee This week in episode 649 of the New Media Show, Rob Greenlee is joined by Jordan Harbinger to unpack the question creators ask nonstop in 2026:

What actually grows a podcast or show (and what doesn’t)?

– Jordan’s core answer is refreshingly “boring,” but real: long-term consistency, and realistic expectations about how long monetization can take—even for shows that eventually become huge.

From there, the conversation expands into the bigger shift happening right now:

– Audio podcasts increasingly competing (and collaborating) with video ecosystems especially YouTube where the “rules” and algorithmic expectations are fundamentally different from audio distribution.

They also dig into platform strategy and brand-fit tension like whether “talk show” style content truly belongs on Netflix, and why creators may face tough tradeoffs when platforms want exclusivity that can limit reach elsewhere.

After Jordan wraps and leaves the show, Rob closes with a rapid-fire, ranked set of growth plays emphasizing that none are magic bullets, but together they form a practical menu you can test based on your format and audience:

– Short-form clips (done well) to reach different audiences while recognizing shorts viewers don’t always convert to long-form listeners/viewers.

– Guest/social amplification that’s genuinely value-add (not generic promo spam).

– Niche community, value-first posting built around knowing exactly who your show serves.

– Owned audience via email/newsletter + even a WhatsApp group concept.

– AI clip volume + testing (alternate cuts, tighter versions, experimentation).

– Structured cross-promos / feed drops with comparable shows and fair “impressions”-style thinking.

– Video distribution expansion including Spotify video (if Spotify makes changes) as another potential growth surface—and the emerging “start audio, finish video” behavior across devices.

Guest: Jordan Harbinger
Website: https://www.jordanharbinger.com
Podcast: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JordanHarbinger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanharbinger
X: https://x.com/jordanharbinger

Host: Rob Greenlee and New Media Show Links
Rob Greenlee Website – https://robgreenlee.com/
New Media Show (Audio & Video) – https://newmediashow.com/
New Media Show Audio (Apple Podcasts) – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649
Rob Greenlee on YouTube – https://youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
Podfest Expo – https://podfestexpo.com – https://podcasthall.com

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Digital Creator 2026 Money Playbook | Ralph Estep Jr. #647

January 23, 2026 ~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

The New Media Show Episode 647 Live on Jan 21st, 20026 at 6pm ET.

Show Topic: Digital Creator 2026 Money Playbook

Content Creator’s Business and Financial Strategies are moving faster than ever with video, audio podcasting, AI tools, and nonstop platform changes, but many are still running the business side like a hobby.

The New Media Show with Rob Greenlee is joined live by Ralph Estep Jr, licensed accountant and host of The Content Creators Accountant, to break down the simple money systems creators need to turn creator chaos into calm financial clarity. If you earn from YouTube AdSense, brand deals and UGC, affiliate income, memberships and subscriptions, courses, coaching, digital products, or PayPal and Stripe payouts, this episode is built for you.

Topics we cover:

– How to separate business money from personal without overcomplicating it
– How to track income across multiple platforms without headaches
– How to set aside taxes automatically even in uneven months
– How to make smarter gear decisions without wrecking cash flow
– How to build simple repeatable financial systems that creators can follow
– What to focus on in 2026 to run a real creator business that lasts
– 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Jan 16th, 2026

Watch Live and Subscribe:

New Media Show Website – https://newmediashow.com
Rob Greenlee Website – https://robgreenlee.com
Rob Greenlee YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
Podcast Hall of Fame – https://podcasthall.com
Adore Creator Network – https://AdoreNetwork.com
Passion Struck Network – https://PassionStruckNetwork.com
Rob Greenlee LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
Book Rob Greenlee – https://calendly.com/robgreenlee

Ralph Estep Jr Links:
Content Creators Accountant Website and free resources https://contentcreatorsaccountant.com
The Content Creators Accountant Podcast https://contentcreatorsaccountant.com/podcast

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Rebooting the Show: Video, AI and Revenue #643

December 4, 2025December 8, 2025 ~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

In this episode, we relaunch the New Media Show #643 with special guest Rob Walsh, VP of Libsyn.

After a difficult last few months following the passing of longtime friend and co-host Todd Cochrane, The New Media Show officially returns with a fresh format and a familiar voice. In this reboot episode, we again talk candidly about the process of bringing the show back, honoring Todd’s legacy, and where the podcasting industry is really headed in 2025 and beyond.

Rob Greenlee and Rob Walch dig into the renewed 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame, why hosting it at Podfest Expo matters, and how this year’s inductee class reflects both the early pioneers and today’s global voices.

They unpack what advertisers are actually buying right now, why mid sized loyal shows often outperform the “big names,” and how the shift from demographic targeting to psychographic and genre based buying is changing deals for creators at every level.

The conversation also explores the rise of private communities and paid video ecosystems on platforms like Substack and Uscreen, plus the relaunch of NewMediaShow.com with a fully restored archive of nearly 600 past episodes.

From YouTube and Spotify’s “top podcast” charts to Apple’s long running audio ecosystem, the two Robs wrestle with a core question: what truly counts as a podcast in an era where many YouTube only shows get labeled as such.

They contrast audio first and video first strategies, debate download versus HLS streaming, and talk through how measurement, attribution, and IAB revenue reports reveal a still under valued ad market relative to radio and other media.

Finally, they tackle the current wave of AI generated ads and shows, including legal requirements around disclosure and why so much AI content still feels soulless, even as tools get faster and more powerful.

Whether you are an indie creator, a network executive, or someone who has followed The New Media Show for years, this reboot episode sets the tone for a new chapter that stays true to the show’s roots while leaning hard into the realities of today’s business of podcasting.