Are Podcast Networks becoming Creator Networks? | Greg Wasserman #666

June 8, 2026 ~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show with Rob Greenlee and guest Greg Wasserman In episode 666 of the New Media Show, hosted by 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee, Rob talks with Greg Wasserman, Head of Relationships at RSS.com and host of Podcast Network Insights, for a deep conversation about one of the biggest questions facing podcasting, video, creator media, and digital networks right now:

Podcast networks were originally built for an audio-first industry, but audiences have already moved the definition of a podcast beyond audio. Today, a podcast can be a YouTube show, a Spotify video, an Apple video podcast, a livestream, a short clip, a newsletter, a community, or part of a larger creator-led media brand.

Greg brings a unique perspective from his work at RSS.com and from interviewing the leaders behind podcast networks, collectives, production companies, and niche media groups on Podcast Network Insights. He explains that podcast networks are no longer one simple model. Some are media-sales businesses. Some are community-driven groups. Some operate more like production companies, collectives, or full creator networks.

Rob and Greg explore how the network model is shifting as video, live streaming, AI, Apple Podcasts, HLS video, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, FAST channels, private communities, and creator monetization reshape what podcasting can become.

The conversation also asks whether independent podcasters should join networks, what creators need to understand before making that decision, and why the future may depend less on downloads alone and more on trust, audience relationships, collaboration, niche value, and direct monetization.

00:00 Welcome to New Media Show #666

00:32 Are podcast networks becoming creator networks?

01:00 How audiences have already redefined podcasting

02:00 Introducing Greg Wasserman from RSS.com

03:00 Why Greg created Podcast Network Insights

04:00 How different podcast networks define community

05:00 Monetization, growth, and the changing role of networks

06:00 Internal network community vs audience community

07:00 Private communities, subscriptions, and audience relationships

08:00 Nova Podcast Network and media-company network models

09:00 Cross-promotion and collaboration inside networks

10:00 Are creators returning to collaboration?

11:00 Podcast networks as media companies

13:00 Owned-and-operated shows vs independent rev-share shows

15:00 Why ad revenue is not the only network business model

16:00 Marketing Podcast Network and niche value

17:00 Jay Shetty, Netflix, and platform exclusivity

18:00 Is Netflix becoming a podcast network?

19:00 Collectives, media companies, and different network definitions

20:00 What is a podcast network today?

21:00 Production companies and network partnerships

23:00 How creators should decide whether to join a network

24:00 Understanding your “why” before joining a network

25:00 iHeart, ad inventory, and the volume-based network model

26:00 Why sponsor status can distract from real monetization

27:00 Does network branding still matter?

28:00 Pineapple Street, GZM, Disney, and network identity

30:00 MCNs, YouTube networks, and the return of multi-channel networks

31:00 Silicon Valley, new media networks, and digital-native media

34:00 Traditional media adopts podcasting, video, and companion content

35:00 Apple Podcasts HLS video as a future distribution channel

36:00 Why video attracts higher media dollars

37:00 Know, like, and trust as a creator value

38:00 Will Apple Podcasts HLS video matter?

39:00 Free platforms, hidden costs, and creator control

41:00 Future ad dashboards across Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and Twitch

42:00 Platform exclusivity, Jay Shetty, Joe Rogan, and audience loss

44:00 Creator hustle and why networks cannot do all the work

46:00 Subscription fatigue and fragmented media access

47:00 More than 20 ways creators can make money

48:00 Lean creator teams, production help, and content scale

49:00 How podcast networks are using AI

50:00 AI-generated voices, sleep content, and audience behavior

52:00 AI for ads, scripts, show notes, social, and workflows

53:00 AI podcast networks and automated show creation

54:00 Agentic workflows and creator production systems

56:00 AI-generated content, humanity, and audience trust

57:00 Algorithms, AI interfaces, and future discovery

58:00 Platform algorithm changes and creator risk

59:00 Human connection, live events, and AI video podcasts

01:00:00 Why human storytelling still matters

01:01:00 Could creators build AI clones of themselves?

01:02:00 Avatars, HeyGen, Gemini, and disclosure

01:03:00 Human-hosted content labels and AI transparency

01:04:00 Video-first creators and separate audio/video feeds

01:05:00 Why The New Media Show still uses separate audio and video feeds

01:06:00 Audio-first creators, social media, and growth challenges

01:07:00 Different networks play different games

01:08:00 The future of compelling audio experiences

01:09:00 Spatial audio, AI audio, and interactive media

01:10:00 Personalized audience experiences and liquid content

01:11:00 Can audiences be moved from YouTube to Netflix?

01:12:00 Bundling, subscriptions, and platform experiments

01:15:00 Algorithms vs human curation

01:16:00 Netflix, FAST channels, and new distribution models

01:17:00 The technology challenge behind FAST channels

01:23:00 Greg’s Tesla and the future of in-car video podcast listening

01:24:00 RSS.com, Podcasting 2.0, and AI labeling standards

01:25:00 Closing thoughts and where podcasting is heading

Guest and Host Links

Guest: Greg Wasserman

Head of Relationships at RSS.com and host of Podcast Network Insights

RSS.com: https://rss.com
Greg Wasserman at RSS.com: https://rss.com/blog/greg-wasserman/
Podcast Network Insights: https://rss.com/podcasts/podcast-network-insights/
Greg Wasserman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregwasserman

Host: Rob Greenlee

New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com
Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com
Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com
Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: https://www.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’s held leadership roles at Microsoft, Spreaker, Libsyn, StreamYard, and PodcastOne, and serves as Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame. Learn more at RobGreenlee.com and join the Trust Factor Lab Creator/Podcast Services.

Personal/AI Disclosure Note: I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode and generate show notes. I have made hand edits; the views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest’s. I have been working in podcasting and platform adoption for more than two decades, and this article reflects my own position.

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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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Podcast (audio): Play in new window | Download

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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