video podcasting

Can Indie Podcasters and Media Creators Still Win? | Dave Jackson #661

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

On Episode 661 of The New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee, 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame, and longtime new media executive, is joined by Dave Jackson, 2018 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, founder of School of Podcasting, and Head of Podcasting at Podpage.com, for a deep conversation about whether independent podcasters and media creators can still win in today’s rapidly changing creator economy.

This episode centers on a question many creators are quietly asking right now:

Can indie podcasters still grow, monetize, and build trust in a market being reshaped by video, AI, platform control, and professionalized media production?

Rob and Dave discuss the recent combination of Podpage and School of Podcasting, why podcast education matters more than ever, and how websites, email lists, communities, video, RSS, and AI-assisted workflows are becoming essential parts of a creator’s survival strategy. Dave joined Podpage as Head of Podcasting in 2024, and School of Podcasting has been helping creators launch, grow, and monetize podcasts since 2005. 

The conversation also moves into some of the biggest issues facing podcasting and new media in 2026, including AI-generated shows, human voice and video cloning, creator burnout, YouTube’s influence on podcast identity, Apple’s HLS video podcast direction, and why human trust may become the most valuable asset creators have left.

Rob and Dave bring decades of experience to this discussion.

Both have seen podcasting shift through multiple technology waves, from the early RSS era to platform consolidation, video podcasting, AI tools, and the rise of creator-led media. That history makes this episode a practical and honest look at what indie creators need to do now to stay relevant, trusted, and discoverable.

What does this episode cover?

Can independent podcasters still succeed in a noisier, more competitive market?

What does “winning” even mean now: downloads, money, trust, community, authority, or sustainability?

Why the Podpage and School of Podcasting connection matters for podcast education and creator websites

Why podcasters need a home base beyond social platforms and YouTube

How AI is changing show notes, images, writing, research, production, and creator workflows

Why AI-generated content should not all be treated as spam, but fraud and abuse must be addressed

How human storytelling, lived experience, and trust help creators stand apart from AI content

Why video is becoming harder to ignore, but audio-only creators should not panic

How YouTube has changed public perception of what a podcast is

What Apple’s HLS video direction could mean for audio, video, RSS, and creator workflows

Why websites, email lists, communities, and audience ownership still matter

How indie creators can avoid burnout while adapting to new media expectations

Key Takeaways:

Indie podcasters can still win, but the definition of winning has changed.

Creators need more than a microphone and a media host. They need clarity, a trusted point of view, a website, a distribution plan, and a realistic path to audience growth.

AI is not going away. The smartest creators will learn how to use it without losing their human voice.

Video will continue reshaping podcasting, but not every creator has to become a full-scale video studio overnight.

Human-created content still has a powerful advantage when it is rooted in story, experience, transparency, and trust.

Websites are becoming more important again because creators need a stable home base that is not controlled by a single platform.

Podcast education matters because the barrier to starting is low, but the barrier to standing out is much higher.

Guest

Dave Jackson
Founder, School of Podcasting
Head of Podcasting, Podpage.com
2018 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee
Author of Profit From Your Podcast

Dave Jackson has been helping creators launch and improve podcasts since 2005 through the School of Podcasting. He is also Head of Podcasting at Podpage, where he supports podcasters using websites as a central hub for discovery, audience ownership, and long-term growth. (The School of Podcasting)

Guest links:
School of Podcasting: https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/
Podpage: https://www.podpage.com/
Dave Jackson: https://davidjackson.org/
Podcast Consultant: https://www.podcastconsultant.com/

Host

Rob Greenlee
Host, The New Media Show
Podcast Hall of Fame inductee
Chairperson, Podcast Hall of Fame
Founder, Trust Factor Lab and Adore Network
Co-Founder, Passion Struck Network

Host and show links:
New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com/
Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/
Adore Network: https://adorenetwork.com/
Trust Factor Lab: https://trustfactorlab.com/
Passion Struck Network: https://passionstrucknetwork.com/
Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee/

Bottom Line in this Episode:

This episode answers a major creator economy question for 2026: Can indie podcasters and independent media creators still compete as podcasting becomes more professional, more video-driven, and more influenced by AI?

Rob Greenlee and Dave Jackson explain why the answer is yes, but only if creators evolve. The winning indie creator now needs a clear purpose, a strong human voice, trusted expertise, a discoverable website, owned audience channels, thoughtful use of AI, and a strategy that works across audio, video, search, social, and community.

The episode is especially useful for podcasters, YouTube creators, podcast consultants, media educators, creator economy leaders, podcast hosting companies, AI media startups, and independent showrunners trying to understand the next phase of podcasting and new media.

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Libsyn’s Next Chapter: Podcast Hosting, Video, Monetization, RSS and API | Brendan Monaghan #660

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

“Podcast episode hosting used to be simple. You uploaded an audio file, generated an RSS feed, and distributed your show everywhere. That model still matters, but it is no longer enough for the modern creator economy.”

In this Episode 660 of The Live New Media Show, from April 22nd, 2026, Host Podcast Hall of Famer and Former Libsyn VP Rob Greenlee shares a screen and microphone with Brendan Monaghan, President and CEO of Libsyn, to explore how podcast hosting is changing and what creators should expect from platforms in 2026 and beyond.

This conversation gets to the heart of a major shift happening across podcasting and new media.

Hosting companies are no longer judged only by whether they can deliver a clean RSS feed and reliable file storage. Creators now expect monetization, analytics, video support, workflow efficiency, AI-assisted publishing, broader distribution, and real help with audience growth.

That larger shift frames the entire discussion between Rob and Brendan.

Brendan explains that Libsyn still carries the legacy of being one of podcasting’s earliest and most important hosting platforms, but the company is now operating in a far more complex environment.

Brendan points to Libsyn’s evolution from a technology-led hosting company into a broader creator platform that includes advertising and monetization infrastructure, especially after the company acquired businesses such as AdvertiseCast and Pair Networks. He argues that the modern hosting business must combine publishing, monetization, measurement, and simplicity for creators at every stage of growth.

Rob pushes the conversation further by asking the bigger industry question:

What should a podcast hosting company become now? That leads into a wide-ranging discussion about platform aggregation, creator workflows, newsletters, live events, merchandise, and the growing expectation that creators should be able to manage more of their media business from one place. Brendan makes the case that the future belongs to companies that can keep creators at the center while simplifying the growing complexity around distribution and monetization.

A major part of the episode focuses on AI.

Brendan breaks AI into three areas: how Libsyn uses it internally as a business, how AI can assist creators with production and publishing workflows, and how fully AI-generated content may affect the medium’s future.

Rob adds a deeper perspective by arguing that AI podcasting is already becoming more competitive than many in the industry want to admit. The two discuss whether the market will ultimately decide what AI content succeeds, why “AI slop” may be too broad a label, and why trust and disclosure may become much more important as synthetic media becomes harder to distinguish from human-created work.

The episode also dives into one of the most important strategic tensions in podcasting right now: RSS versus API publishing.

Rob and Brendan both acknowledge that most creators care more about simple distribution than the underlying protocol, but they also recognize that this shift has major implications for openness, platform control, and long-term creator independence.

Their exchange about Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and the shift toward more controlled video delivery models reflects a broader market reality: creators increasingly want to be everywhere, but the mechanics of getting there are becoming more fragmented and platform-specific.

Another strong section of the conversation centers on video.

Brendan says Libsyn intends to be a leader in video, while Rob raises a practical concern many creators are just beginning to feel: a show that works well on YouTube may not automatically translate well to an audio-first experience, and a show built for traditional audio may not fully satisfy video-driven discovery environments. That raises the possibility that creators will need to think more deliberately about format, audience expectations, and whether a single production workflow can truly serve all platforms equally well.

The conversation becomes especially valuable when the two discuss metrics:

Apple’s HLS direction, and what streaming-style delivery might mean for podcast measurement and advertising. They point to a future in which the industry may move closer to actual listening signals rather than relying so heavily on download-based assumptions. If that happens, it could affect CPMs, ad sales, programmatic video advertising, and the broader economics of the medium.

Rob also frames one of the biggest unresolved questions in new media today:

If AI-generated shows become easier, faster, and more polished, what will human creators need to do to remain distinct and trusted?

The answer that emerges from this episode is not panic. It is focus, transparency, stronger format thinking, and a deeper commitment to serving audiences with clarity and value. That makes this episode less about Libsyn alone and more about the future structure of podcasting itself.

Topic Chapters and Timestamps
00:00 Podcast hosting is no longer simple
01:00 What creators now expect from hosting platforms
02:00 Brendan Monaghan introduction and background
03:00 Why Libsyn’s legacy still matters
05:00 Hosting, publishing, monetization, and measurement
07:00 How Libsyn expanded its monetization business
08:00 Why creators should not need to leave Libsyn to scale
09:00 How monetization changed podcasting
10:00 Lowering barriers for creators to earn revenue
12:00 What the future hosting platform should become
13:00 Newsletters, live events, merchandise, and creator tools
15:00 AI and creator workflows
16:00 Brendan’s three-bucket view of AI
18:00 AI-generated content and the “AI slop” debate
20:00 Why the market may decide what AI content wins
23:00 RSS versus API publishing
25:00 Simplicity and multi-platform distribution
26:00 Why RSS matters less to end users now
28:00 Open versus closed ecosystems
29:00 RSS innovation and slow adoption
31:00 Apple HLS and changing audio-video delivery
32:00 Platform control and the walled garden debate
41:00 Measurement, streaming, and actual listening data
43:00 Programmatic video ads and creative formats
45:00 Why video creators may need to think more like audio creators
47:00 Can AI help bridge the gap between formats?
49:00 Audio loyalty versus video momentum
50:00 The growing pressure on creators to win everywhere
51:00 AI Algorithms, the first audience for human content
53:00 Are AI-generated shows driving growth?
55:00 AI clone content and rising competition for humans
56:00 Why AI labeling may become essential
59:00 What Libsyn will focus on over the next 24 months
01:01:00 Audio, video, audience growth, and execution
01:03:00 Staying focused on core creator needs
01:05:00 Closing thoughts

This episode answers key industry questions that creators, executives, and media strategists are increasingly asking:
-What is Libsyn doing next under Brendan Monaghan?
-How is podcast hosting changing in 2026?
-Will video become a required part of podcast distribution?
-What does Apple’s HLS move mean for audio and video podcasting?
-Is RSS still the future, or are APIs taking over?
-How will AI-generated content affect podcasting, trust, and monetization?
-What should creators expect from modern hosting platforms now?
-Those questions are directly addressed in this discussion, making this episode highly relevant to search, social discovery, AI answer engines, and recommendation surfaces.

Guest and Show Links
Brendan Monaghan, CEO of Libsyn
https://Libsyn.com

Host Rob Greenlee and Show Links
New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com/
Trust Factor Lab: https://trustfactorlab.com/
Adore Creator Network: https://adorenetwork.com/
Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/
Rob Greenlee YouTube: https://youtube.com/@robgreenlee
Rob Greenlee LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
Rob Greenlee Instagram: https://instagram.com/robwgreenlee

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Podcasting’s Multi-Format Future | Sharon Taylor #659

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

Podcasting is entering a new phase, and this episode goes straight into the infrastructure, business models, and platform shifts shaping what comes next.

On episode 659 of The New Media Show, Host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee shares the microphone with Sharon Taylor, Chief Revenue Officer at Triton Digital (Spreaker & Omny Studio), for a deep conversation about where the podcasting market is heading right now.

Sharon brings years of experience from Omny Studio, Triton Digital, and Spreaker, making her one of the best people to help unpack what is changing across hosting, monetization, video, AI, advertiser demand, and measurement.

We talk through why podcasting is not simply becoming video-first, even as video becomes a bigger part of how shows are discovered and monetized.

Sharon makes a strong case that audio remains at the center of the medium, but the future is clearly becoming more multi-format. That means creators, publishers, and platforms need to think differently about how they distribute content, measure audience behavior, and build sustainable business models for both audio and video.

A big part of this conversation focuses on Triton Digital’s role in the market today and why its combination of Omny Studio, Spreaker, and broader ad tech infrastructure makes it an important player in podcasting’s next chapter.

Sharon explains the unique roots of Omny Studio as a platform built for large-scale broadcast and enterprise publishing needs, while Spreaker helped pioneer early podcast programmatic monetization for creators. That combination gives Triton a unique perspective on both professional publishing and creator-driven growth.

We also spend time on Apple’s HLS video move and what it may mean for podcasting’s future. Sharon shares how Triton had already been preparing for a broader video environment and why Apple’s support for HLS is such a meaningful shift.

We discuss how HLS could improve flexibility around delivery, ad insertion, and measurement, while still raising important questions about RSS, open distribution, and whether major platforms may slowly pull podcasting into more platform-specific publishing models over time.

Another major topic in this episode is trust.

From programmatic advertising to AI-generated content to labeling and transparency, Sharon and I explore how podcasting can continue to grow without losing the authentic connection that made the medium valuable in the first place.

We both agree that podcasting still has enormous strength as an audio-led medium, but the industry is now balancing openness, innovation, and monetization in ways that will define the next few years.

This is a wide-ranging and important discussion for anyone watching the evolution of podcasting, video, ad tech, platform power, and the future of open media.

Topics covered

– Why Triton Digital matters in podcasting right now
– Sharon Taylor’s path from Omny Studio to Triton CRO
– What Triton is seeing in audio versus video audience behavior
– Why podcasting is becoming multi-format, not simply video-first
– How Omny Studio and Spreaker fit different parts of the publishing market
– What Apple’s HLS video move changes for publishers and hosting platforms
– Why advertiser confidence and better measurement matter more than ever
– The future of RSS, open podcasting, and platform fragmentation
– How AI-generated content is affecting publishing growth and industry trust
– Where Sharon sees the next big opportunities for podcast growth

Guest

Sharon Taylor is the Chief Revenue Officer at Triton Digital. She was appointed to the CRO role in August 2025 after helping lead Triton’s podcast and content delivery efforts. Before joining Triton, Sharon was CEO of Omny Studio and played a key role in building it into one of the leading enterprise podcast platforms before its acquisition by Triton Digital.

Triton Digital: https://www.tritondigital.com/
Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/
Omny Studio: https://omnystudio.com/

Host

Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer, Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame, and leader behind Trust Factor Lab and Trust Creators Community at M3Linked.

New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com/
Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/
Trust Creators Community: https://m3linked.com/

Supporters:

Get a $10 StreamYard Video Recording and Live Streaming tool Discount using this LINK – https://streamyard.com/pal/c/5606177711325184

Podcasting pros use Podpage – Build a podcast or video show website that updates itself and showcases your show beautifully. Start for just $12/month! –>podpage.com?via=adore

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Shocking Change: Video, AI, and RSS Podcasting | Dave Jackson #646

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

In this new episode from a LIVE Jan 7th, 2026 New Media Show, Host RobGreenlee.com is joined by Dave Jackson (School of Podcasting and co-host of Ask the Podcast Coach) to unpack why the current shift toward video and AI feels like an earthquake inside podcasting, while the YouTube creator world treats it like a normal day.

We dig into how creators are now forced to play two games at once: the RSS subscription game and the algorithm discovery game especially for video, and why the definition debates did not matter as much as audience behavior.

Rob and Dave also get practical about what breaks and what endures, including growing frustration with heavy ad loads and pre-roll stacking, the realities of programmatic monetization, and why the first thing a listener should hear is you.

We cover where video delivery and monetization are heading (including HLS and video ad insertion), why “watch something” still defaults to YouTube for most people, and what Apple Podcasts would need to change if it ever wanted to truly reprioritize RSS-based video podcasting again.

Plus, a look at what live content signals in an AI-accelerated era, including the idea of live as proof of life and real-time audience feedback.

Rob also shares reminders about Podfest Expo (Jan 14–18 in Orlando) and the upcoming 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame activity on Jan 16th, 2026 (PodcastHall.com).

Topics Covered:

– Video becoming default across platforms
– AI accelerating the creator loop and increasing pressure to optimize for algorithms
– RSS portability, ownership, and the growing discovery gap
– Programmatic ads, pre-roll backlash, and audience ad tolerance
– HLS, video ad insertion, and why the ad infrastructure is pushing streaming delivery
– Apple Podcasts video discoverability problems and what would need to change
– Netflix exclusivity lessons after the Spotify era of exclusives
– Live as proof of life in a world flooding with synthetic content

Hosts Links

New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/
Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com/
Rob on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RobGreenlee
Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee
Rob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robwgreenlee/
Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/
Podfest Expo: https://podfestexpo.com/

Dave Jackson, School of Podcasting: https://schoolofpodcasting.com/
Ask the Podcast Coach (Live Saturdays): https://askthepodcastcoach.com/

 

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What’s a Podcast Era Is Over – Welcome Liquid Content Era #645

~ Rob Greenlee ~ Leave a comment

New Media Show with Rob Greenlee and Cliff Ravenscraft #645This week (December 17th, 2025) on episode #645 of The New Media Show with Rob Greenlee host is joined by longtime podcasting pioneer and returning guest co-host Cliff Ravenscraft, the Podcast Answer Man, for a wide-ranging and timely conversation about where podcasting has been and where it’s heading next.

The episode opens with a reflection on the long-running industry debate around the definition of a podcast and why that question has resurfaced so often over the last few years. Rob and Cliff explore how audience behavior has quietly moved ahead of industry debates, shifting consumption toward a mix of audio, video, livestreams, and platforms like YouTube, often without waiting for permission or consensus.

Cliff shares the full story behind his return to the Podcast Answer Man brand after stepping away years ago, including why he left, what he focused on during his time away, and what changes in the podcasting and creator landscape made this the right moment to come back. He reflects on two decades in podcasting, helping tens of thousands of creators launch shows, and why many creators today feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice around video, algorithms, and monetization.

Rob introduces the concept of podcasting’s evolving eras, beginning with the often-forgotten “Zero Era” where audio and video podcasting coexisted early on, followed by the MeUndies era, the experimentation and acquisition boom, and the more recent identity-crisis phase defined by the question “What is a podcast?”

Together, Rob and Cliff discuss why the industry may now be entering what’s being called the Liquid Content Era, where shows are no longer confined to a single format and content flows across feeds, platforms, and experiences.

The conversation digs into the tension between creator intent and audience convenience, the role of RSS in a changing ecosystem, and the risks of letting algorithms dictate creative decisions.

Cliff offers a counterbalance to the pressure many creators feel to be everywhere at once, emphasizing that audio-only podcasting can still succeed when aligned with clear goals, sustainable workflows, and meaningful audience relationships.

The episode also explores production quality, evolving audio standards, video integration challenges, international podcast growth, and why podcasting remains a powerful global medium despite constant claims that it’s “over” or “dead.”

This episode is both a reality check and a recalibration, encouraging creators to stop defending definitions, focus on serving audiences, and choose formats intentionally rather than reactively.

Join the conversation in comments, and be part of the discussion about what podcasting really means now and what it can become next.

Rob Greenlee
Rob Greenlee Website
https://RobGreenlee.com
New Media Show for Audio and Video RSS feeds
https://NewMediaShow.com
Adore Podcast Network
https://AdoreNetwork.com
Adore Creator Community on Skool
https://Skool.com/AdoreNetwork
Podcast Hall of Fame
https://PodcastHall.com
https://YouTube.com/@OfficialPodcastHallofFame
The Pro Creator Playbook with Rob Greenlee
Audio podcast
https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/pro-creator-playbook-audio/
Video show
https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/pro-creator-playbook-video/
Spoken Life Show
https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/spoken-life-show/
Spoken Human show on YouTube
https://YouTube.com/@spokenhuman
Rob Greenlee YouTube channel
https://YouTube.com/@RobGreenlee

Cliff Ravenscraft
https://CliffRavenscraft.com
https://PodcastAnswerMan.com

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