Business
The Download
The weekly intelligence briefing for podcast industry executives.
Episodes
The archive
24 episodes, newest first.
- Vox on the Block, Apple Goes Full Video, and the Quiet Ad Money No One TracksReid Mercer breaks down the rumored Vox Media podcast sale, Apple’s video podcast push, the quiet resurgence in ad spend, and why new talent formats matter more for your P&L than the press releases let on.
- Amazon Folds Wondery, AI Deepfakes Escalate, and the Battle for Political EarballsReid Mercer breaks down Amazon’s Wondery pivot into Audible, the rising legal and ethical risk of AI in podcasting, the Fox-fueled return of Bill O’Reilly to podcasting, and what new attribution and monetization tools from Magellan AI and Frequency mean for your 2026 revenue plan.
- iHeart’s Podcast Surge, Video’s Identity Crisis, and the Sports Audio Arms RaceReid Mercer breaks down iHeart’s podcast-driven earnings bump, the real economics of the video podcast boom, why sports audio is becoming an arms race, and how shifting listener habits are quietly rewriting ad strategies across the industry.
- The Video Pivot, Apple's Bet, and Why Rich Paul's Podcast Tells You EverythingReid Mercer breaks down the podcast industry's fraught relationship with video—from Apple's new visual experience to Netflix circling creator talent—then stress-tests what celebrity vanity pods and pharma branded content actually signal about where real monetization is headed.
Talent
Talents in this show
Each one has a profile of their own.
About
What the show is
From network strategy and M&A moves to ad tech innovations and monetization tactics, The Download delivers the insider analysis that shapes decisions at the highest levels of audio. Essential listening for leaders at major networks, ad platforms, and anyone building the future of podcasting.
More shows
Elsewhere in the directory
Every one of them is made with Mato.
