Apple reports video-podcast gains; Podcast Academy to host Schiefer, Harold and Philbrook
Podcast growth is being pursued through platform changes, broader communications programs and community-led expertise. Apple reports early audience gains from video, while Podnews’s listings show that creators still use fragmented hosting and discovery routes; Evan White PR and the Podcast Academy emphasize podcasts as part of wider audience-building and sustainability efforts.
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Apple Reports Early Audience Gains From Video Podcasts
Apple Podcasts reports early audience gains for shows adding video through its HLS rollout. Jake Shapiro, Apple’s head of creator partnerships, told PodBiz that participating shows with notable growth saw plays increase by more than 10%, audiences grow by more than 20%, and net new followers rise by more than 130%. Apple also highlighted TED’s How to Be a Better Human, whose unique audience increased 93% and follows rose 113% after video was added.
Apple is working with dozens of hosting providers and ad networks on video advertising, including visual extensions to audio ads, video-specific campaigns, and dynamically inserted host-read endorsements. Its commercial model remains focused on infrastructure: Apple says ad networks will pay a flat, impression-based technical delivery fee rather than share publisher advertising revenue.
The early figures give creators a concrete reason to test video because the reported gains extend beyond viewing to discovery and follows. For advertisers, the rollout creates more formats and campaign options. The next question is whether these gains can support a scalable video-podcast marketplace while preserving RSS-based distribution.
Evan White PR Positions Podcasts Within Broader HR Tech Marketing
On October 19, Evan White PR published four guides for human-resources and talent-acquisition technology companies. The resources cover the first 90 days of PR, conference selection, podcast conversations, and research-led campaigns.
The podcast-focused guide draws on conversations from Purple Acorn Network shows and other podcasts. The broader approach combines podcast appearances with research, customer stories, executive interviews, analyst outreach, events, and thought leadership. That positions podcasts as supporting evidence and a forum for explanation rather than as standalone announcements.
For HR technology companies, the model connects podcast participation with credibility-building activities such as original research and customer examples. It also gives specialist podcasts a clearer role in helping companies explain products and reach relevant audiences. The next signal will be whether these recommendations lead to measurable audience growth, media coverage, or customer engagement.
New Podcast Listings Highlight Fragmented Routes Into Audio
Three Podnews listings published on October 19 show creators using different hosting and discovery paths. Haley Smith’s thankyouhaley is hosted on Podbean, Zing Eventos’ Portuguese society-and-culture show With Love is on SoundCloud, and Travis’s 1 Question Podcast uses Spotify for Creators.
The listings also show how distribution and packaging can shape discoverability. With Love has no trailer and is absent from several directories, while 1 Question Podcast points listeners to TikTok and describes an interview format. Podbean and Spotify for Creators offer dynamic content insertion for the relevant shows, although the listings do not establish that the feature is being used.
The examples point to a low-friction but fragmented ecosystem: publishing is accessible, but audience discovery depends on directory coverage, show packaging, and platform-specific promotion. The next developments to watch are whether these shows add trailers, expand directory distribution, or build audiences through their linked social channels.
Podcast Academy Webinar Brings Paranormal Creators Together
The Podcast Academy and Southern Gothic Media are presenting a free webinar featuring Christine Schiefer, Jim Harold, and Scott Philbrook, with Southern Gothic’s Brandon Schexnayder moderating. The Voices That Haunt Us will examine research, storytelling, production challenges, audience growth, and the realities of sustaining independent shows.
The participating programs are described as having substantial cumulative reach: And That’s Why We Drink has more than 200 million downloads, Astonishing Legends more than 100 million, and Harold’s shows more than 95 million downloads or streams.
The event gives independent creators a forum to discuss how editorial choices, production constraints, and audience-building practices fit together after launch. Its value will depend on whether the discussion produces transferable guidance on research, storytelling, and long-term retention rather than focusing only on download totals.