Fable and Folly reportedly closing; Patreon ends per-creation memberships; TBOY partners with Nasdaq
This edition shows podcasting moving in opposite directions: established network and payment arrangements are contracting or being redesigned, while publishers and creators continue testing new formats and infrastructure. Fable and Folly's reported closure and Patreon's shift to monthly-only memberships sit alongside TBOY's Nasdaq partnership and four varied Podnews listings, making creator economics and distribution choices the developments to watch.
Thursday, Oct 8, 2026
Podcast industry developments to watch
Business models, discovery and infrastructure are shifting
Fable and Folly is reportedly closing its podcast network as Patreon ends “per-creation” memberships and moves creators to monthly-only plans. Apple Podcasts has also removed country-specific curation from its algorithmic view while highlighting an Australian “Creators We Love” selection.
Other changes include Podcast Movement NYC putting all conference sessions online, new podcast features from YouTube, and an Amazon Ads brand-suitability tool for DVA+.
Online audio advertising revenue is projected to reach $16.6 million this year, while the separate *Podcast Landscape 2026* report says podcast reach remains steady.
These developments affect how creators earn money, how listeners discover shows and how the industry reaches advertisers.
Patreon’s change removes a payment model tied to individual releases, while Apple’s curation changes could alter discovery for publishers and audiences accustomed to country-specific algorithmic treatment.
The reported Fable and Folly closure also puts network structures under scrutiny, even as steady reach, projected ad growth and new brand-suitability tools point to continued commercial development.
The Best One Yet adds two Nasdaq-backed franchises
Daily pop-business podcast *The Best One Yet* announced two new franchises in partnership with Nasdaq on October 8. One, TBOY 10, will publish a weekly ranking of 10 companies shaping business, cultural trends and society.
The ranking will combine Nasdaq’s trending tickers—listed companies with the largest recent increases in trading activity—with qualitative and quantitative inputs.
The partnership extends the show beyond its daily format into recurring editorial programming tied to market signals and cultural relevance. With more than 150 million lifetime downloads, *The Best One Yet* has an established audience for the launch.
The deal gives the podcast a repeatable format that can encourage listening habits and promotional cycles, while giving Nasdaq an editorial association with market activity.
The announcement does not yet establish audience results or commercial performance, so the key question is whether the new franchises convert the show’s existing reach into sustained engagement.
Independent podcasts show varied platforms and operating choices
Podnews published pages dated October 7–8 for four podcasts spanning comedy, health and fitness, religion and spirituality, and society and culture:
*A-Sides & Besides*, hosted by Alexander Scott, is hosted on Buzzsprout and distributed across numerous apps.
*Reflective motivation*, by Haseeb Syed, runs on Spotify for Creators.
*Don’t Be An Idiot: Conversations that Inspire?*, hosted by Caleb Richardson and Jacob Goff, uses an HTTP rather than HTTPS RSS feed.
*Baba Jani*, Lewis Engle’s show, uses Spreaker.
Spotify for Creators and Spreaker offer dynamic content insertion, which can alter audio for advertising or other content. However, the available infrastructure does not establish that either show uses the feature or earns advertising revenue.
The listings offer a small snapshot of continued creator activity and show how host selection shapes distribution, measurement, monetization options and privacy.
Broad app availability lowers distribution barriers, while the HTTP feed used by *Don’t Be An Idiot* can allow observers to identify listening activity. Whether these shows publish regularly, adopt dynamic insertion or build audiences remains unresolved.
anissenblatt@gmail.com · 2026-10-08T16:02:13.759Z