THIS WEEK IN THE PODVERSE, OCTOBER 18, 2024

The Republic Podcast returns with a powerful new season spotlighting the life and legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian environmental activist executed by the military government in 1995. Through gripping storytelling, host Wale Lawal uncovers Saro-Wiwa’s fight against oil pollution in Nigeria's Niger Delta, highlighting the tragic fate of the Ogoni 9 activists under General Sani Abacha's regime. Read More…

In a Good News Naija Podcast chat, Chief Suo Chapele talked about how Pidgin English brings people together in Nigeria. She also mentioned that some people think speaking in Pidgin isn't smart, especially for women in sports. But she believes women work hard and should get the credit they deserve. Read More…

In the debut episode of the PartyJollof Podcast, rising Nollywood actress Jemima Adelekan candidly shares her emotional journey through rejection in the film industry due to a facial scar. Despite a stellar audition, Jemima faced discrimination based on appearance, prompting a vital conversation about beauty standards in Nollywood. Read More…

In a recent episode of Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, comedian and former Daily Show host Trevor Noah delivered profound insights on life and purpose. He highlighted the importance of never making assumptions and critiqued the advice to "always be yourself," suggesting instead to "know when to be yourself." Read More…

Einstein Fix: An Electronic Symphony, a new podcast episode from BBC Radio 3's Between the Ears series, features Einstein Mupalu, a cellphone and laptop repairer in Cape Town. Produced by Catherine Boulle, the episode highlights Einstein's remarkable ability to fix devices while sharing his poignant story as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read More…

Aditya Mattoo, a podcast producer and former radio host, notes that while his podcast reels received over 3 million hits on LinkedIn, the actual episodes garnered only thousands of listens. This discrepancy prompts him to question whether podcasts are becoming mere collections of disjointed reels, lacking cohesive narratives. Read More…

The Black Lives Matter organization has introduced a new podcast titled What Matters, aimed at fostering open conversations about the challenges facing the Black community. The podcast emphasizes the need for community-driven solutions rather than relying on political parties. Read More…

Podcast fans have voiced their biggest turn-offs highlighting key reasons why they tune out. Common complaints include hosts starting episodes with insider references that alienate new listeners, using a condescending tone, and lacking chemistry between hosts. Excessive and disguised ad breaks were also criticized, as were monotonous delivery and poor audio quality. Read the thread

In a recent TechCrunch article, Alex Goldman, co-founder of the hit podcast Reply All and host of Hyperfixed, opened up about his unique podcasting setup. Recording from a cosy 8x8 basement room, Goldman emphasizes the importance of a personalized space that minimizes sound reflection. Read More…

On The Brilliant Idiots podcast, Charlamagne Tha God discussed a comment he received from a young Black man, suggesting that former President Trump’s recent appearance on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast could bolster his re-election chances. Charlamagne noted Trump’s humour and direct messaging seemed to resonate more with voters. Read More…

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are in talks to appear on Joe Rogan’s Joe Rogan Experience podcast, aiming to connect with the platform’s large, young, male audience. Rogan, known for his freewheeling and often critical commentary, has previously expressed disdain for both political figures. Read More…

Ahead of the 2024 U.S. election, candidates are targeting young voters by appearing on popular podcasts. Vice President Kamala Harris joined Call Her Daddy as the show's first political guest, while former President Donald Trump’s appearance on This Past Weekend with Theo Von topped Spotify and amassed 13 million YouTube views. This strategy reflects Gen Z’s preference for digital media, with over half using podcasts for news. Read More…

Lindsey Simcik and Krista Williams, hosts of the popular Almost 30 podcast, are set to release their debut book, Almost 30: A Definitive Guide to a Life You Love for the Next Decade and Beyond, on June 3, 2025. The book promises to blend memoir with practical advice, helping readers navigate significant life transitions as they approach their 30s. Read More…

Kyle and Jackie O ranked eighth in September’s Australian Podcast Ranker with over 1.26 million downloads across 86 episodes. While their influence in Melbourne breakfast radio is still developing, they boast the largest audience among radio catch-up podcasts, trailing only behind Hamish and Andy, who lead with 1.69 million downloads. Read More…

A new podcast in Melrose, Massachusetts, The Melrose Update Robocast, uses AI to cover local issues like zoning meetings. Created by Tom Catalini, it turns public documents into AI-generated conversations to fill the gap left by declining local journalism. With fewer traditional news outlets covering Melrose, Catalini's experiment addresses the need for hyper-local reporting. Read More…

In a recent article on The Podcast Setup, Matt Medeiros reflects on the evolution of Descript, a popular podcasting and video creation editing tool. The review notes significant performance enhancements, making the editing process smoother and more efficient, especially for complex projects. However, challenges remain, particularly with timeline editing and file management. Read More…

At the NAB Show in New York, Crooked Media's Matt DeGroot highlighted the need for efficient production workflows to ensure quick podcast turnarounds in a fast-paced news cycle. The panel also discussed repurposing live radio content and the growing use of AI for transcription and content optimization, underscoring the need for high-quality output. Read More…

The All Kinds of Catholic podcast recently featured travel writer and pilgrim Phil McCarthy in its 20th episode. Recorded while walking part of the Shrewsbury Diocesan Pilgrim Way, McCarthy shared his faith journey and discussed his project, Hearts in Search of God. Since its launch in June 2024, the podcast has attracted over 2,500 downloads. Read More…

A recent study by Veritonic reveals that podcast creators should focus on audio branding, as listeners engage more with sound than visuals. Findings indicate that 50% of listeners connect better with a brand's audio identity compared to its visual logo, and 58% find it more memorable. Read More…

Google has officially removed the "Experimental" label from its NotebookLM app. The app now offers new Audio Overview features, allowing users to steer AI-generated discussions by selecting specific topics and adjusting expertise levels. Read More…

Should Podcasters Worry About NotebookLM? The AI-generated dialogue is impressively lifelike, yet Steve Goldstein of Amplifi Media suggests there’s no need for podcasters to panic just yet. Read More…

Following the success of NotebookLM, Google has unveiled Illuminate, a powerful AI podcasting tool leveraging the Gemini AI model with a 2 million-token context window. Users can create podcasts by uploading documents or links, with customizable output for various audiences. Currently, in limited release, interested users can join a waitlist for access. Read More…