New Media Show (Video)

Rob Greenlee
  • 3.4 (17)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Biweekly

New Media Show with Host Rob Greenlee formerly co-hosted with Todd Cochrane RIP discussing the new media and podcasting space with new weekly guest co-hosts.

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    The Creator Reset: AI, Trust and What Comes Next | Jim Louderback #689 (Video)

    In New Media Show #689, I’m joined by Jim Louderback, publisher of Inside the Creator Economy and former CEO of VidCon and Revision3, to explore what the next phase of the creator economy means for people building media businesses. Jim and I have lived through several shifts at the intersection of media and technology. This conversation connects the early days of video podcasting with today’s AI tools, changing audience habits, and the search for a lasting creator business. More ways to create and distribute content bring opportunity, but they also raise questions about attention, ownership, and trust. Digital Jim and the Human Premium We start with Digital Jim, the AI version of Jim that turns his human-written newsletter into short videos. Jim explains how the team at Popcorn uses his words, an AI voice, and a visual avatar to help him reach audiences on LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. He still writes the newsletter and reviews the videos before sharing them. That experiment leads to one of the episode’s central ideas: the human premium. Jim’s hypothesis is that, as audiences encounter more AI-generated media, they may place greater value on recognizable human voices, imperfect conversations, and experiences with real people. We discuss what that could mean for audience relationships, advertising, and in-person events. Podcasting in a Bigger Creator Economy We revisit Revision3, Diggnation, and the early use of short clips to introduce people to longer shows. Video podcasting and distributing a conversation in several formats have a longer history than today’s debate sometimes acknowledges. Jim describes an audio-plus approach: people can listen when that suits them, while video creates another way to discover and experience a show. We also discuss why creators spread their work across platforms, how short-form awareness differs from monetization, and the risks of depending on one platform’s rules. Could Personalized AI Media Disrupt YouTube Our platform conversation moves from Netflix’s interest in creator programming to a bigger question: What could disrupt YouTube? Jim suggests that a major technological shift, rather than another similar video service, could open the door.  His audience-of-one idea goes beyond recommending existing videos. We explore the possibility of media generated specifically for an individual, along with what Jim calls robo-social relationships with AI characters that respond to and remember their users. We debate these predictions, including how they might compete for time people currently spend with human creators. Your Identity and Archive Have Value We discuss the business value of a creator’s name, image, likeness, voice, and archive. I share my experience exploring Royall.ai and receiving inquiries about using past New Media Show conversations as AI training material. That raises questions about guest permission, licensing, tracking use, and maintaining control over future uses of a creator’s work. Jim also describes an audio watermarking approach he has encountered, while acknowledging that he has not independently established how well it works. The discussion is about taking identity and content rights seriously as new business models emerge. Live Shopping and the Next Media Business Jim explains what he wants readers to get from Inside the Creator Economy: timely reporting, his interpretation of the news, and ideas they can question. We talk about the differences between email subscribers, LinkedIn newsletter subscribers, and the audience numbers platforms report. We then explore global creator markets, Whatnot, live shopping, and the role of personality and audience participation in commerce. TBPN’s combination of a live show, a focused audience, and widely distributed clips gives us another example to examine. We close with local AI tools and a practical encouragement from Jim: keep experimenting. My key takeaways: Use these tools to expand what you can create, while giving people a reason to connect with you. Your ideas, judgment, and relationships shape the value of the media business you build. Key topics How Digital Jim turns a human-written newsletter into AI video The human premium and the value of real audience relationships Video podcasting’s history and an audio-plus approach Multi-platform distribution, short clips, and platform dependence Netflix, YouTube, and media generated for an audience of one Robo-social relationships and competition for audience attention Creator identity, archive licensing, AI training, and permission Newsletter measurement, global creator markets, and live shopping Whatnot, TBPN, and building a focused media business Local AI tools, creative judgment, and continued experimentation Chapter timestamps 00:00 Welcome to New Media Show 689, and the creator reset 01:00 Meet Jim Louderback and watch Digital Jim 03:00 How Popcorn produces Jim’s AI newsletter videos 06:00 Bringing podcasting and the creator economy together 10:00 Audio plus video and reaching audiences in more formats 13:00 Multi-platform distribution and creator business risk 17:00 The human premium in an AI media world 24:00 Younger creators and the changing meaning of podcasting 27:00 AI visuals and turning audio into video experiences 30:00 Netflix and the value of creator programming 32:00 What could disrupt YouTube 34:00 Personalized media and the audience of one 37:00 Robo-social relationships and AI companions 43:00 Human creativity and the limits of average content 44:00 Royall.ai and capturing a creator’s digital identity 47:00 Archive licensing, AI training data, and guest permission 49:00 Watermarking, content control, and future use 53:00 Inside the Creator Economy and newsletter measurement 57:00 Global creator markets and live shopping 58:00 Whatnot, collectibles, and audience participation 01:02:00 TBPN, live shows, and the power of distributed clips 01:06:00 AI platforms, local models, and new media tools 01:08:00 Keep experimenting and closing thoughts Guest Jim Louderback Jim Louderback publishes the weekly Inside the Creator Economy newsletter and produces, curates, and moderates creator events around the world. He is the former CEO of VidCon and Revision3, and his career also includes leadership and editorial roles at Discovery Digital Networks, TechTV, and PC Magazine. Jim Louderback: https://louderback.com/ About Jim: https://louderback.com/about/ Inside the Creator Economy archive: https://louderback.com/blog/ Subscribe to Inside the Creator Economy: https://louderback.com/subscribe-to-my-weekly-newsletter/ Host Rob Greenlee Rob Greenlee is the founder of Trust Factor Lab, host of New Media Show, and a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair. His work connects podcasting, video, creator platforms, audience trust, and the media business. New Media Show: https://newmediashow.com/ New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com/ Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee Podcast Hall of Fame: https://podcasthall.com/ Adore Network Audio: https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-audio Adore Network Video: https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-video Apple Podcasts Audio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649 Apple Podcasts Video: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-video/id392545647 AI disclosure AI tools helped organize and draft these show notes from the completed Episode #689 transcript and edited the full show. Rob Greenlee retains editorial responsibility. The New Media Show is human-hosted with human guests; this episode also includes a disclosed AI-generated Digital Jim video demonstration. The post The Creator Reset: AI, Trust and What Comes Next | Jim Louderback #689 first appeared on New Media Show.

    The Creator Reset: AI, Trust and What Comes Next | Jim Louderback #689 (Video)

  2. Sep 25 ·  Video

    Podcasting’s Identity Crisis: Who Controls Podcasts Now? | James Cridland #688 (Video)

    Your podcast can be available everywhere and still be hard to find. So who controls its future: the creator, the audience, or the platform? In New Media Show #688, Rob Greenlee welcomes back James Cridland, Editor of Podnews, co-host of the Podnews Weekly Review, and a 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, for a conversation about what Podcast Week in New York City revealed about our industry. We compare notes on the IAB Podcast Upfronts, CreatorFronts, and a very different NYC Podcast Movement. James also shares his experience at the Sounds Profitable Business Summit. The week had plenty of energy, but it also exposed real differences in how creators, platforms, and advertisers see podcasting’s future. Podcast Movement’s Terminal 5 venue brought challenges around meetings, exhibitor space, and crowding. James argues that the headphone-based sessions worked better than expected. We also reflect on Tom Webster’s tribute to Todd Cochrane and why the industry still needs people willing to speak up when something is wrong. Podcasting has expanded its distribution. That doesn’t mean it controls where people discover shows. Sounds Profitable: Tom Webster’s presentation leads us into YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix, where podcasts compete with much more than other podcasts. James Cridland also cautions against confusing whether someone has ever used a platform with where they regularly listen. A major part of our conversation is measuring media consumption. James challenges the IAB’s approach to audio and video, while making another important point: tearing down the download without a workable replacement can undermine the business we already have. James offers a proposal worth discussing: share advertising revenue with podcast apps that provide useful consumption data. James argues that apps need a financial reason to invest in discovery and better listening experiences. I raise the concern about taking revenue from creators, and we explore whether growing listening could make that trade worthwhile. Rob and James also discuss open RSS, HLS video, and Podcasting 2.0 as ways to expand access. That includes discovery built around places and local interests, along with AI production tools that help humans make better content. Adding video should not make the audio listener a second-class audience. The conversation still needs to work when someone cannot see the screen. The question is how we keep podcasting open to a wide range of voices while competing in a much bigger media world. More reach matters. So do audience trust, creator choice, and a business that can sustain the work. Key Topics – Podcast Week NYC: the business summit, upfronts, CreatorFronts, and Podcast Movement – Remembering Todd Cochrane and the value of speaking up – Platform discovery versus open podcast distribution – Audio and video measurement, advertiser trust, and the download – James’s proposal to share revenue with podcast apps – Netflix, YouTube, and rising video production expectations – Open RSS, HLS, and location-based podcast discovery – AI production assistance and respecting the audio listener Guest: James Cridland Editor of Podnews, co-host of the Podnews Weekly Review, and 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee. – Podnews Daily Newsletter and Podcast: https://podnews.net – Podnews Weekly Review: https://weekly.podnews.net Host: Rob Greenlee – New Media Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow – Rob Greenlee: https://robgreenlee.com – Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee – Podcast Hall of Fame Inductee & Chair: https://podcasthall.com – New Media Show: https://NewMediaShow.com – Adore Network Audio: https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-audio – Adore Network Video: https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-video – Apple Podcasts Audio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649 – Apple Podcasts Video: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-video/id392545647 AI Disclosure AI tools helped organize and draft these show notes from the completed Episode #688 transcript, and I hand-edited for clarity and accuracy. The conversation and perspectives are human-led, and Rob Greenlee retains editorial responsibility. The New Media Show is human-hosted with human guests. The post Podcasting’s Identity Crisis: Who Controls Podcasts Now? | James Cridland #688 first appeared on New Media Show.

    Podcasting’s Identity Crisis: Who Controls Podcasts Now? | James Cridland #688 (Video)

  3. Sep 14 ·  Video

    Don’t Just Make Videos: Build a Creator Media Company | Roberto Blake #687 (Video)

    Getting views, streams, and downloads is not the same as building a business. Subscribers aren’t automatically customers, and a successful YouTube channel doesn’t necessarily mean you have built something sustainable. In New Media Show #687, Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee talks with Creator, Educator, Author, and Entrepreneur Roberto Blake, founder of Awesome Creator Academy, about what comes after becoming a content creator and why more creators need to think of themselves as independent media companies rather than defining themselves by one format or platform. Roberto argues that being a podcaster, YouTuber, streamer, or blogger is increasingly just a distribution choice. The bigger issue is the value you create, the audience relationship you build, and what you actually own. We get into the shift from audio-first thinking to broader creator media, why professionalism is more about preparation and performance than polished production, and how AI is changing the economics of being a creator. Roberto sees some of the strongest uses of AI in the operational work around content, including research, data analysis, transcription, organization, editing workflows, and other tasks that can free creators to spend more time on judgment, ideas, and relationships. A major part of the conversation is about turning attention into a real business. Roberto describes his framework as “reach, reputation, revenue,” or in a business context, “traffic, trust, transaction.” Getting attention is only the beginning. The real value comes from earning trust and then creating products, services, memberships, intellectual property, or other business models around that relationship. We also talk about what creators should own. That includes their brand, intellectual property, expertise, direct audience relationships, and the parts of the business that can survive changes at YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or any other platform. Roberto breaks creator businesses into three broad paths: entertainer, lifestyle brand, and thought leader, with different revenue and growth opportunities for each. The conversation goes much deeper into AI, human creativity, likeness rights, AI labeling, and synthetic AI media. Why Roberto believes the bigger risk isn’t simply AI-generated entertainment, but the potential misuse of synthetic media by institutions or people trying to manipulate audiences. The larger point is simple: Creators should stop thinking only about the next piece of content and start thinking about what they are building around it. Key Topics: – Moving from content creator to independent media company – Why podcasting, YouTube, and streaming are becoming distribution choices – Audio-first versus audio-only thinking – Professionalism versus production polish – Using AI for creator operations, research, editing, and workflow – Reach, reputation, and revenue – Traffic, trust, and transaction – Building direct audience relationships – Owning your brand, expertise, and intellectual property – Entertainer, lifestyle brand, and thought-leader business models – Building revenue beyond platform advertising – Why taste and personality may become more important as AI lowers the skill barrier – Human authenticity and real-world connection – AI likeness, voice cloning, and long-term IP value – AI labeling and the risks of treating every use of AI the same way – Awesome Creator Academy and Roberto’s approach to creator growth Guest: Roberto Blake Creator, entrepreneur, educator, and founder of Awesome Creator Academy Roberto Blake https://robertoblake.com Awesome Creator Academy https://www.awesomecreatoracademy.com YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@robertoblake Host: Rob Greenlee New Media Show on YouTube https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow Rob Greenlee https://robgreenlee.com Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee Podcast Hall of Fame https://podcasthall.com New Media Show https://NewMediaShow.com Adore Network Audio https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-audio/ Adore Network Video https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-video/ Apple Podcasts Audio https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649 Apple Podcasts Video https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-video/id392545647 AI Disclosure AI tools helped organize and edit this episode and create the above show notes from the completed Episode #687 transcript. The conversation, perspectives, editorial direction, and final editing were performed, and responsibility for the episode remains human-led. The New Media Show is human-hosted. The post Don’t Just Make Videos: Build a Creator Media Company | Roberto Blake #687 first appeared on New Media Show.

    Don’t Just Make Videos: Build a Creator Media Company | Roberto Blake #687 (Video)

  4. Sep 10 ·  Video

    Hidden Revenue: What Media Publishers Are Leaving Behind | Sean Howard, Flightpath #686 (Video)

    Podcast media creator publishers may already have more revenue opportunity than they realize. The challenge is not always finding more listeners. It can be understanding what inventory is actually available to sell, what to sell, whether campaigns will deliver, and where revenue is being lost. In this episode #686 of the New Media Show, Rob Greenlee talks with Sean Howard, CEO and co-founder of Flightpath.fm, about the growing complexity behind new media podcast advertising and why better forecasting, campaign management, publisher data, and revenue optimization are becoming more important. Sean explains how Flightpath grew out of a problem he experienced from both sides of the business. As an ad buyer, he found that publishers often did not know how much inventory they really had available. As a publisher, he saw the same problem from the other side: uncertainty about whether sold campaigns would actually deliver. Flightpath was built to bring those pieces together through traffic management, prediction, pacing, and cross-platform revenue visibility. The conversation also gets into dynamic ad insertion and the value of the podcast back catalog. Sean argues that publishers relying too heavily on baked-in ads may be leaving significant revenue on the table because listeners keep consuming older episodes long after release. Rob and Sean also discuss a larger issue facing content creator publishers today: platform dependence. As podcast companies expand across multiple hosting platforms, YouTube, Spotify, video, HLS, and other distribution systems, publishers need better access to their own data and a clearer understanding of the business risk that comes with relying too heavily on any one platform. The bigger question is whether the next stage of media and podcast revenue growth may come not only from finding more audience, but from better understanding and monetizing the audience publishers already have. Discussion Highlights – Hidden revenue in existing podcast inventory – Why forecasting and campaign delivery remain difficult – Dynamic ad insertion and back-catalog monetization – Frequency capping, pacing, and ad performance – Publisher ownership and access to data – Platform risk and using multiple hosting platforms – YouTube, Spotify, HLS, and video monetization – AI and revenue optimization – Flightpath’s role as a publisher intelligence and traffic management layer – Why better data can help sales and operations make better decisions Key Topic Timestamps: 00:00 Hidden revenue opportunities publishers may already have 01:00 Sean Howard and what Flightpath does 03:00 Why Flightpath was built around forecasting and campaign delivery 05:00 Fragmented platforms and the growing complexity of monetization 07:30 HLS, open standards, and the return of video podcasting 11:00 Audio and video advertising collide 12:30 Using publisher data to identify campaign and platform problems 15:00 Why publishers need access to their own data 17:00 Dynamic ad insertion and the untapped value of the back catalog 19:00 Spotify, YouTube, and changing control over ad inventory 21:00 Choosing a hosting platform is becoming a business risk decision 23:00 Why publishers may need to work across multiple platforms 26:00 Measuring hosting platform performance and revenue impact 27:30 Publisher autonomy and Flightpath’s platform strategy review 31:00 Forecasting, pacing, and Flightpath’s Revenue Optimizer 35:30 Where AI fits into forecasting and sales recommendations 38:00 Podcast platforms evolving into intelligence and decision systems 39:00 Using publisher data with AI and LLMs 43:00 Advertising, subscriptions, Spotify, and YouTube 44:00 Apple video, Spotify, and the HLS opportunity 46:00 Podcasting becomes a more professional media business 48:00 Why publishers need an independent intelligence layer 50:00 Who Flightpath is built for 53:00 Flightpath onboarding and supported platform integrations 55:00 Closing thoughts and where to learn more Guest Sean Howard CEO and Co-Founder, Flightpath https://flightpath.fm https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanhoward Host Rob Greenlee Rob Greenlee Website: https://RobGreenlee.com Listen and Watch New Media Show https://NewMediaShow.com Adore Network Audio https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-audio/ Adore Network Video https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-video/ Apple Podcasts Audio https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649 Apple Podcasts Video https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-video/id392545647 AI Disclosure AI tools helped organize and edit this episode and create the above show notes from the completed Episode #686 transcript. The conversation, perspectives, editorial direction, and final editing were performed, and responsibility for the episode remains human-led. The New Media Show is human-hosted. The post Hidden Revenue: What Media Publishers Are Leaving Behind | Sean Howard, Flightpath #686 first appeared on New Media Show.

    Hidden Revenue: What Media Publishers Are Leaving Behind | Sean Howard, Flightpath #686 (Video)

  5. Sep 9 ·  Video

    Remembering Todd Cochrane, One Year Later

    One year ago today, on September 8, 2025, we lost Todd Cochrane. Todd was my longtime co-host on the New Media Show, a podcast builder from the medium’s earliest days, and one of its strongest advocates for independent creators, open RSS, ownership, and direct connection with audiences. Looking back on these conversations, what stands out most is how consistently Todd fought for what he believed mattered. He never forgot why podcasting was different in the first place: it removed barriers, gave creators more control, and made it possible to build real communities without asking gatekeepers for permission. He also understood that none of it came easy. Todd often talked about “sweat equity,” doing the work, building something from the ground up, and earning an audience’s trust over time. That was who he was. What makes this video especially difficult to watch is the ending. In what became his final New Media Show appearance, Todd signed off the way he always did, expecting there would be another episode: “We’ll see you next time.” I wish there had been a next time. Todd’s voice, his ideas, and the impact he had on podcasting are still very much part of the conversation. Remembering my friend and New Media Show co-host Todd Cochrane today. June 4, 1964 – September 8, 2025 More remembrances of Todd Cochrane: New Media Show: Remembering Todd Cochrane, Podcast Hall of Famer and Blubrry CEO A special New Media Show episode with Adam Curry, Mike Dell, Rob Walch, and me remembering Todd’s life, personality, career, advocacy for independent podcasting, and his impact on the medium. New Media Show remembrance https://newmediashow.com/2025/09/ Podnews: Obituary: Todd Cochrane James Cridland and I worked together on this obituary covering Todd’s life, Navy career, Geek News Central, Blubrry, open RSS advocacy, the Podcast Awards, New Media Show, and his wider impact on podcasting. Read the Podnews obituary:  https://podnews.net/article/todd-cochrane-obituary Blubrry Podcasting: Blubrry Founder Todd Cochrane: In Memoriam The company Todd founded remembered him as the heart of the Blubrry community and said it is committed to continuing his mission of supporting podcasters and independent creators. Read Blubrry’s remembrance https://blubrry.com/podcast-insider/2025/09/09/blubrry-founder-todd-cochrane-in-memoriam/ Geek News Central: Geek News Central Mourns the Loss of Todd Cochrane Todd’s longtime show and publication remembered its founder, host, and driving force, as well as his impact on technology, podcasting, and the people around him. Read the Geek News Central remembrance https://geeknewscentral.com/2025/09/09/geek-news-central-mourns-the-loss-of-todd-cochrane/ Podcast Movement: In Memory of Todd Cochrane Dan Franks reflected on Todd’s early support of Podcast Movement, his willingness to challenge the industry, and his commitment to independent podcasters. Read the Podcast Movement tribute:  https://weekly.podcastmovement.com/p/in-memory-of-todd-cochrane Sounds Profitable: Remembering Todd Cochrane Tom Webster shared a personal remembrance of Todd, including how Geek News Central was the first podcast he listened to nearly two decades earlier and how Todd’s belief in creators shaped both his work and his business. Read Tom Webster’s remembrance:  https://soundsprofitable.com/article/remembering-todd-cochrane/ Podnews Weekly Review: Remembering Todd Cochrane James Cridland and Sam Sethi looked back on Todd’s career and included material from an earlier conversation with him about how he began podcasting in 2004 and what the medium meant to him. Listen to the Podnews Weekly Review remembrance:  https://weekly.podnews.net/1538779/episodes/17833228-remembering-todd-cochrane-and-apple-testing-new-chapters PodBiz: When Independent Voices Shape an Industry: Remembering Todd Cochrane Recorded before Todd’s passing, this conversation captures him in his own words as he discusses monetization, independent creators, audience trust, and why serving listeners has to come before chasing revenue. Listen to the PodBiz episode https://shows.acast.com/podbiz/episodes/remembering-todd-cochrane podCast411: Todd Cochrane Interview from March 2005 Remastered Rob Walch remastered his original March 2005 interview with Todd, offering a rare chance to hear Todd near the very beginning of the podcasting era. Listen to the remastered 2005 interview https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-podcast411-learn-about-pod-27564388/episode/411-item-0022b-todd-cochrane-294330497/ podCast411: Memorial to Todd Cochrane on New Media Show Rob Walch also shared the New Media Show memorial conversation with his podCast411 audience. Listen to the podCast411 memorial feed drop https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-podcast411-learn-about-pod-27564388/episode/memorial-to-todd-cochrane-on-new-294330496/ Podcaster News: Remembering Site Founder Todd Cochrane The site Todd founded remembered his drive, fearlessness, generosity, and desire to help other people succeed. Todd Robert Cochrane obituary Todd’s family obituary provides the personal record of his life, including his Michigan roots, 22 years of Navy service, family, technology interests, and the people he left behind. Read Todd’s obituary:  https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/45326462/todd-robert-cochrane The New Media Show continues today with Todd very much a part of its foundation. The conversations have changed, the industry continues to evolve, and there are still plenty of things I know Todd and I would be debating. I still miss having him on the other side of that conversation.   The post Remembering Todd Cochrane, One Year Later first appeared on New Media Show.

    Remembering Todd Cochrane, One Year Later

  6. Sep 2 ·  Video

    Human Audience Growth in the AI Era | Alex Sanfilippo #685 (Video)

    As AI makes it easier to create more content, human relationships may become more valuable, not less.  In Episode #685 of the New Media Show, host and Podcast Hall of Famer Rob Greenlee talks with Alex Sanfilippo, founder of PodMatch and host of Podcasting Made Simple, about why relationships between hosts, guests, audiences, collaborators, and communities are becoming an increasingly important part of podcast growth. The conversation explores podcast guesting, better host-guest matching, AI-assisted workflows, audio and video podcasting, RSS and HLS, creator-owned communities, and why direct audience relationships matter as large platforms gain more control over discovery and monetization. Human Connection Wins Alex built PodMatch around a simple problem: podcast hosts could find guests, but finding the “right guest” and managing all the administrative work surrounding an interview took an enormous amount of time. The goal is to automate the work around the conversation without automating the human connection itself. Rob and Alex discuss why great podcast conversations create relationships that can continue long after an episode is published. Better Guests, Better Conversations A strong podcast guest should arrive ready to lead with value, not simply promote a book, company, or product. Rob and Alex discuss why: – Every interview should feel different – Guests should bring something new to each conversation – Hosts need to listen rather than simply read questions – Generic AI-generated pitches are easy to recognize – Guest and show alignment matters more than volume – Meaningful conversations are more likely to be shared Alex also explains how PodMatch is using AI to improve host-guest alignment while reducing research and administrative work. Audio, Video and the Changing Podcast The conversation expands into the growing convergence between podcasting and YouTube. Alex remains audio and RSS-focused but believes podcasting and YouTube are increasingly influencing each other. Podcasting brings depth and long-form conversation while YouTube brings visual discovery and engagement. Rob and Alex also discuss the HLS video format, alternative enclosures, separate audio and video feeds, and why the current publishing ecosystem can still feel unnecessarily complicated for creators. Build Relationships You Own As major platforms change algorithms, monetization rules, and distribution policies, creators have another reason to develop direct relationships with their audiences. Newsletters, private communities, memberships, events, collaborations, and other owned audience pathways can turn large platforms into discovery and recruiting channels rather than the entire creator business. Alex sees this community layer becoming an increasingly important part of PodMatch. Discussion Highlights – Why human connection becomes more valuable as content expands – How PodMatch matches podcast hosts and guests – Solo, co-hosted, and interview podcast formats – Podcasting versus YouTube content strategies – RSS, HLS, audio and video podcast distribution – What defines a podcast in 2026? – Why guests should lead with value – Creating unique conversations instead of repeating talking points – Why generic AI podcast pitches fail – Using AI to improve guest-host alignment – Podcast collaborations, review swaps, and podrolls – Building creator-owned communities – Turning platforms into audience acquisition channels – Why trusted relationships may be the creator’s strongest long-term asset Chapter Markers 00:00 When content becomes unlimited, human connection becomes scarce 01:45 Introducing Alex Sanfilippo and PodMatch 03:25 Why podcast conversations matter 07:10 Guests, co-hosts, and solo podcast formats 13:05 Podcasting meets YouTube 17:00 Finding the platform where your audience lives 20:25 Audio, video, RSS, and HLS complexity 27:25 What is a podcast now? 30:05 Why podcast guests need to lead with value 33:00 Every interview should be different 35:20 Listening creates better conversations 38:15 Why unique interviews get shared 41:15 The problem with AI-generated podcast pitches 44:20 Finding real guest-show alignment 48:45 Why Alex has become more selective about guesting 50:40 Using AI for PodMatch alignment 54:35 Podcast collaborations, reviews, and podrolls 57:15 Podcast relationships become communities 58:45 Building audiences beyond rented platforms 01:03:00 Creating relationships with your true fans 01:05:15 Community and the future of PodMatch 01:06:20 Where to connect with Alex 01:07:00 Closing thoughts About Alex Sanfilippo Alex Sanfilippo is the founder of PodMatch, a platform that connects podcast hosts and guests while streamlining the administrative work around podcast interviews. He also hosts Podcasting Made Simple, where he helps independent podcast hosts and guests grow their influence, audiences, and businesses. Guest Links PodMatch https://podmatch.com Alex’s free podcast host and guest resources https://podmatch.com/free Podcasting Made Simple https://podmatch.com/episodes About the Host Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, Chair of the Podcast Hall of Fame, Founder of Trust Factor Lab, and longtime new-media executive, creator, strategist, and industry leader. Listen and Watch New Media Show https://NewMediaShow.com Adore Network Audio https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-audio/ Adore Network Video https://www.adorenetwork.com/show/new-media-show-video/ Apple Podcasts Audio https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-audio/id392545649 Apple Podcasts Video https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-media-show-video/id392545647 AI Disclosure AI tools helped organize and edit this episode and create the above show notes from the completed Episode #685 transcript. The conversation, perspectives, editorial direction, and final editing and responsibility for the episode remain human-led. The New Media Show is human-hosted. The post Human Audience Growth in the AI Era | Alex Sanfilippo #685 first appeared on New Media Show.

    Human Audience Growth in the AI Era | Alex Sanfilippo #685 (Video)

  7. Aug 31 ·  Video

    Own Your Identity: Who Controls Your Voice, and Likeness? | Anne Kavanagh, Royall.ai #684 (Video)

    AI can now reproduce a person’s face, voice, movement, and likeness with increasing realism. The bigger question is becoming: Who gets to control that identity, authorize its use, and potentially get paid when it has commercial value? In Episode #684 of the New Media Show,  Host Rob Greenlee talks with Anne Kavanagh, co-founder of Royall.ai, about building a new permission and licensing layer around human identity. The conversation is not about stopping or being anti-AI. It is about establishing something that has largely been missing: proof and authorization before use. Your Identity Becomes an Asset You Control Royall.ai is developing what Anne describes as a biometric vault where people can register elements of their identity, including voice, face, likeness, and body motion. Those assets can be fingerprinted and watermarked, creating the foundation for detecting use, approving or rejecting it, and potentially licensing it commercially. That changes the discussion from simply asking whether AI can clone someone to asking whether the person actually gave permission. A creator could potentially say: Use my voice for this campaign, but only for six months. Allow my likeness to be used to train this model, but pay me. Do not use my identity for this purpose at all. The central principle is simple: You own you. Protection and Opportunity The same technology designed to identify unauthorized use could also create legitimate new markets for human identity. Anne describes a future where AI companies, studios, agencies, platforms, and brands could license verified human data rather than simply collecting material from the public internet. Creators could choose whether their voice, face, movement, or content can be used for AI training and receive compensation when they opt in. This becomes especially important as synthetic media becomes indistinguishable from human media. Rob also raises another possibility: as AI-generated content becomes abundant, verified or certified human-created content may itself become more valuable. Podcast Archives Create Another Rights Problem The discussion gets particularly relevant to podcasting. A podcast owner may control thousands of hours of archived conversations, but that does not necessarily mean the owner has the right to license every guest’s voice for AI training. Rob explains that the New Media Show archive has previously attracted interest for conversational AI training, but licensing complete conversations would require permission from the guests whose voices appear in them. Royall.ai is exploring infrastructure that could help identify those participants, request consent, manage permissions, and create licensing transactions across large content libraries. That could become a significant issue as decades of podcast, video, music, and creator archives become valuable training material. Discussion Highlights – Who should control your voice, face, and digital likeness – Creating a biometric identity vault – Consent before AI use – Detecting unauthorized likeness and voice usage – Licensing human identity for AI training – Getting creators paid for authorized use – Deepfakes, scams, and identity theft – Why trust is critical to biometric infrastructure – AI disclosure versus AI-assisted creation – The rise of verified human-created media – Creator contracts and synthetic likeness rights – Licensing podcast archives for AI training – Why guest consent matters – Royall.ai as an identity and permission API layer Chapter Timestamp Markers 00:00 Who controls your likeness and voice identity? 03:00 Introducing Anne Kavanagh and Royall.ai 07:00 How the idea behind Royall.ai developed 09:00 Verified identity, authorization and licensing 10:00 Creating a biometric vault for voice, face and motion 18:00 Detection, reporting and takedown tools 20:00 Opting into AI training and getting paid 24:00 Building a training-grade voice model 28:00 Identity protection becomes an economic opportunity 34:00 Why this is a human issue, not just a creator issue 38:00 Deepfakes, students, scams and identity theft 40:00 The trust challenge of storing biometric identity 43:00 Building a registrar for human identity and likeness 45:00 Royall.ai as part of the technology stack 48:00 The principle: You own you 53:00 AI tools, disclosure and audience trust 59:00 Could certified human content become premium? 01:02:00 Synthetic podcast hosts and transparency 01:04:00 Creator contracts and consent for AI training 01:05:00 Licensing podcast archives and guest voices 01:08:00 Who controls your existing content libraries? 01:11:00 How Royall.ai early access works 01:14:00 Public images, copyright and identity ownership Anne Kavanagh Guest Links Royall.ai is currently onboarding users through an early-access process, with registration, fingerprinting, watermarking, detection capabilities, and enterprise/API integrations discussed toward the end of the episode. Royall.ai https://royall.ai Host, Rob Greenlee and Show Links New Media Show https://newmediashow.com New Media Show on YouTube https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow Rob Greenlee https://robgreenlee.com Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee Podcast Hall of Fame https://podcasthall.com AI Disclosure AI tools helped organize and edit the episode to remove filler words; this description was created from the completed full transcript of episode #684. The recorded conversation, human performances, perspectives, editorial direction, and final responsibility for the episode remain with Rob Greenlee and Anne Kavanagh. The New Media Show is human-hosted. The post Own Your Identity: Who Controls Your Voice, and Likeness? | Anne Kavanagh, Royall.ai #684 first appeared on New Media Show.

    Own Your Identity: Who Controls Your Voice, and Likeness? | Anne Kavanagh, Royall.ai #684 (Video)

  8. Aug 27 ·  Video

    Trust, AI and the Future of Podcast Advertising | Mike Kadin, RedCircle #683 (Video)

    Podcasting has one advantage that much of digital media struggles to maintain: trust. In Episode #683 of the New Media Show, Rob Greenlee talks with Mike Kadin, CEO and co-founder of RedCircle.  What does that trust mean for podcast advertising as AI, video, HLS, YouTube, Spotify, and changing audience behavior reshape the business? Long-form shows create a different relationship between creators and audiences than short-form social content. That relationship has always been one of the reasons host-read podcast advertising can work so well. But what happens when AI can recreate the host’s voice? Mike makes an important distinction. The value of a host-read ad is not simply hearing a familiar voice. It comes from the host’s language, personality, experience, humor, and actual judgment about the product. RedCircle does not use AI-generated versions of creators to perform host-read advertising. Mike believes cloning the host’s voice without the actual human endorsement could undermine the very trust that makes the advertising valuable. Authentic Host Reads Still Matter Rob and Mike talk about the difference between reading advertising copy and genuinely recommending something a creator has used. RedCircle has seen similar shows, with similar audience sizes, run by the same advertiser and using the same talking points, produce very different results. One of the biggest differences can be the quality and believability of the host read. That also puts responsibility on creators to work with products they can credibly talk about. Mike explains that RedCircle will sometimes hear from a creator who tried a sponsor’s product and did not like it. Rather than force an endorsement, the company can take that feedback back to the advertiser and cancel the spot. That kind of process helps protect the relationship between the creator and audience. Using AI to Find Better Brand Matches Mike also talks about a newer RedCircle capability called Show IQ. Over the years of running campaigns, RedCircle has accumulated information on its creators’ interests and brand affinities, as well as historical campaign performance. Show IQ uses that information to help identify creators who may be a natural fit for a particular advertiser. This is an example of AI being used behind the scenes to improve the match rather than replacing the human doing the endorsement. The goal is to put advertisers with creators who can actually speak credibly about their products. Spotify, YouTube and Control of Podcast Monetization The conversation shifts to the growing influence of large consumption platforms. Spotify is experimenting with ways for listeners to move past advertising more easily. YouTube has already offered similar jump-ahead behavior around portions of videos that viewers commonly skip. Mike does not see this as some unexpected attack on podcasting. Spotify and YouTube have built massive distribution platforms and naturally want to control more of the economics that happen inside them. For creators, diversification becomes increasingly important. A creator can use YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms for distribution, but should also keep building direct relationships through websites, newsletters, subscriptions, and communities. No single distribution platform can be expected to always put the creator’s interests first. RedCircle Is Moving Into Video RedCircle has also started expanding beyond its traditional audio focus. Creators can now upload video through RedCircle and send it to YouTube, an expansion of its earlier audio-to-YouTube tools. Mike says YouTube was the obvious first priority because that is where the largest existing video audience is today. RedCircle is also watching Spotify video, Apple Podcasts video, and HLS as podcasting becomes increasingly multi-format. The advertising systems will eventually need to evolve along with the content. HLS Creates New Advertising Questions A significant part of the conversation focuses on HLS and Apple’s new video-podcast approach in this episode. Podcast advertising has traditionally been built around audio downloads. The video introduces a much more complex environment. An Apple Podcasts episode may still automatically download its audio before the listener ever presses play. If that listener later watches the video version, the advertising decision may already have been made. That makes traditional real-time programmatic video advertising harder to apply to podcast video. For now, audio advertising may become a common advertising format, whether someone is listening or watching. That works technically, but it is not necessarily the best video experience. Rob and Mike discuss the need for a new type of podcast video advertising that works whether someone hears the ad, watches it, or moves between both experiences. Audio and Video Are Converging, But Not Cleanly Rob raises a question he is dealing with directly on the New Media Show. Should a show have one combined audio-video experience, or should creators continue producing separate audio versions? The New Media Show has distributed separate audio and video feeds for years. HLS makes it easier to move between listening and viewing, but that convergence can also lead to compromises. Great video production does not automatically guarantee the best audio experience. The reverse is also true. Mike agrees there is a reasonable argument for preserving more flexibility between the two formats. Measurement Is Getting Harder Podcast measurement was already complicated. Now creators may have traditional podcast downloads, Spotify streams, YouTube views, Apple video consumption, social views, and various advertising impressions. Those numbers do not all mean the same thing. That creates an operational problem for creators trying to sell advertising and for brands trying to understand what they purchased. Mike believes technology needs to simplify this increasingly fragmented environment. Mike compares it to the music industry, where tools were developed to distribute music and aggregate results across many different services. Creator media increasingly needs the same kind of cross-platform infrastructure. What Is a Podcast Now? The episode also returns to a question the New Media Show has discussed for years. What exactly is a podcast? Mike admits he has two answers. As a longtime software engineer and RSS believer,  Mike still thinks of a podcast as episodic media distributed through RSS. As the CEO of a podcast technology and advertising company, he sees younger people entering the business who do not know what RSS is and think of a podcast as the kind of long-form conversational content they see on YouTube. At some point, audience behavior begins defining the medium. Rob and Mike also discuss industry efforts such as the AMP work around definitions and measurement. Mike supports efforts to build standards but says they only become truly meaningful if the major platforms where people actually consume podcasts implement them. Where Podcasting Goes Next Mike believes the industry has to follow audience behavior. Creators are becoming multi-channel because audiences already are. Audio, video, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, RSS apps, and social platforms are increasingly parts of the same creator-media business. The opportunity is to build better tools that allow creators to distribute, monetize, and measure it all without having to manage the complexity themselves. HLS is one part of that transition. The larger change is podcasting becoming a much broader medium for audio and video creators while trying to preserve the trust that made it valuable in the first place. Discussion Highlights: – Why long-form podcasting creates deeper audience trust – Why authentic host reads still perform – AI-generated advertising and creator voice cloning – Why RedCircle does not use synthetic host reads – RedCircle Show IQ and better creator-brand matching – Dynamic versus baked-in podcast advertising – Spotify and YouTube gaining more monetization control – Why creators need direct audience relationships – RedCircle’s move into video – Why YouTube was its first video priority – HLS and podcast video advertising – Audio versus video ad creative – Separate audio and video podcast experiences – Cross-platform measurement problems – Alternate enclosures and adoption – What defines a podcast now – The need for meaningful industry standards – The future of multi-channel podcast monetization Chapter Timestamp Markers 00:00 Podcasting, trust and long-form media 01:00 Introducing Mike Kadin of RedCircle 02:00 Why trust matters in podcast advertising 03:20 AI-generated ads and audience trust 06:10 Why RedCircle avoids cloned host reads 09:00 Authentic creator endorsements 11:00 Why some host reads outperform others 12:20 RedCircle Show IQ 14:00 The future of host-read advertising 15:30 Dynamic versus baked-in ads 17:20 Spotify and ad skipping 21:00 YouTube and platform control 22:20 Creators need direct audience relationships 24:00 RedCircle moves further into video 26:30 HLS and podcast video advertising 31:00 Opportunities for video host-read advertising 33:00 Ads that work in audio and video 36:30 Separate audio and video feeds 40:00 The fragmented consumption experience 42:00 Podcast measurement gets more complicated 44:30 HLS and alternate enclosures 47:20 What is a podcast now? 52:00 Standards and the major platforms 54:00 Measuring advertising by performance 56:00 The multi-channel future of podcasting 58:00 Closing thoughts Mike Kadin Guest Links RedCircle: https://redcircle.com Host and Show Links New Media Show https://newmediashow.com New Media Show on YouTube https://youtube.com/@TheNewMediaShow Rob Greenlee https://robgreenlee.com Rob Gree

    Trust, AI and the Future of Podcast Advertising | Mike Kadin, RedCircle #683 (Video)
See All (573)

3.4
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

New Media Show with Host Rob Greenlee formerly co-hosted with Todd Cochrane RIP discussing the new media and podcasting space with new weekly guest co-hosts.

Information

  • Creator
    Rob Greenlee
  • Years Active
    2010 - 2026
  • Episodes
    573
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Spoken Life Media Rob Greenlee © 2025-26
  • Show Website
    New Media Show (Video)

More From Tech Podcast Network