Eric Nuzum writes The ‘HBO of podcasting,’ finally emerges for NiemanLab. A funded, centralized creative ecosystem isn't here yet; someone has to build it. The demand and supply, however, are.

Discipline and Measurement Help Stand out in a Crowded Podcast Market by Stamatis Astra for Podnews is a refreshing antidote to all the year-end podcast industry prediction noise. It’s all information that fiction podcasters intrinsically know, but bears repeating.

Hernan Lopez, former CEO of Wondery, announced on LinkedIn that the US Department of Justice has dropped all charges against him. Admittedly, this administration’s DOJ has had its hands full for myriad reasons. Lopez spoke with Variety as well.

Podnews reports that “Meta’s Threads social network is to launch podcast previews - a way to upload clips to the platform - in a bid to attract more creators. It launched podcast links from user profiles last month, though this still hasn’t rolled out to all users. We’ve been here before, haven’t we: Meta’s Facebook announced podcast integration in April 2021; launched to invite-only podcasters in June 2021 but it only ever worked in the US; and they quickly lost interest, announcing its closure in May 2022. Look! A squirrel!” And that is why I love Podnews.

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Indie AF is Delighted to bring you a Christmas Eve of hygge - some wonderful folks from the indie AF community gathered to discuss 2025 and making audio drama in general. We talk all things acting advice, accents, writing, merch, launching a pod, top tips….and rather a lot on actual play with Oliver Morris, Vyn Vox, Jess Jewell, Sean Mulligan, and Ian Winterton.

Buzzsprout emailed their customers, saying, “Playback drops in early January and captures your full 2025 journey from start to finish.” If you use Buzzsprout, get the iOS or Android app to try Playback.

Protecting Your Creative Brain in the Age of AI. Can podcasters and creators still work with AI without losing the slow, human thinking that makes ideas worth sharing? We talk about using AI as a sounding board rather than a generator, why “thinking walks” still matter, and how convenience can flatten creativity if you are not careful.

More “what is a podcast” thinkpieces that are taking up space in the industry: It’s finally time to retire the word ‘podcast,’ by Andru Marino for The Verge, and This slice of pepperoni pizza is a podcast, by John McDermott. I mention them so you can use them when people say uninformed things about podcasting.

The Mudhouse Residency Full Fellowship is a 2-week residency in Crete, Greece, for international artists of all disciplines. The fellowship covers accommodations, studio space, and two meals a day at no cost to the artist. Deadline: 1st January.

The Dundee Radio Call is an international call for sonic artworks, podcast-type conversations, interviews and radio storytelling. Audio works can be pre-existing or new. Deadline: 5 January 2026.

The NYC Podcast Awards honor international excellence in podcasting and audio storytelling. There are three different categories: Craft, recognising technical excellence and artistry in audio production; Creator, celebrating excellence from diverse voices and perspectives; and Content, honoring outstanding shows across genres and topics. Under “Craft” there is a category for “Best Writing: Fiction,” and under “Content,” the Best Fiction awards are divided by genre. Deadline: 10th January.

Content is Queen Micro-grants for Podcasters are micro-grants of up to £1000 which help 20 international podcasters develop trailers, original pilots, or special episodes within their existing series. The January 2026 theme is Global Impact. Content is Queen will also offer production support. Deadline: 31st of September.

The International Women’s Podcast Festival seeks international workshop facilitators and panellists for Global Voices, the digital strand of the International Women’s Podcast Festival, for speakers who cannot deliver in-person talks, and and Speaker Applications for international talented women from all areas of podcasting who will deliver interesting in-person workshops and panels. The deadline is 31st December, 9 pm GMT.

STANLEY & REGGIE vs THE OUTBACK On their way to Stanley's wedding, Stanley and his best man, Reggie, take an unexpected trip through the mystical and beastly side of the Australian outback. Will they make it to the church on time?

…And Tomorrow? In the thrilling and emotional season one finale, Annie faces off with her past and her future while Warbucks’ life changes forever. Ms. Hannigan gets everything she’s ever wanted…or does she? (Devon advises: The second half of this episode takes place at Christmas. Thanks!)

32 Old Mill Lane is a standalone Christmas Ghost story inspired by Digital horror, released December 19th! On Christmas Eve, friends Olivia, Abby and Kylie each receive the same mysterious games console under their tree, before Kylie disappears.

How i Died's fourth season finale just aired! Listeners can binge the whole arc, all 52 main episodes now.

Award-winning makers of Kane and Feels are releasing a trailer for Tales Of The Cog - a six-part fantasy anthology set in the world of Zahndomhan - starting January 12th, 2026, AND there's a video trailer to whet the appetite.

The Yuletide Cherries. Lady Cleges and her faithful bard, Niko, have nothing to sustain them this Winter's Solstice night except good intentions. When Lady Cleges meditates underneath a tree and looks into the starry sky, wondrous things happen. Co-written and co-edited by my little brother, Ted.