iHeartPodcast Awards to Return at SXSW in March

The iHeartPodcast Awards are returning to the South by Southwest festival in March, with a bigger venue and production. The awards will honor innovative podcast creators from 2024 and fans can vote for the Podcast of the Year award. The event will be held live at ACL Live at The Moody Theater, broadcasted on select iHeart radio stations, and on iHeartRadio's app and YouTube Channel.

iHeartPodcasts Tops Podtrac's December Rankings

In December, iHeartPodcasts was the largest publisher with 827 active shows and a unique U.S. audience of 27.9 million, according to Podtrac. The Walt Disney Company came second, followed by Vox Media in terms of unique listeners and downloads. Among sales networks, the iHeart Audience Network led in the U.S., while Acast ranked second followed by Libsyn and NPR.

Hints of Meghan Markle's Podcast Revival Surface

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, may be bringing back her podcast Archetypes after hints from Lemonada Media and Meghan's active start to 2025. The podcast was originally launched in 2022 with Spotify but ended after one season due to disagreements over content production. In 2024, Meghan announced a new partnership with Lemonada Media and expressed excitement about reintroducing Archetypes.

BFFs Podcast Returns with New Format 

The BFFs Podcast is returning on Jan. 8 with changes following Dave Portnoy's departure. Co-host Brianna "Chickenfry" LaPaglia shared a TikTok video teasing the new format, which will include mixed media and activities at the start of each episode. The first glimpse of this change can be seen when the podcast debuts its first episode with Josh Richards.

Create Unique AI Podcasts with Jellypod

Jellypod is a new tool that offers more customization for AI-generated podcasts than its predecessor, NotebookLM. Users can create their own AI hosts, customize voices, and even generate multiple episodes on different topics. To do this, they simply provide the sources in formats like URLs or YouTube videos.

Meet Tanya Hayles, the host of The Event Bestie Podcast. With over 20 years of experience in event planning, she knows all the secrets to make any event extraordinary. Join her twice a month for short episodes filled with tips and tricks on how to create your own perfect events. From behind-the-scenes sneak peeks to helpful advice, Tanya is your ultimate guide in navigating the world of event planning. Experience FOMO like never before and learn essential hacks you didn't know you need but definitely do!

How did you come up with the name of your podcast?

I chose the name of my podcast to be short, memorable, and fun.

What is the main focus or theme of your show?

Helping entrepreneurs who want to create experiences for their guests plan better and more profitable events. I also want to bring people who love events behind the scenes.

Have there been any particularly memorable moments during the recording that stick out to you?

When you get an answer you know it is going to be the perfect quotable for socials.

Who has been one of your favorite guests so far, and why?

Edward Byers because event sponsorship is the number 1 question and he wasn't someone already known to me.

What's next for your show – any exciting plans we should know about?

Excited to pitch to events for media passes to cover the BTS. This will be the visual component to the podcast. Even though I'm under 1 year in, thinking of the rebrand and already bought the domain. Also seeking sponsorship/ads.

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• Podcaster Meetup

• Date: Jan 15, 2025

  Cost: Free

  Location: Storm Crow Manor

  580 Church Street Toronto, ON M4Y 2E5 Canada