690. It’s Show Business, Baby!
This episode appears to contain dynamically inserted ads. Transcript timestamps may be approximate.
Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do.
- SOURCES:
- Jim Bankoff, chairman and C.E.O. of Vox Media.
- Ben Davis, head of digital at WME.
- Will Page, former chief economist at Spotify and author of Pivot.
- Jenna Weiss-Berman, head of Paper Kite Audio and executive producer of Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
- Jeanine Wright, co-founder and C.E.O. of Liquid Studios (Inception Point AI).
- RESOURCES:
- "U.S. AI infrastructure buildout is surpassing every prior investment in American history," by Cris Tolomia (Quartz, 2026).
- "The AMP Accords," (Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting, 2026).
- "Owl & Co: Global Podcast Economy Grew 23% To $9.2 Billion In 2025." (Inside Radio, 2026).
- "James Murdoch to Buy New York Magazine, Other Vox Assets for Around $300 Million," by Isabella Simonetti and Jessica Toonkel (The Wall Street Journal, 2026).
- "Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Up 33%, as Platform's Biggest Content Category Keeps Growing," by Todd Spangler (Variety, 2026).
- EXTRAS:
- "How to Think About A.I.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
- "How Spotify Saved the Music Industry (But Not Necessarily Musicians)," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).
- "Our 100th Episode!" by Freakonomics Radio (2012).
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Prekonomics Radio is sponsored by Everpure. Is the value of AI not living up to the promise? The problem is probably your data, not your AI models. When it's scattered across different systems, getting your data AI ready is a challenge. You keep your AI waiting and everything slows down. Everpure unifies your data so you can see it, understand it, and control it all from one simple place, and get it AI-ready fast. Unlock the true value of your AI at EverpureData.com. Prekonomics Radio is sponsored by Hotels.com. Hotels.com helps you find and book the right stay for work faster. With business preferences, save your travel must-haves like gym access or breakfast. Just once, then get tailored results whenever you search for work travel. Plus, with a free membership, you can save up to 20% on Hotels and earn rewards on every stay for future travel. Click now at Hotels.com, visit Hotels.com for details. At Amiga Insurance, we believe trust is earned over a lifetime. With Amiga Life Insurance, you can count on us to help protect the life you're building and the loved ones you're building it with. For us, trust is what life insurance is all about. And that's why generations of customers trust Amiga to be there in the moments that matter. Visit amiga.com to get a customized quote today. Amiga, empathy is our best policy. Prekonomics Radio is sponsored by US Bank Smartly Checking and Savings. You know, US Bank Smartly Checking and Savings are bank accounts that work harder for you. You get better savings rates, fee waivers, and rewards from day one, so you spend less time worrying about money and more on what matters. Sign up for US Bank Smartly Checking and Savings today at usbank.com/smartly. Remember FDIC, copyright 2026 US Bank. AI is so stupid. You think? Oh, come on. All right, let's hear about that. Oh, man. Tell me when you want me to stop trolling. You know, I'm a natural born bully. I've come to see that. I believe in justice. I do bullying for justice. This person, this bully for justice is my friend Jenna Weiss Berman. She is a podcast producer. We'll get to her very strong feelings about AI later. What's this episode about? It's a podcast about podcasts. We get about 10 to 20 emails a year of people saying, I listen to your show and I don't understand how it works. It sounds like you all work kind of hard, but like, how do you get paid? Do you get paid? No, you just do it for free. That's so sweet. For the record, no, we don't make this show for free.
Transcription truncated.
Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do.