285 - Inside the Latest Podcast Trends: Awards, Advertising & Audio Loopholes

In this News & Comment episode, we kick things off with the latest chart data (hello again, Mel Robbins 👀), then unpack what’s fueling the continued rise of true crime shows and why certain podcast genres dominate the charts but not the conversation. Plus, we hear firsthand from cohost, Dominic Lawson about what it’s really like to be nominated for a major award — and not take it home.Also on deck: the rise of book-style audio content and why not all “read aloud” shows are eligible for monetization. Spoiler: some platforms want more than just your voice reading public domain texts. And speaking of platforms, we dive into advertising — from banner ads to animated video experiments to what we’d all do with $500 in podcast promo cash.Episode Highlights: [02:50] Chart Toppers & the Mel Robbins Takeover[06:29] Why Her Podcast Resonates—and What We Can Learn[13:27] Genre Deep Dive: True Crime’s Long Reign[16:49] Virtual Podcast Stores? A Discovery Idea We Loved[20:24] Dominic Lawson on the Ambies & Launching Something New[25:36] Awards Watch: What’s Open for Submissions Now[27:28] PMC’s New Ad Campaign (and Lessons from It)[40:23] Upcoming Events: In-Person & Online[41:02] Audiobook Podcasts: Legal Loopholes & Monetization Limits[44:00] TikTok Reading Trends & a Surprise Influencer Reveal[47:33] Let’s Share Your Show! Community Threads & Support[48:29] If You Had $500… Where Would You Spend It on Promotion?[52:01] Shameless Plug: Meta Ads, SEO, and Making It Work for You​​Links & Resources: The Podcasting Morning Chat: www.podpage.com/pmcJoin The Empowered Podcasting Facebook Group:www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredpodcasting⁠Podcasting Morning Chat's New Video Ad:https://www.instagram.com/p/DIhX5vNA82M/?igsh=ZXJpZWR4OG1jM3g5Upcoming Events (thanks to Podnews.net for providing most these): Austin Podcast Social Hour: Apr 16 · Austin, Texas, USARiverside and B&H present: Master Your Setup - Insider Tips for Pro-Level Video Production: May 6 · Virtual · free Podcasters Meet Up: Atlanta: May 7 · Atlanta, Georgia, USAFree Podcaster Happy Hour: London: May 21 · London, England, UKEmpowered Podcasting: Sept 26-28 · Charlotte, NC (Listen to the episode for a coupon code!)Podcast Awards:Publisher Podcast AwardsPara Pod Podcast AwardsIndependent Podcast AwardsW3 AwardsSignals AwardsAnthem AwardsRemember to rate, follow, share, and review our podcast. Your support helps us grow and bring valuable content to our community.Join us LIVE every weekday morning at 7am ET (US) on ⁠Clubhouse⁠: ⁠⁠ https://www.clubhouse.com/house/empowered-podcasting-e6nlrk0w⁠Brought to you by⁠ ⁠iRonickMedia.com⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠NextGenPodcaster.com⁠⁠Please note that some links may be affiliate links, which support the hosts of the PMC. Thank you!--- Send in your mailbag question at:⁠ https://www.podpage.com/pmc/contact/⁠ or ⁠[email protected]⁠Want to be a guest on The Podcasting Morning Chat? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: ⁠https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b⁠