James Cridland, the Editor of industry newsletter Podnews looks back at the last year in podcasting, to put this year’s Podcast Show London into context: what are the the trends, how is the industry growing, and what do we need to know to move forward? Sharing exclusive data, James will then look forward to the year to come, and what to look out for.

Producers of the UK’s biggest video podcasts, reaching billions annually, The Fellas Studios have stormed the audio and video market over the past 3 years with Gen Z and Millennial shows like Saving Grace, Pitch Side, Chloe vs The World and Bach & Arthur. With an average 66% of their slate watching as opposed to listening to their full length episodes, the studio will be lifting the lid on their approach, leanings, how they’re maximising their inventory and where they see the future of podcasting. Join this Keynote to get a look behind the curtain of the company and to learn more about what is to come from the studio.

Video is booming on Spotify, with over 300M users having streamed video podcasts and 70% watching them in the foreground. As demand grows, Spotify is investing in tools to help creators and publishers scale across every format. Join this session to hear from Roman Wasenmüller, Spotify's Head of Podcast Business, in conversation
with leading publishers who are growing their reach and revenue on Spotify. These industry voices will share firsthand how they’re scaling their content businesses across audio and video, expanding into new markets, and using Spotify as a strategic partner for multiformat success.

How do you double-down on the success of a hit narrative show? Join the teams at Novel and iHeart podcasts as they take the chart-topping and Ambie- award-winning hit show The Girlfriends into an always-on feed. They’ll discuss why they’ve made the decision to make it always-on and the creative journey they’ve been through.

Some stories feel too outrageous, or otherworldly, to be tangible: like the investigative podcast about catfishing, Sweet Bobby, or the viral romantasy thrillers by Sarah J. Maas. But in the voice of the author, voice actor, or podcast host, the narratives sound less like magazine pieces, and more like the kind of dynamic storytelling we’ve come to expect - in 2025 - with the most exhaustively researched or imaginative podcasts and books. In this session, industry leaders in the radio, podcasting, and audiobooks space come together to discuss the opportunity emerging from these blurred lines, and how the future of audio storytelling has the potential to reach those who were never going to engage with the audio format alone.

While the industry debates audio vs. video, YouTube vs. Spotify, and performance vs. brand budgets, the real opportunity is being missed. In this keynote, FlightStory Studio makes the case for rethinking what a podcast really is and why the shows winning today aren’t winning because of format, but because they’re built like IP: designed to scale, earn cultural relevance, and unlock brand investment at a global level. Because if you’re still asking what a podcast is, you’re already behind what podcasts are about to become.

Why is the genre so enduring, versatile and how can it be a force for good? A panel looking at 4 very successful, but also very different approaches to the genre with producers and hosts of Stalked, Cover: Stakeknife, Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and Murder They Wrote. Stalked sees co-hosts Hannah Mossman-Moore and Pulitzer-nominate investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr team up as co-hosts to unmask Hannah’s cyberstalker, and do something the police couldn’t. Cover: Stakeknife gave voice to the families of victims of top IRA informer and British military secret agent Stakeknife and tries to get to the truth of a story where everyone, including the State, are lying. Host Mark Horgan’s previous Cover series – Where Is George Gibney? led directly to a new police investigation. Murder They Wrote sees husband and wife duo Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling look at a different crime each week and has built up a huge community of listeners who now send in stories of crimes from their local areas. Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion made global headlines and led to the arrest of a people-smuggler.

What does the next generation of media look like when creators are in the driver’s seat? Join Max Cutler (Founder, PAVE Studios), Jack Davenport (Co-founder, Goalhanger), and Ross Adams (CEO, Acast) for a forward-looking conversation on how these leading media companies are evolving podcasting into something much bigger– and bolder. PAVE Studios is reshaping the media landscape with a creator-first model, paving the way for a new era in media. Through genre-specific studios like Crime House and OpenMind, they’re partnering with top creators including Khloé Kardashian, Morgan Absher, Kaelyn Moore, and Jemma Sbeg to launch original content across video, audio, books, live experiences, merchandise, and more. Goalhanger has redefined political and cultural commentary with arena-filling live shows, a U.S. expansion, and chart-topping hits like The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is History, making it the UK’s largest independent podcast producer. This panel will unpack how these creator-first businesses are fostering meaningful fandoms, adapting to the rise of video, and creating cultural IP with global reach. Whether you're a studio, storyteller, or strategist–this session offers a blueprint for what’s next. Presented by PAVE Studios

Media commentators were quick to credit Donald Trump's appearances on a series of hit podcasts with helping earning him his reelection as US President, but was it really podcasting wot won it? Is right wing dominance amongst American podcast influencers - from Joe Rogan to Candace Owens - driving more conservative politics, or just reflective of broader trends in The States? Host of The Rest Is Politics US, Wall St financier and former White House Communications Director under Donald Trump, Anthony Scaramucci, talks to Goalhanger co-founder Tony Pastor about the state of political podcasting on both sides of the Atlantic, how TRIPUS has cut through in a partisan world, and what the Democrats are doing to fight back.

Celebrating our coverage of women’s sport and women in sport in the podcast space.

Learn how to maximize your podcast's reach and impact by mastering YouTube's unique ecosystem for audio and video, including algorithm optimization techniques and audience growth strategies. Plus, hear directly from YouTube’s product team on new feature releases.

More session details coming soon.

As podcasting expands beyond audio into video, live events, community offerings, and retail, the industry is shifting from a single distribution/monetization model to a 360-degree multimedia approach. But are our agreements keeping up? Many deal templates were designed for an RSS-first world, yet today’s content creators build direct audience connections across multiple platforms. In this panel, we’ll hear from top executives on how podcast deal structures must evolve to reflect this new reality. From integrated IP strategies to cross-platform monetization, we’ll discuss how to future-proof agreements in an era where audio is just one piece of the puzzle. Whether you're a creator, producer, or industry professional, this session will equip you with insights to navigate the changing landscape of deal-making in 2025.

How do you turn a sixties singing legend with six decades in the music business into a podcast star? Lulu, and her producer, Faye Lyons White of production company Whistledown, discuss the making of Turning Points: the Lulu Podcast, in which Lulu dissects the lives of many of our best known entertainers and gets them to open up about the ups and downs of their lives and careers. Lulu and Faye will explain what makes a good guest, how they structure the turning points, and the power of personal relationships with people like Boy George, Gary Barlow, Kirsten Scott Thomas, Anastacia, Elton John, John Legend, Brian Cox. There'll be clips of the show, and there will also be the chance to see some rare archive material of Lulu, and hear her talking about her own life in a frank and honest way. Produced by Whistledown.

Join Alison Lomax (YouTube UKI MD) as she sits down with Goalhanger creators Gary Lineker and Jack Davenport to explore what it takes to launch and scale a podcasting empire on YouTube. In this session, Gary and Jack will share how their early vision for Goalhanger in the burgeoning podcast space propelled it to the global success it is today.