INTERNATIONAL STAGE

The podcast industry is growing worldwide, but not evenly.

Each market has developed through its own cultural, economic and regulatory realities: public broadcaster-led commissioning in the UK; independent production and limited public funding in France; emerging market structuring in Spain; fragile funding models and constrained advertising revenues in Belgium; and strong audio consumption habits across the Nordics.

Despite these differences, podcast leaders everywhere are facing similar questions: how to build sustainable business models, reduce dependency on platforms, improve discoverability, and adapt to shifting audience behaviours.

In this session, members of the International Podcast Alliance (IPA) will come together to compare realities across markets, share lessons from their respective ecosystems, and explore what stronger international collaboration could unlock for the future of podcasting.

Monetisation, distribution and IP are defining the next phase of podcast growth. Format Creator and Founder of Yes Yes Media, Richard Bacon talks to senior leaders at Podimo, Acast, ARN and iHeartRadio on how they’re building and scaling global audio businesses. A senior-level view on where the smartest bets are being made.

True crime remains one of the most powerful engines of international podcast growth — but what exactly makes audiences around the world lean in? This panel brings together three international creators whose wildly different approaches demonstrate the remarkable range within the genre, and how diverse storytelling styles can generate millions of listens and break out beyond their home markets.

 

Reports of the documentary podcast’s death have been greatly exaggerated, but the pressures are real. Shrinking attention spans, platform shifts and tougher monetisation are challenging longform audio, even as it continues to win awards, attract major commissions and build deeply engaged audiences worldwide. In this session, leading documentary makers come together for a candid, global conversation on what’s working now and what comes next. From production realities to audience growth, they’ll explore how longform storytelling is adapting, evolving and proving its place in a rapidly changing podcast landscape.

What do the numbers actually say about how the world is listening in 2026? In this session, some of the leading research minds in podcasting pull back the curtain on their latest findings, and each one brings a proprietary insight they're revealing for the first time. Expect hard data, surprising discoveries, and the kind of intelligence that usually stays behind closed doors. If you make, commission, fund, or sell podcasts, this is the session you cannot afford to miss.

An interactive, audience-facing session in which creators pitch their show ideas live to a panel of senior international commissioners and industry experts. The format gives independent producers and emerging voices a rare moment of direct access to decision-makers, with constructive feedback delivered in real time and the chance to be remembered by the people who decide what gets made. The panel brings together commissioning and creative leaders from Podimo, CBC, Unedited and ABC, offering a deliberately international view on what makes a pitch land — and what it takes to turn an idea into a global show.

 

The Ambies, presented by The Podcast Academy, are widely recognized as the highest honor in podcasting, celebrating the creators, voices, and stories that are shaping culture through audio. Designed to reflect the full breadth of the medium, The Ambies spotlight excellence across genres, formats, and platforms, bringing together the industry’s most influential talent on a singular, prestigious stage.

Within this, the International Ambies stand as a highly curated and exclusive distinction, honoring exceptional podcasting from around the world and recognizing the global impact of storytelling beyond the U.S. market. With a more selective set of categories and honorees, this segment elevates international voices redefining the medium, offering partners a unique opportunity to align with podcasting’s most compelling and culturally diverse creators on a global stage.

Hosted by Krupa Padhy,  BBC World Service Journalist and Woman's Hour Presenter,  The Podcast Academy will present the International Impact Award and the Governors Award, honoring individuals and podcasts whose work has made a significant and lasting contribution to the global audio landscape.

As podcasting matures, the biggest growth opportunity isn't just scale, it's geography. But building a global podcast is far more complex than flipping a distribution switch. In this session, our panel will unpack what it really takes to grow and monetize across borders: from cultural nuance and platform strategy to measurement, media buying, and brand safety across markets.  The panel will explore the practical realities behind “going global”, including how creators adapt content for different regions without diluting their voice, how advertisers evaluate international reach versus local resonance, and where revenue actually materializes. 

Since 2022, Podimo has built one of Europe’s most distinctive portfolios, acquiring leading labels across the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. In this session, leading entertainment journalist Manori Ravindran brings together Podimo’s Chief Content Officer Georgia Brown along with the leaders of Dag & Nacht, arc.studio and Podads or a rare joint conversation. Together, they explore the trends shaping European podcasting and what it really takes to build a pan-European content strategy, from creative identity to scaling across markets. Expect an honest, behind-the-scenes look at the opportunities and challenges of growing within a larger platform, with insights grounded in real data and experience across some of Europe’s most competitive entertainment landscapes.

Against a backdrop of doom-scrolling, podcasting has emerged as a powerful space for thoughtful, hopeful and radical ideas. Join this panel of visionaries who share a commitment to audio storytelling and the role of optimism in uncertain times. Hear case studies of how engaging podcast communities can lead to real-world consequences, and learn who is funding this kind of content.

In an increasingly competitive landscape, product experience is becoming as important as content. This session brings together leaders to explore how technology, design and features are reshaping how audiences discover, engage with and stay loyal to podcasts. From solving discovery to building tools for both listeners and creators, they’ll share real-world insights into the product decisions shaping the future of podcasting — and who stands to win. Hosted by Stuart Miles, this is a practical, forward-looking conversation grounded in real data, real trade-offs and the features changing listener behaviour right now.

Production companies don't just "sell a show", they need to choose a deal structure that determines the future of the IP they are building. As the podcast market growth accelerates on both sides of the Atlantic, the same show can be pitched in different ways and close on different terms depending if the buyer is in New York or London. This session will take a practical, deal-first look at the key structural differences between two key markets and provide tips for negotiating with buyers. Drawing on real-world transactions and cross-border experience, the panel will give attendees a clear framework for negotiating with buyers and building deals that create long-lasting participation and necessary protection for independent production companies.

In this session, ad industry leaders from across Europe come together to map the state of podcast advertising in 2026: where budgets are flowing, which markets are maturing fastest, what's holding others back, and how the commercial landscape is being reshaped by new technologies, new measurement standards, and new buyer expectations. Whether you're a creator trying to understand your monetisation options, a publisher building a sales strategy, or a brand deciding where to put your money, this is the session that will tell you where the market actually is, and where it's heading.

What does it actually take to get a global commissioner to say yes? Three of podcasting’s most influential voices, from Podimo, CBC, and Amazon Music, share exactly what they’re looking for. This is a candid look at what lands on their desks, what gets them excited, and what gets passed over. Designed for creators, producers, and emerging studios, the session breaks down how commissioning decisions are made across very different models: public broadcasting, subscription platforms, and global tech. Expect practical insight, real examples of strong (and weak) pitches, and an honest look at both creative priorities and the constraints commissioners work within.