London was buzzing last week with podcast professionals, creators, and industry leaders coming together for The Podcast Show 2025.
With 6,100 attendees across the main conference and exhibition days, the event was a true celebration of how far podcasting has come.
Quill and CoHost had the pleasure of being right in the thick of it. We caught up with longtime friends, finally met some internet pals in real life, and had countless conversations with creators and brands doing bold, exciting things in the space.
Here’s our recap of what stood out and what it all means for creators moving forward.
The latest pulse on podcasting
The numbers are in, and they’re impossible to ignore: podcasting in the UK isn’t emerging — it’s exploded.
According to The Infinite Dial UK 2025 report unveiled at The Podcast Show, 71% of UK adults (over 35 million people) have now either listened to or watched a podcast.
So what’s fueling the surge? One word: access.
Smart device ownership has skyrocketed. Today, 97% of UK adults own a smartphone, 72% own a smart TV, and nearly half (45%) have a smart speaker in their home. Add to that the rapid rise of in-car integrations like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and podcasts are no longer confined to earbuds — they’re everywhere.
Here’s what this means for creators:
1. It’s time to think beyond audio: The line between podcast and video content is blurring fast. With nearly half of UK listeners now watching podcasts, creators need to design content that’s visually compelling, optimized for YouTube, and easy to share across social.
2. In-car listening is a growing frontier: More UK drivers now have podcast-friendly tech built into their vehicles, and in-car podcast listening has jumped from 15% to 22% since 2021. This opens up new ways to connect with audiences during a daily staple – their commutes.
3. The bar for quality and creativity is rising: With more listeners tuning in across more devices, expectations are higher. It’s no longer enough to just hit record and publish. To stand out, creators need to bring intentional storytelling, sharp editing, and a multi-platform strategy to the table.
Podcast analytics 🤝 creativity
Too often, creators see analytics as a set of cold numbers that either validate success or point to failure. But as the panelists at “How Analytics Can Inspire Podcast Creativity and Storytelling” made it clear that the most innovative teams are flipping the script. They’re using data not to limit their ideas, but to refine them.
Want to know which stories keep your audience hanging on until the last second? Or which episode formats spark repeat listens and social shares? The answers aren’t guesswork—they’re right there in your analytics dashboard.
At CoHost, we’ve long believed that storytelling and strategy go hand-in-hand. Our VP of Product, Stephanie Andrews, shared the importance of analytics that come from understanding your audience — where they’re dropping off, what episodes they binge, and which topics trigger spikes in engagement. These insights spark new creative directions you may not have considered. Data doesn’t tell you what to create; it tells you where to dig deeper.
This session also served as a powerful reminder for brands: podcast success isn’t just about airtime, it’s about resonance. And the more you listen to your audience through the lens of data, the better you’ll get at creating stories that stick.
Apple Podcasts takes the stage
A notable moment at The Podcast Show came from Apple Podcasts, which made its first-ever speaking appearance at a podcasting event.
Jake Shapiro and Susie Warhurst led the conversation, giving creators a rare inside look at how Apple is thinking about the future of podcasting. And the message was clear: Apple is all-in.
Here are some standout moments from the session:
1. Apple Podcasts just had its best year yet: 2024 broke records for the platform—more listeners, more hours streamed, and more premium subscribers than ever before. That’s not just a win for Apple; it’s a sign that listener habits are shifting and that paid podcast content is gaining meaningful traction.
2. Subscriptions are working: Apple highlighted The Rest is History by Goalhanger, which boasts an impressive 45,000 paying subscribers just through Apple Podcasts. Even more telling? Over half of them (57%) are on annual plans. It’s a compelling case for podcasters considering a subscription model: the smoother the user experience, the stronger the retention.
3. UK shows are thriving globally: Apple revealed that 88 of the top 100 shows in the UK are homegrown—and many of them are finding global success. From Kill List to Sherlock Holmes, UK creators are holding their own on international charts, proving that local stories can have worldwide appeal.
4. More visibility for creators: The platform also announced the latest picks for its “Creators We Love” program, spotlighting five top UK podcasters who’ll receive extra editorial support and promotion. It’s an encouraging move in a space where discoverability is still a major challenge for many.
While Apple has historically maintained a low profile at industry events, its presence this year marked a more open, collaborative approach. The data shared — and the willingness to engage directly with podcasters — suggests a growing alignment between Apple’s product strategy and the evolving needs of creators.
Are we all living on video?
As podcasting continues to evolve, many brands and creators are asking whether adding video is the next essential step, or just a “nice to have”.
With podcast listeners in the U.S. reaching 89 million weekly and YouTube boasting nearly 200 million users — 62% of whom watch daily — the potential to tap into a much larger audience has never been clearer. YouTube Podcasts, despite being a newcomer, already accounts for 34% of podcast consumption, and Spotify is following the lead, expanding its video podcast offerings by 70% in the last year alone.
In “How Video Podcasts Are Redefining Content Creation,” industry insiders pulled back the curtain on how video is changing the game for creators and brands alike.
Here’s what we took away:
1. Video isn’t replacing audio: From facial expressions to body language to branded backdrops, adding video creates new layers of storytelling that help hosts connect with audiences. For brands, it’s a chance to show (not just tell) who you are.
2. Short-form video performs best: Clips are king. Whether it’s a hot take for TikTok or a mic-drop moment on Reels, bite-sized video snippets are becoming one of the best ways to grab attention and drive first-time listens.
3. But not everyone needs to go all-in on video: One of the most refreshing takeaways? You don’t have to do a video podcast. If your audience is loyal to audio, your production team is lean, or your story just works better without a camera, that’s okay. Audio-only isn’t going anywhere.
4. What even is a podcast, anyway?: The rise of video is blurring the lines of what defines a podcast. Panelists at the podcast show promote a shared definition — one that leaves room for new formats but still protects what made podcasting special in the first place: open access, creative freedom, and real connection with listeners.
The data behind leadership podcasts
“The Power of Thought Leadership Podcasts” brought together Stephanie Andrews (VP of Product at Quill & CoHost), Paul Riismandel (CEO of Signal Hill), and Richard Fawal (CEO of Voxtopica) to dig into how and why brands are turning to podcasting to lead conversations in their industries, not just participate in them.
Stephanie kicked off with findings from The Impact of Branded Podcasts Report. Here are our top takeaways:
1. Thought leadership is top of mind: 76% of brands launch podcasts with thought leadership as their primary goal. Podcasts give brands a unique opportunity to show, not tell—to go beyond products and into purpose. And it works: 46% of brands say podcasts outperform other formats, like social, video, or blogs, when it comes to establishing thought leadership.
2. Podcasts help your pipeline: While only 28% of brands cited lead generation as a goal pre-launch, that number jumps to 72% once the podcast is live. A well-executed podcast becomes a trust-building engine, and trust converts.
3. There’s still work to be done: 42% of brands feel underserved when it comes to podcast marketing and competitor research, while 38% struggle with measurement and analytics. As Stephanie noted, this is where platforms and agencies can really make an impact by offering end-to-end strategies that blend storytelling with distribution intelligence.
Another Podcast Show for the books
Thank you to everyone who made this year’s event one to remember. We had a great time connecting with collaborators, learning from smart voices in the space, and walking away with plenty to think about.
As always, it was a reminder that this industry is driven by people who care deeply about storytelling, innovation, and getting it right. We’re grateful to have been part of the conversations, and we’re already looking forward to seeing where things go in 2026.
If you missed us at the show, feel free to drop us a line. We also handpick the top podcast insights and deliver them directly to your inbox via our newsletter, Tuned In.
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