The 2027 Ambies Open for Submissions, IAB Labels AI-Made Ads, & More

The 2027 Ambies Open for Submissions, IAB Labels AI-Made Ads, & More

August 19, 2026

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The inaugural Sounds Profitable Business Summit takes over Terminal 5 in New York City on September 14-15. This exclusive, partner-only event brings together the industry’s top brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms for two days of research-backed insights, strategic conversations, and meaningful networking. Already a Sounds Profitable Partner? Claim your ticket today. Not a partner yet? Become one now to buy your Summit pass and join the conversation shaping what’s next in podcast advertising.

The Podcast Academy Launches Submission Phase of 2027 Ambies by Brad Hill

The Podcast Academy has opened submissions for the 2027 Ambies, its awards program recognizing the year’s standout podcasts. Members pay $160 per entry and non-members pay $210, across 23 show categories spanning Business, Comedy, Documentary, Fiction, News and Politics, True Crime, and Podcast of The Year. This cycle adds Best Music Podcast and Episode of The Year, and a new Advertising content category joins Shows and Talent with three awards for Best Ad Read, Best Branded Podcast, and Podcast Advertiser of The Year.

Triton Digital Announces Australian Podcast Ranker Data for July 2026

Triton Digital released its Australian Podcast Ranker for July 2026, with Mamamia Out Loud holding the top spot and Hamish and Andy in second. ABC News Top Stories cracked the top three for the first time, and news, society and culture, and sports ranked as the most popular categories in Triton’s Demos+ data. The measurement covers more than 35 participating publishers, including Nine, NOVA Entertainment, ARN iHeart, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, using Triton’s IAB Tech Lab certified Podcast Metrics service under version 2.2 of the measurement guidelines.

AI Ads Are Getting a Nutrition Label

The IAB has updated its AI Transparency and Disclosure Framework, introducing a standardized sparkle icon or clear text label for advertising when AI materially changes what consumers see, hear, or interact with. Routine post-production and standard audio enhancement do not trigger a label, but synthetic images, deepfakes, and AI-generated voices do. The harder problem is that disclosure has to travel with the creative as it moves through brands, agencies, demand-side platforms, ad servers, and publishers. CTV’s fragmented delivery risks dropping that metadata along the way. The update lands as New York, California, South Korea, and the EU AI Act roll out their own disclosure rules, and IAB research found 73 percent of consumers said clear disclosure would increase or have no effect on their likelihood of buying.

More Than 11,000 HLS Video Episodes Are Now Live on Apple Podcasts Through Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout reports that more than 1,000 of its hosted shows have published over 11,000 HLS video episodes on Apple Podcasts. Among 562 established shows, median Apple Podcasts downloads rose 19 percent in the 28 days after a show’s first HLS video episode compared with the prior 28 days, based on Buzzsprout’s IAB Tech Lab certified analytics. The company points to Apple’s HLS video format as a growing driver of discovery, citing shows whose episode downloads climbed well past their historical averages after adding video.

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