Thinking Big with Apple Podcasts HLS, Podcasting in Singapore, & More

Thinking Big with Apple Podcasts HLS, Podcasting in Singapore, & More

March 12, 2026

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LAST CALL: Podcast Movement Evolutions kicks off tomorrow at SKYBOX on 6th in Austin, TX. The event will feature three days of curated panels, networking events, and live performances with celebrity guests. Admission is free, no SXSW badge or separate ticket required. SXSW badge-holders do receive priority access. The venue has a capacity of 400, with an overflow area nearby capable of holding 350 more. Pre-registration is highly encouraged.

 

The Bigger Picture Behind Apple HLS by Bryan Barletta

Last month Apple announced HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) distribution is coming to Apple Podcasts. Acast, Amazon’s ART19, Triton Digital’s Omny Studio, and SiriusXM Media (including AdsWizz and Simplecast) have all been announced as launch partners for Apple Podcasts HLS distribution. Sounds Profitable founder Bryan Barletta zooms out from the technical specifics of the announcement to look at what this means for the industry. Apple bringing HLS to Apple Podcasts doesn’t just impact podcasting. Typically, companies implement HLS internally, owning both hosting and receiving apps. The Apple Podcasts implementation connects a publicly-available app to multiple distribution hubs. This puts control back in the hands of hosting platforms. Control that felt like it might be slipping away from podcasting in recent years. This opens the door to external uses across industries. What does the world look like if a big multimedia publisher like Sony wants to use HLS to distribute their music out to Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music? Or their movies to Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+? Podcasting should ask not ‘Who watches video on Apple Podcasts?’ but: How many creators and rights holders across industries will adopt RSS-inspired HLS?

 

More Influential Than Influencers: How Podcasting is Redefining Media Impact in Singapore

Acast has published a new Singapore edition of Podcast Pulse, finding 97% of Singaporean podcast listeners say a podcast has changed their mind about a topic. By comparison, the global median is 84%. 52% of local listeners now rate podcasters more credible than journalists (50%) and Youtubers (48%). The study also notes that podcasters lead significantly on honesty (69% vs. 31%) and trustworthiness (64% vs. 36%) compared to social-first talent. Commercially, 69% of listeners have considered a brand for the first time because of a podcast and 67% have made a purchase after a host recommendation. 

 

Behind the Curtain: America’s big lie by Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen

 

A November 2025 Pew survey shows 21% of U.S. adults use X; only 10% daily. With one in five Americans on this loud discourse platform, VandeHei and Allen propose growing nationwide division is a social media myth. They point to census data showing the number of Americans aged 16+ formally volunteering returned to pre-pandemic status in 2023 (28.3%). If you’d like more on the topic of social media bubbles and division, a little birdie tells me this article is relevant to A.J. Feliciano’s panel for Companion at Podcast Movement Evolutions. 

 

YouTube Lays Claim to Another Crown: The World’s Largest Media Company by Alex Weprin

Financial research firm MoffettNathanson has crunched the numbers and found YouTube’s estimated $62 billion in 2025 revenue puts them ahead of Disney’s $60.9 (excluding Disney’s experiences division). Just over $40 billion of that total came from ad revenue. YouTube also passed a milestone last year in the form of $100 billion paid out to content creators since 2021.