I’ve been working in radio and video since I was 16. Live sound engineering, music production, election nights with three to eight audio feeds in my ears at once – that’s been my normal for decades. I’m used to juggling chaos and noise. I’m a sound engineer too, used to the kind of pressure where you’re mixing a live band on stage while simultaneously fixing something that died. And I annoy everyone in my house and car by flipping from one radio station to the next, one podcast to another, desperate to scoop up and absorb the lot at once like some kind of media Pelican.

But absolutely nothing prepared me for the wall of sound that hit me the moment I walked into The Podcast Show at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

Even for me, it was a sensory overload. A physical one. Being honest, it rattled and intimidated me. It was exciting and terrifying in equal measure. Imagine going to a gig at the Royal Albert Hall, except the “performer” isn’t a band or a DJ – it’s thousands of people all talking at once. Talking, talking, and more talking.

Thankfully, that shock doesn’t last long. My hearing adjusted, my brain recalibrated, and suddenly the whole thing became… fun. Really fun. Energising, even. It turned out to be one of the most creative, fascinating and worthwhile industry events I’ve ever been to. Whether you’re a hobbyist podcaster or a seasoned pro, The Podcast Show is an absolute must. As an audio nerd, to me – it’s Disneyland.

Across the two days, a few themes kept cropping up again and again – the two big ones being AI and video. As Research Podcasts’ Krissie Brightly‑Glover pointed out, the stands that used to be all about the latest digital mics are now dominated by cameras, lighting rigs and lightning-quick video editing tools. And right alongside them? AI platforms promising to edit your audio, your video, your transcripts, your everything. More on that later.

For now, here’s what I took away from the sessions and talks I attended.

Narrative Podcasts: how to make the difficult doable.

Speakers: David Dimbleby (presenter and host), Joe Sykes (co-founder Samizdat), Redzi Bernard (producer), Dan Clarke (factual audio commissioner, Radio 4)

Across the session, one theme kept surfacing: narrative podcasts thrive on intimacy, not scale. Even David Dimbleby – a man who has spent a lifetime broadcasting to millions -admitted he had to relearn how to speak, not to an audience but to a single listener, almost in a whisper, including being told to “talk as if to your granddaughter” to make complex ideas land. What really struck me was the reminder that even the driest, most technical stories can become gripping when you dig into the human moments that shaped them; big shifts in politics or economics only come alive when you uncover the people and sparks behind them. And perhaps the most future‑facing point of all: there are still countless untold stories perfectly suited to this format, waiting for someone brave enough to turn the difficult into something dramatic, intimate and utterly listenable. David and the panel were there to talk about their podcast Invisible Hands. Look it up.

Pursuing Truth

Speakers: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty (Host BBC’s Fame Under Fire), Ava Santina (Political Editor, Politics Joe), Marianna Spring (Host BBC’s Top Comment), Matt Shea (Host BBC’s Top Comment)

What I loved about this session was how clear the message was: audiences today, especially younger ones, aren’t passive. They want to understand the mechanics behind misinformation, and they want the tools to spot it themselves. One of the most shocking moments came when BBC misinformation correspondent Marianna Spring, who was on the panel, described a viral video of Netanyahu where a simple glitch made it look like he had six fingers – and millions instantly assumed it was AI‑generated. That’s the world we’re in now: reality looks fake, and fakes look real. Ava tore into the wave of short‑form political videos politicians are churning out, the staged, two‑camera “I’m being natural” clips that, as Ava put it, “aren’t doing particularly well on social media” because “it doesn’t feel genuine… it doesn’t work unless you’ve taken it from a segment in which they are actually being natural.” So the message was – nuance is the new currency, and podcasts are where people go to actually understand why decisions are made. And underpinning it all was a brilliant reminder that the best investigative stories start small, then peel back layer after layer until you hit something bigger, stranger and far more revealing. I had a chat with Marianna after, hoping to come close to understanding what combination of elements makes people fall for, and obsess over misinformation. That seems like work in progress.

How AI is rewriting the rules of podcasting – and supercharging it.

Speakers: Amelia Lloyd (Member Services Manager IAB UK), Faye Leneghan (Strategy Lead, A Million Ads) Flora Williams (Executive Director, Head of Planning, OMD), Silke Zetzsche (VP Global Commercial Partnerships, Agency & Adtech, AudioStack)

This session was a glimpse into where podcasting is heading – and the direction of travel was clear. AI is about to make podcast advertising faster, cheaper and far more personalised, with brands able to generate entire audio ads in seconds and tailor them to different demographics, moods or even moments in a live event. One of the more amazing examples that knocked me back, was a campaign that required over a thousand different scripted outcomes for the Ryder Cup – all written automatically by AI. And as I was absorbing all this, I’ll admit in the room, I sighed louder than I anticipated. I found myself wondering whether this is yet another creative corner where a human quietly gets replaced by a flipping algorithm – voiceover artists seem especially threatened there. But the panel were clear: AI isn’t killing off voice talent. Brands are terrified of sounding fake, listeners can hear a synthetic voice a mile off, and legislation is coming that will force companies to declare when something is AI‑generated. The real opportunity, they argued, is that AI could finally open the door for thousands of smaller brands to advertise in podcasts, making the whole space more dynamic, more reactive and – if we get the balance right – more human, not less.

Would You Get Sued? Podcast Legal and Business Affairs Scenarios Live.

Speakers: Juliette Nicholls (Audiotrain Programme Manager, Audio UK), Jade Edgeley (Legal and Business Affairs Consultant, Mint & Co),  Sarah Leach (Legal and Business Affairs Consultant, Mint & Co).

I loved this session. It was tucked away on the mezzanine, open to drop‑ins, and even though I arrived early it was already standing room only. Podcasters are clearly becoming far more conscientious about what they publish, or perhaps the recent high‑profile legal cases have nudged everyone into getting a crash course. Mint & Co’s legal experts ran it like a live workshop, throwing fictional scenarios at us and asking for a thumbs‑up (“this is fine”), mid‑thumb (“I’d get advice”), or thumbs‑down (“lawyer up!”). It was nice to see how often the room got it right – people genuinely are thinking about risk and ethics.

Some of the examples were properly eye‑opening. A sponsor trying to approve episode topics and remove negative discussion? That can push your entire show into advertorial territory, triggering ad rules and risking audience trust. Using AI to write scripts or clone a presenter’s voice? Legally possible, but riddled with copyright, consent and data‑protection pitfalls. Recording in a café and accidentally capturing someone discussing medical treatment or workplace allegations? Absolutely not – even in public, people still have a “reasonable expectation of privacy”, and the panel were crystal clear: cut it out immediately. One participant was not having that and argued that if the person’s name wasn’t published, why bin it? The panel patiently explained the process of jigsaw identification to them – another helpful knowledgebase to those who don’t have media law under their belt.

My bigger concern, which I ended up discussing with panel member Sarah Leach, formerly of BBC Worldwide and Princess Productions, is that podcasts still sit outside Ofcom’s editorial regulation. Defamation and privacy laws apply, of course, but the rules that govern impartiality, political balance and election‑period restrictions simply don’t touch podcasts. In theory, I could release a six‑part series during an election that openly instructs listeners to vote for a specific party. Legally, I could do that. Sarah agreed on two things: one, that it absolutely shouldn’t be allowed; and two, that Ofcom could fix it easily by extending its existing editorial benchmarks to cover podcasts. Whether they will is another matter – but judging by the turnout, we’d all welcome the clarity.

The Branded Podcast Playbook

Speakers: Benish Mahmood (Head of Global Partnerships, Publicis Media Content), Dan Rockwood (Partner and Chief Brands Officer, VGC Partners), Ryan Samati (Director of Business Development, Brand Partnerships, Novel)

This was a whole new world of learning for me, a proper, high‑calibre panel talking honestly about where branded podcasts are heading. The big news is that brands are finally realising they can’t just buy awareness anymore; they need depth, trust and actual storytelling. Podcasts give them that in a way TV ads simply don’t right now. Branded segments (2–5 minute editorial integrations) – are becoming the sweet spot because as explained, they feel like part of the show rather than a bolt‑on, and when they’re done well, they genuinely add entertainment rather than interrupt it.

The panel were also clear that the next big shift is brands creating their own podcast IP, but only if they’re brave enough to commit long‑term. A one‑season dabble won’t do it. And with video podcasting exploding, brands suddenly have a visual playground too: more assets, more reach, more ways to make the content work across social. But the message was pretty simple in the end: none of this works unless the idea is rooted in a real insight, something emotionally true that the audience actually cares about. If you can show that – plus solid data on who your listeners are and why they show up – you’re far more likely to land a brand partnership. I’m guessing all of that can seem complex if you’re new to the game, but the four experts had their own success.

Inside Amazon Music’s Approach to Video Podcasts

Speakers: Geoff Mattei (CEO, ART19, an Amazon company), Marty Michael (CEO and Co-Founder, Headgum), Ruth Fitzsimons (Director of Digital, Bauer Media Ireland), Shea Simpson (Head of Spoken Word Business, Amazon Music)

This session was all about Amazon Music finally stepping into video podcasting and the pace of change is rapid. For nearly 20 years podcasts have been audio‑first, but the panel made it clear: audiences now discover shows through video clips on TikTok and Instagram, then go looking for the full episode. If the platform only offers audio, it feels like a downgrade. The Taylor Swift moment on the New Heights podcast was the perfect example: she revealed her new album artwork mid‑episode, and Amazon Music only had the audio version. Fans immediately left to find the video elsewhere. That was the wake‑up call, listeners want the option to flip instantly from listening to watching.

And just to be clear, I’m not being negative about video, it is exciting, and it opens up brilliant new ways to monetise, repurpose and grow an audience. But I have a nagging worry that I keep coming back to: choice only works if both choices stay equal. Yes, it’s great that a listener can become a viewer in a single tap, but I think the danger is that production teams may start assuming everyone is watching. The moment the content stops being descriptive – the moment a host says “look at this” instead of explaining it – the audio‑only listener becomes the forgotten mate in the pub. And that’s my worry. Even if platforms insist they want to “meet customers where they are”, the gravitational pull of video is strong. If creators aren’t careful, audio risks becoming second‑tier rather than the core experience that built the medium in the first place.

That said, the panel acknowledged there will be growing pains: measurement, monetisation, workflows, standards etc but they were united on one thing: video isn’t replacing audio, it’s “expanding the ecosystem”. The challenge in my opinion now is making sure that expansion doesn’t leave audio‑first listeners behind.

10 Years On From The Serial Effect: what true crime looks like today – and where it’s going

Speakers: Cheryl The Queen (Podcast Host, Killers, Cults and Queens), Cesil Fernandes (Executive Producer, CBC Podcasts), David Waters (Senior Producer, Raw), Nikki Druce (Presenter Macabre London and Killers, Cults and Queens), Alex Gatenby (Series Producer, Greyhouse Productions)

This was one of the most packed sessions of the whole event – and you could feel why. Serial, the 2014 investigative podcast that turned a real murder case into a week‑by‑week audio thriller is 10. It’s credited with kick‑starting the modern true‑crime boom.

Cesil Fernandes was an inspiration here, “true crime still has a grip on people because it scratches a very human itch: we want to understand why things happen, we want to solve puzzles, and we want to be taken somewhere.” The panel kept coming back to that idea of immersion – the best true‑crime podcasts make you feel like you’ve been to Devon, or Akron, or the Australian outback, even if you’ve never set foot there. That in particular spoke right to me as I’ve always believed that you can take the listener anywhere with great writing, music, creative production values and descriptive content. So that warmed my audio heart.

As I listened, it became clear how much the genre has evolved. The audience is still overwhelmingly women, but the crimes themselves have shifted – AI scams, digital fraud, cloning, cyber‑crime – and listeners now want stories that are not just gripping, but informative. The panel were clear: people listen partly to learn how the world works, and sometimes how to protect themselves.

There was also a refreshing honesty about oversaturation. Yes, there’s a lot of true crime out there, but the fatigue isn’t with the genre – it’s with lazy storytelling. One of my own pet hates is narrators simply reading from the writing that journalists have already done. That’s not researched storytelling, it’s almost plagiarism. The panel said the bar is now much higher: commissioners want access, nuance, worlds we haven’t seen before, and characters you genuinely root for. Also, murder isn’t the only currency anymore either; heists, scams, kidnappings and psychological stories are just as compelling.

The most powerful part of the conversation was around ethical storytelling. The panel talked openly about the tension between development teams who sometimes “sell” the most sensational angle, and producers who then have to build trust with traumatised contributors. They were adamant: safeguarding, honesty and relationship‑building matter more than shock value. One producer said the best feedback she ever gets isn’t reviews,  it’s when a contributor emails to say, “You told my story the way I wanted it told.” The reaction to that in the room was unanimously positive.

And then there’s the future. The panel agreed that true crime is about to broaden even further into digital crime, AI‑driven cases, and stories that don’t fit the old “whodunnit” mould. Not every ending will be neat, not every case will be solved, and that’s okay. As Cesil put it, “not every ending is neat and tidy in life, you don’t need to put a nice bow on it – and podcasts don’t have to either.”

And finally….the freelance meet up:

I ended at the freelance meet‑up – easily the most diverse, unsung corner of the whole show. No stage, branding or mics. Just a room full of the weird and the wonderful. I have to admit, I was suffering from “podfatigue” at this point, but I soon woke up. I met people with half‑formed ideas, people with ideas they’ve been carrying for years, people who can’t quite get their project over the line and people who are already flying but still show up to help.

It was a mix you rarely get in one place. I just noticed that everyone had the same look in their eye that says “I’ve got something to make”.

One young man, Max, had turned up on his own – and good on him. He was clearly a little nervous but, bravely sat next to me and we started chatting. He had no idea how to get his concept off the ground, but it sounded completely unique to me and had potential. He seemed confused, stuck in that place with an idea but no idea how to build the bridge to make it happen and was worried about inexperience. But he has a way about him, personable, warm and he looks fiercely curious and definitely hungry.

And that’s the thing I kept coming back to.

It doesn’t matter what surrounds a podcast – the gear, the video, the monetisation, the editing science, the AI tools, the platforms, the strategy. Strip all of that away and you’re left with the only thing that has ever mattered:

a powerful, human voice.