Send James and Sam a message or voicemailWe chat with Andy Maxwell from EarMax Media about the new podcast-first ad agency, and Giles Gear from Cheerful Earful about the funniest podcast festival in the world.Also: we challenge the idea that creators are being “ripped off” and dig into what actually drives revenue in podcasting: sales, relevance, and trust. We also pull apart the AMP Accords, Apple’s confusing analytics, and the rising costs and trade-offs of video podcasting.• creator monetisation realities versus entitlement narratives• whether apps “owe” creators for RSS consumption• why listeners pay to remove ads and what that says about relevance• AMP Accords goals and the practical limits of cross-platform data sharing• Apple Podcasts analytics inconsistencies and why they erode trust• the “video threshold” and when video pays for itself• short-form video as a discovery strategy without full show video• RSS.chat as a possible foundation for cross app comments• micro.blog, POSSE syndication, and momentum for alternate enclosure• specialist podcast media buying with Earmax and what brands actually want• concerns about misinformation when fact checks stay on-screen onlySupport the showConnect With Us: Email: weekly@podnews.netFediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.socialSupport us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/supportGet Podnews: podnews.net