Send James and Sam a message or voicemailWe pick apart Spotify’s investor-day announcements and ask what its AI-first roadmap means for podcast creators, monetisation, and trust. We also talk to the co-founders of BIPOC Podcast Creators about why the community is closing and what the industry loses when creator support dries up. • Spotify’s “time well spent” metric and what it tries to reframe • The “500 million video podcast” claim and why measurement matters • Real-time podcast Q&A on Spotify and the risk of AI hallucinations • Dynamic creator sponsorships and updating back catalogue ads • Spotify memberships as a Patreon and Supporting Cast rival, with big unanswered details • Verified by Spotify badges and why creators can’t control verification • Clipping tools and the tradeoff between shareability and platform lock-in • Why BIPOC Podcast Creators closes, after a year of exploring options • How funding, layoffs, and politics change corporate support • The case for protecting indie creators and the industry’s long-term health • Apple Podcasts plus Audible subscription access and why verification matters • YouTube’s podcasts hub, top fans, and clearer AI content labels • Private feed security problems and why standards need to move faster • Direct Flow Auto Discover RSS and QR code discovery for podcasts Subscribe to our newsletter at podnews.net.We're sponsored by Buzzsprout; their CoHost summary tool made these show notes.Support the showConnect With Us: Email: weekly@podnews.netFediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.socialSupport us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/supportGet Podnews: podnews.net