690. It’s Show Business, Baby!

Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do. SOURCES: Jim Bankoff , chairman and C.E.O. of Vox Media. Ben Davis , head of digital at WME. Will Page , former chief economist at Spotify and author of Pivot . Jenna Weiss-Berman , head of Paper Kite Audio and executive producer of Good Hang with Amy Poehler . Jeanine Wright , co-founder and C.E.O. of Liquid Studios (Inception Point AI). RESOURCES: " U.S. AI infrastructure buildout is surpassing every prior investment in American history ," by Cris Tolomia (Quartz, 2026). " The AMP Accords ," (Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting, 2026). " Owl & Co: Global Podcast Economy Grew 23% To $9.2 Billion In 2025. " (Inside Radio, 2026). " James Murdoch to Buy New York Magazine, Other Vox Assets for Around $300 Million ," by Isabella Simonetti and Jessica Toonkel (The Wall Street Journal, 2026). " Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Up 33%, as Platform's Biggest Content Category Keeps Growing ," by Todd Spangler (Variety, 2026). EXTRAS: " How to Think About A.I. ," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023). " How Spotify Saved the Music Industry…