Audio industry11 min read
The graveyard of personalized news audio — and what's different this time
NPR One, Artifact, and Spotify's Daily Drive all shut down — while Spotify, Google, and The Washington Post build the same idea again. Here's why.
Audio industry
What the data and the competitive landscape actually show about personalized and AI-generated audio, including the products that didn't make it.
3 guides
Audio industry9 min read
Podcast listening just hit an all-time high — and AI users are leading it
Podcast listening hit record highs in 2026, and AI-tool users report listening far more than non-users — but the data can't prove which habit causes the other.
Audio industry10 min read
Local news is disappearing fastest in mid-size cities. Would AI audio actually help?
Local news deserts are real and growing in mid-size US cities — but there's no solid evidence yet that AI-personalized audio actually closes that gap.