In a significant move that underscores its commitment to the podcasting space, PodX Group has announced its acquisition of Lemonada Media, marking the Swedish company’s first foray into the U.S. market. The deal, which was revealed on May 7, 2025, did not disclose financial terms, but it represents a strategic expansion for PodX, which already owns several podcast production houses globally.
This acquisition comes on the heels of PodX's recent merger of its three UK companies, a move that aims to streamline operations and enhance its presence in the competitive podcast landscape.
Meanwhile, Spotify is making waves of its own in the podcasting world with the launch of a new metric called "plays." This feature, also announced on May 7, aims to provide both listeners and creators a clearer understanding of podcast engagement. According to Spotify, plays reflect the total number of times people have actively listened to or watched an episode, with only full episode streams contributing to this count. Previews and clips do not factor into the play count, ensuring that the metric accurately reflects listener engagement.
Spotify has defined plays as a measure of "intentional engagement," which allows creators to gauge how well their content resonates with audiences. As Spotify puts it, "Plays can help attract new audiences to your show and will give you visibility into what content is resonating most with audiences so you can optimize for success." The company clarified that play counts will be rounded to the nearest thousand or million, and new episodes will display a “New” label for the first 24 hours. If an episode garners fewer than 1,000 plays, it will show as “<1K.”</p>
This new metric is part of Spotify's broader strategy to enhance its podcast analytics tools, which will also include expanded access to consumption hour metrics. These metrics provide insights into how long listeners engage with content, further informing creators about audience preferences.
In addition to these updates, Spotify has also introduced a third-party brand safety and suitability tool in collaboration with IAS, aimed at podcast advertisers across the Spotify Audience Network. This tool will help ensure that advertisements are placed in appropriate contexts, enhancing brand safety for advertisers.
On the same day, Wondery, a prominent podcast network, announced its first podcast distribution and monetization deal in Germany, further expanding its reach in the international market.
In the UK, veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour is set to launch her first podcast with Global, co-presenting alongside her former husband, Jamie Rubin. This collaboration is generating buzz, as Amanpour is known for her impactful journalism and storytelling.
Fountain has also made headlines with the release of version 1.2 of its platform, which features a revamped design for library and content pages, a rebuilt audio engine, and a new feature that provides summaries for shows. This update aims to enhance user experience and accessibility for podcast listeners.
Looking ahead, the Canadian Podcast Listener is set to release enhanced video podcast metrics later this year, which will break down actual audio and video consumption by genre and among top podcasts. This research is expected to provide valuable insights into the evolving podcast landscape.
The PodSummit YYC, scheduled for mid-September 2025 in Calgary, Canada, has announced its featured speaker—Podnews' Editor. This event will bring together industry professionals to discuss trends and developments in the podcasting world.
As of the first week of May 2025, a total of 204,293 podcasts published at least one new episode, reflecting a slight decline of 0.9% from the previous week. This figure highlights the dynamic nature of the podcasting industry, where content creation continues to evolve.
With PodX Group’s acquisition of Lemonada Media and Spotify’s introduction of the plays metric, the podcasting landscape is poised for further growth and innovation. As these companies continue to invest in content and analytics, creators and listeners alike can expect a richer, more engaging podcast experience.