Talking Loud, Thinking Big: Acast at Web Summit Lisbon 2025

At Web Summit 2025, Acast CEO Greg Glenday was joined by podcast host, actress, and activist Jameela Jamil and The Hollywood Reporter's Maer Roshan for a discussion on the booming success of podcasting, exploring the forces driving its growth and what the future holds for the medium.

Here’s what went down:

The Undeniable Appeal of Authentic Audio

As traditional media faces fragmentation and plummeting web traffic, podcasting continues to thrive. According to the panel, this success is rooted in the medium's ability to foster genuine connection.

• Direct Connection Over Arbiters: Greg noted that after "50 years of arbiters and algorithms," people crave a direct line to the creator. Podcasting bypasses the noise, offering an intimate, creator-to-listener experience.
• A Cure for the Short-Form Brain: Jameela argued that "short-form content is murdering our brains" and that listeners actively seek out long-form content that allows them to get into "the weeds of a conversation."
• The Power of Companionship: Jameela also highlighted the social function of podcasts. In a loneliness epidemic, listening to an intimate chat provides a sense of familiarity, making it the perfect companion for a busy life.

Democratization vs. Corporate Media

With major players like Netflix starting to invest in podcasting, the panel addressed fears of corporate media dominating the landscape and potentially stifling the democratic, open-source spirit that made it so popular.

Greg remains confident in the medium's inclusive future, asserting that the underlying technology - RSS - acts as a continuous safeguard for content democracy. He positioned Acast's role as a vital infrastructure provider. "Our job is to be invisible. We just have the technology that helps the creators connect to that audience and we should stay out of the way," Glenday stated, highlighting that anyone can start a show for less than $250.

Breaking Through: Talent Trumps Fame

A saturated market means that merely being a celebrity or having a big name is no longer enough to succeed. Both panelists emphasized that consistency and genuine connection are the ultimate currency.

• The Two-Way Street of Talent: Greg warned that being a celebrity, model, or successful athlete doesn't automatically translate to success in long-form audio. "You have to be a personality that people want to hear," and it takes "real talent to sustain an audience" over a long period.
• Authenticity is Unfalsifiable: Jameela spoke to the power of rawness, noting that audiences can "sniff out" inauthenticity. Listeners gravitate toward people who say what they really think, because it feels genuine and "free." The data backs this up: as Greg pointed out, high-profile figures are "much more likely to tip their hand" on a sprawling podcast conversation than in a filtered interview setting.
• Finding the Unique Space: Jameela created her "comedy disaster platform" podcast, Wrong Turns, by identifying an unmet need for uninspirational, ridiculous content. "Not everyone wants to be inspired all the time... we've found something that everyone else isn't trying to do."

The Future: Audio First, Streaming Second

The current industry buzz focuses on video, but the panel affirmed that the core value of podcasting remains its versatility.

• Portable and Flexible: The best shows are those that are fundamentally audio-first but can be accompanied by video when it makes sense. As Greg shared, "We believe that the line in the sand is if you have a show that must be seen... that may not be a podcast."
• The Next Decade: Jameela predicted that podcasting will evolve into the dominant form of long-form broadcasting where people seek out news, science, music, and more.

The talk concluded with a shared message: To succeed, creators must embrace the freedom and authenticity the medium offers and commit to producing quality, unique content that fosters a genuine connection with their audience.

Watch the whole session here.

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