Today in the business of podcasting:

• Tom Webster reflects on a year of rapid AI adoption — from pasting into ChatGPT to running open-source language models on a home server — arguing that the real question for creators is not whether they use AI, but whether they stand behind what they publish.
• The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP) Task Force has released its first unified impression framework, defining Podcast Play, Podcast Audience, Ad Impression, and Ad Audience to enable cross-platform comparison of audio and video podcast inventory for the first time.
• SXSW 2027's PanelPicker submission process opens June 23, with live AMAs and office hours scheduled through July, and Podcast Movement Evolutions confirmed to return for the conference.
• DIRECTV Advertising's Drew Groner argues that sports rights fragmentation across streaming apps has undermined the reach of national ad buys for local and regional sports fans, while CBC Podcasts opens a pitch call for a new narrative sports feed.
• Podscribe's May 2026 Industry Ranker shows Crime Junkie and The Daily holding the top two spots for audio reach, The Oprah Podcast jumping from #7 to #4, and Shopify leading advertiser spend across ten industries represented in the top ten.

To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.