2026 Prediction: No more obsessing over download numbers. Deal? 🤝
Eurowaves #27
Hey podcasters,
Before we get into this issue, a few notes:
Eurowaves turned ONE. Happy anniversary! I appreciate you being here and I’m so looking forward to what this second year will bring.
Thank you Norma Jean for having me on PodBiz! This is a fantastic show about monetizing your podcast, and in this episode we talk everything Europe and marketing.
Attend The Podcast Show 2026!
🚀 First Release 2026 Passes are now ON SALE. Including payment plan options to help split the spend. Use this link to visit the ticket store and secure your place for the best rate. Eurowaves is a proud media partner of The Podcast Show.
🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺
🇺🇸Podcast Movement opened a call for 2026 speakers. One of the themes they’re looking to cover is “Global Voices, Local Truths”.
🇦🇹Regina Larko of #impact is holding a free webinar on December 17: A Slow, Grounded Year-End Reflection Session. Sign up here.
🌎Tink’s 2025 Audio Delicacies is now out! Featuring 100 international podcast industry professionals and their top show pick of the year.
🇬🇧The BBC Audio Drama Awards shortlist is now out, including Best European Drama.
🇬🇧The UK podcast festival Crossed Wires has released an initial set of shows and a way to sign up for priority access. (via Podnews)
🇪🇸The leading Spanish-language podcast platform, iVoox, has held the eighth edition of its Audience Awards in a gala marked by recognition of independent podcasts. (via Podnews)
💸Global investment in podcasting is not matched to consumption. The research shows that Germany and France are expansion opportunities for buyers looking for incremental reach. (via Podnews)
Eurowaves Update ☘️
Since the last issue, we have…
…+48 new subscribers. A warm welcome to all new subscribers!
Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.
If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.
Supporting podcasters from 10+ countries on four continents 🇵🇹🇬🇧🇺🇸 with Ana Xavier (The Podcast Space)
Ana Xavier is an award-winning podcast strategist who supports purpose-led podcasters in transforming their shows into engines for visibility, authority, and revenue. Known for her data-driven yet deeply human approach, she champions multilingual and underrepresented voices in podcasting.
This is only an excerpt of the interview, read the full version here.
You can connect with Ana on LinkedIn here.
What’s your podcasting journey?
In January 2023, after stepping away from production, I finally had the capacity to host my own show. And alas - my sixth show, but the first one as a podcasting thought leader—was born: The Podcast Space. It covered content strategy, marketing, metrics, and mindset. At first, the podcast was a place to build confidence, test new features, and experiment while having full creative control. But as I kept releasing solo episodes, I started receiving feedback about how refreshing it was to see a woman showing up on video, podcasting in a language that wasn’t her own. I wasn’t driven by ego - I just wanted to brave the path so more of my clients who were bilingual/multilingual, female, or underrepresented folks could see it was possible for them too.
Plus, it’s been incredible to be a connector for podcasters and peers. Since 2021, I’ve attended podcast conferences, spoken on stages, and become a champion of building connections—online and offline. Podcasters tend to be mavericks, and it can be hard to find others who care as deeply as we do. I encourage anyone I meet to attend conferences - local, national, or international - because for many, those events become the catalyst for taking their podcast seriously and seeing themselves as professionals. And as an extrovert who works from home, I genuinely love meeting and connecting with people. One of my favorite things is covering events and sharing highlights and tips on Instagram Stories—it’s a strategy that has grown my visibility and brought me multiple clients and partnerships. So yes, the fact that I even enjoy using social media probably makes me an outsider in podcasting.
Speaking multiple languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French) has allowed me to attract clients across 10+ countries on four continents and build relationships with global organizations. I grew The Podcast Space from nothing into a recognizable online brand that has partnered with companies like Riverside, Captivate, Ecamm, Popcasts, and Ausha. And now I get to leverage that influence in nonprofit initiatives within the podcasting world. Earlier this year, I joined Podcasthon.org as Head of Strategic Growth & Global Audience Engagement, and it has been an incredible experience.
Today, I’ve built more than 1,500 pieces of content - only 112 of which are podcast episodes - teaching podcasters how to leverage their shows strategically. And honestly, every conversation I have with podcasters reminds me that there’s always more to learn, explore, and play with in this medium.
You’ve built a business in the US as a Portuguese native. You talk about how being an outsider is actually a filter that attracts the right people. How did you mentally flip that switch from being an outsider to it being an advantage?
It actually took me a long time to embrace my background as a strength. This was partly due to experiencing some anti-immigration comments from senior leaders - both in the UK and the US - and also my own personal insecurities. However, I eventually realized it was an advantage and made it a part of my brand. Instead of trying to be “Mrs. Perfect,” I began sharing those insecurities online, which started to normalize them.
Initially, I did this to try and justify and shield myself from mistakes. But I noticed that this content started getting a lot more responses than my regular posts. Additionally, clients began mentioning it during their discovery calls. As someone who loves nerding out on human behavior, I realized I wasn’t alone in many of those feelings - and this was an ideal customer trait I needed to pay attention to.
Leaning into the fact that I do things to help others in their journey - not driven by ego - boosted my mission even more. Plus, having lived in multiple countries and speaking multiple languages, I became keenly aware of code-switching, which gave me incredible insight into how podcasting is done so differently across those various countries.
Immigrant entrepreneurs have a different relationship with risk and resilience. Is there a specific migrant mindset, maybe something from your Portuguese background, that you think gives international podcasters an advantage?
Absolutely. When you immigrate - especially if you do it often - you have to build your network from the ground up, which many nationals take for granted. Furthermore, as an immigrant, you typically have less of a local support network, which naturally makes you more mindful of establishing connections. However, I believe that’s what’s amazing about podcasting: if you use it strategically, you can very quickly build and nurture a healthy professional network to support your growth. Podcasters are, by definition, people who are open to collaboration, so it’s important not to forget about that built-in opportunity.
Beyond networking, one of the best “migrant mindsets” - and perhaps a great Portuguese trait - is the inherent skill to figure things out, even if the solution is temporary. It’s crucial that we don’t get stuck in the minutia, but also that we don’t just barge in without a plan. Finding a good balance is key. I also believe - and this might sound a bit dark - that it is more important to regret having done things imperfectly than not having done them at all. At the end of the day, action creates feedback, and that feedback is essential to setting things in motion and readjusting along the way. Many podcasters podfade or burn out simply from trying to get it all “right” to avoid public criticism. I say be intentional, but try more scary things to help you realize that you can, in fact, do it.
You work with many bilingual and multicultural clients. Do you advise your clients to lean into their local cultural references, like slang or local stories, to build intimacy, or is it better to keep things general to reach a wider audience?
It actually depends on the client’s specific podcast goal.
Ultimately, the decision boils down to their ideal listener avatar and what elements they need to incorporate to build rapport. I find that a lack of clarity around these two questions creates confusion, which often leads to analysis paralysis when it’s time to script the show or plan the flow.
I like suggesting to clients to adopt a balanced approach: play it safe, but don’t be bland. Include your local cultural references when they are relevant to the topic. Simultaneously, keep in mind audience members who may feel alienated by local slang, specific acronyms, or other localized elements.
Use these references as an opportunity to educate your audience. Explain the term or reference in plain terms - at least once - and then move on. This acknowledges the diversity of your audience while still enriching the episode’s content. So in practical terms, I frequently find myself asking clients probing questions like: ”Is that enough for the audience to resonate with the topic?”; “Tell me more.”; “How would you incorporate more details to invoke deeper emotional resonance for the listener?” I find that after a while, they start being able to make that discernment by themselves.
Looking ahead to 2026, if a European creator wants to stop obsessing over downloads, what would you say is a healthier metric? If they have 200 loyal listeners, what is the win they should be aiming for?
Playing the numbers game is seriously exhausting and the quickest way to feel disappointed about the show. The big overarching theme should be: what do you actually want your podcast to do for you in 2026? Because sure, it’s great to dream about millions of people listening to your podcast, but what’s better is to know exactly what you would want the listeners to do next!
Here are some healthy metrics and measurable objectives to consider:
10% audience increase in comparison to the previous year,
Take time to pitch (and follow-up) with 10 of your dream guests (the answer will always be ‘no’ if you don’t ask)
Receive 1-5 new audience messages per episode
Run 1-5 dynamically inserted ads per year to promote their products and services (for business owners)
Do live streaming parties with your audience once a quarter or record live shows to meet your listeners
Share 1-2 European podcast recommendations with us!
Building your Brand, by Liz Mosley
Mistakes That Made Me, by Eman Ismail
Thank you, Ana!
🎙️🌍 Podcasts I’ve been listening to 🌍🎙️
I was recently on a trip visiting Prague for the first time and, of course, the first resource I looked into to learn more about the place was podcasts. I stumbled upon Kaphryn’s episode on Prague and absolutely loved it. She shares a brief introduction of the place and also weaves in personal stories and anecdotes tied to her travels. It was a cozy introduction to Prague, keeping me company on the plane. Kaphryn has a full back catalogue of episodes you can discover for your next trip, or just casually from your home.
To be frank with you, this was my number 1 podcast of 2025 (as per PocketCasts wrap-up). Although it’s an American podcast, one of the most recent episodes talks about a Lithuanian scammer, and well, I’ll let you discover the rest. This is such a fun podcast and it’s a classic example of a personality-driven show. Laci’s energy keeps me coming back every week, and she always has a good rapport with her guests.
A while ago, I asked podcasters on LinkedIn to recommend their podcast. Zora Neumann (Germany) shouted out her show: London Calling der Podcast. Two best friends – separated by London and Düsseldorf, but always connected! In this podcast, they chat about everything that’s currently on their minds: Dating drama, girl power, our chaos at work, cute cat moments, series binges, and why they love The Sims. Plus, there are deep talks about friendship, feminism, and life in two completely different cities.
If you are a German speaker (or learner), give this a listen!
What podcasts have you been listening to lately?
🚀Events and Opportunities🚀
Paris Creator Week (France)
This event has passed. Were you there? Comment below and tell us how it was!
The official meeting place for all players in the Creator Economy. Meet content creators, platforms, brands, agencies, entrepreneurs, investors, and everyone who makes the Creator Economy happen in France! Paris Creator Week brings together more than 4000 professionals, 200 speakers and 100 European partners to discuss the hottest topics in the Creator Economy, digital content and media.
When? December 9-10, 2025.
Webby Awards (International)
The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy, The Webbys is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS)—a 3,000+ member judging body.
When? The deadline to enter is December 19, 2025.
Public media organisation PRX – bringing acclaimed podcasts and radio to millions – and AudioUK – the industry body dedicated to advancing podcasting and audio – announced a 2026 Podcast Creator Summit in London, UK, inviting podcasters of all experience levels to share and gain insights spanning the art and business of making podcasts and audio. The free summit is organised in partnership with Apple Podcasts.
When? February 6, 2026.
That’s it for now, thank you for reading!
Got an opportunity, podcast recommendation, or event to share for the next issue? Reply to this email or drop me a message.
Until next time,
Andreea Coscai