Special Spotlight on...The Podcast Show 🎙️🇬🇧
Hey podcasters,
We are less than a month away to The Podcast Show in London, so I wanted to share something special.
As I mentioned in previous issues, Eurowaves is partnering with the conference this year to help bring more European voices to the center of the conversation. The goal is to highlight what’s happening in podcasting across the continent and to build new connections with people from around the world.
The Podcast Show is becoming more international than ever!
There will be dedicated spaces and sessions (including with yours truly) to support that. We will also have an International Lounge sponsored by Netflix, where podcasters can connect, meet potential partners, and learn from each other’s experiences.
For today’s special article in between issues, I spoke with three European podcasters who will be speaking. I asked them about the state of podcasting in their countries, what cross-border collaboration could look like, and what they are most looking forward to in London.
📍 May 21 to 22
📍 Business Design Centre, London
🎟 Use code EW10 for 10 percent off your pass. Book here!
And let me know if you’ll be there, I’d love to say hi!
Öjje Holt, Sweden 🇸🇪
Öjje Holt is the Director of Growth at Podspace, bringing over 35 years of experience leading commercial teams across the tech and media industries. He has held senior roles at some of the world's most influential brands, including serving as Nordic Managing Director at Spotify, Head of Retail for iTunes at Apple, and Country Manager for Microsoft Sweden, where he oversaw all consumer products.
As a co-founder of Acast in 2013, Öjje played a pivotal role in the company’s global expansion, helping to establish it as a leading podcast platform. In the decade before joining Podspace in 2024, he built a track record as a serial entrepreneur and investor, backing and scaling multiple successful startups across the Nordics. At Podspace, Öjje leverages his deep industry expertise to drive growth, innovation, and market expansion in the evolving audio landscape.
Can you give us an overview of the podcasting scene in your country?
The podcast business is still going strong, with 12 percent growth. That said, the podcast market still falls short when it comes to its share of the total advertising market. In other words, "ears" are still considered less valuable than "eyes" from an advertiser’s perspective. However, there's a growing willingness among listeners to pay for great content and to access something extra. Because of that, we’re seeing significant growth in premium solutions like subscriptions, soft paywalls, and single-episode purchases.
When it comes to international collaborations, what do you think is the biggest opportunity for podcasters in Europe right now?
I’m a strong believer in partnerships across podcast companies and networks. There are many examples where we could—and should—collaborate to increase ad sales revenue, launch new premium solutions, and push innovation further. The podcasting landscape hasn’t reached its full potential yet, and there’s still a lot of room to grow. By being open to collaboration and teaming up, we’ll all benefit in the long run.
What’s got you most excited about The Podcast Show this year? Any specific sessions or people you’re looking forward to?
Besides our own session at Podspace, which is focused on enterprise solutions (and definitely worth checking out!), I’m really excited about the overall opportunity to build new connections and partnerships. It’s going to be packed days and nights for sure. As for sessions, I’m particularly interested in the ones focused on AI and future predictions in podcasting. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Ruben Schulze-Fröhlich, Germany 🇩🇪
Ruben Schulze-Fröhlich is a longtime podcast enthusiast in the German podcasting scene. A dedicated listener and podcaster since 2005, he turned his passion into profession as the founder of Wake Word, a leading podcast production studio, and Podius, a powerful analytics and ad planning tool for podcasters. Based in Germany, Ruben brings nearly two decades of hands-on experience, tech insight, and a deep love for all things podcast.
Can you give us an overview of the podcasting scene in your country?
The German podcast scene is alive, diverse, and vibrant. There are over 100,000 German-language podcasts, and according to our podcast analytics tool Podius, more than 28,000 of them have released an episode in the past 90 days.
Germany also has a strong, independent grassroots podcasting community that has made a meaningful impact on the open-source ecosystem. This includes tools like podcast plugins for WordPress, a dedicated digital audio workstation called Ultraschall, and the remote recording platform Studio Link.
Many of these independent creators use platforms like Steady or Patreon to monetize their work. Meanwhile, the professional podcasting landscape in Germany is thriving. A dynamic ecosystem of studios, talented hosts, creators, and marketers has emerged, with the most successful podcasts reaching up to five million downloads per month.
In terms of content, the most popular genres among German listeners are comedy, true crime, sports, and news.
When it comes to international collaborations, what do you think is the biggest opportunity for podcasters in Europe right now?
Thanks to the rise of AI, it’s now easier and more affordable to release shows in multiple languages. We’ve seen a surge in collaboration requests from around the world—ranging from co-productions and localization rights to international tenders and new ways to monetize local audiences through global content.
My advice is to reach out to potential partners across borders and explore how you can collaborate on international productions. There’s so much to learn from different markets and creative approaches.
Right now, for example, we’re developing a platform called TAM – The Audio Marketplace. It’s a space where podcasters can offer audio segments and snippets to be used by international creators. It’s a new way to drive collaboration, expand reach, and help build global audio content.
What’s got you most excited about The Podcast Show this year? Any specific sessions or people you’re looking forward to?
To me, the London Podcast Show is the most important podcast conference in the world. I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with friends and colleagues from across the industry. I also heard there will be a new Creators Pub this year—definitely count me in!
The session I’m most excited about is Podcasting 2025–2035: Predictions for the Future of Global Podcasting. I can’t wait to hear what the future has in store!
Anne Janssens, The Netherlands 🇳🇱
Anne Janssens (born 1983) is the founder of the Dutch podcast company Dag en Nacht Media, which was established in 2017. In 2022, Dag en Nacht Media was sold to Podimo. Since then, Anne has been working as a commissioning editor for Podimo. He is the father of two children and the host of two podcasts.
Can you give us an overview of the podcasting scene in your country?
If the Dutch podcasting scene were a weather report, it would probably say: mostly sunny. The industry experienced a major growth spurt during the pandemic and has continued to grow steadily ever since. At Podimo, we’ve seen subscriber numbers rise for three years in a row, and podcast companies like Dag en Nacht Media and Tonny Media are bringing in more ad revenue every year.
It’s not just us—public broadcasters and legacy media are also producing high-quality content, including impressive narrative series. For many of them, podcasting has become a key strategy to reach younger audiences at the top of the funnel.
What stands out is how differently podcasting is evolving across countries. Our neighbors in Belgium and Germany are in very different stages of development. Factors like culture, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurial mindset all play a role. And when you compare things to the U.S.? That’s a whole other story—one we’ll explore more deeply during our panel session.
When it comes to international collaborations, what do you think is the biggest opportunity for podcasters in Europe right now?
Since Podimo operates in six European countries, collaboration and shared learning are part of our daily work—whether in business (especially advertising), marketing (like podcast video best practices), or actual content creation.
A show like Murder in the North has become a hit across multiple markets in translation. At the same time, we’ve learned that not every show travels well. What’s successful in Denmark doesn’t always click in the Netherlands. The host makes a difference, but each show also carries its own cultural DNA.
Right now, we’re working on a local adaptation of the wildly popular Danish podcast Mads og A-Holdet (Mads and the A-Team). It’s been running for years, but we quickly realized it couldn’t just be copy-pasted. We’ve adapted it so much that it’s essentially become a brand new podcast.
What’s got you most excited about The Podcast Show this year? Any specific sessions or people you’re looking forward to?
I saw that the team from Goalhanger will be there—I’m a big fan of their podcasts! I’m also especially curious to hear from The Economist during their session How Legacy Media Can Succeed With Podcasts. Having worked in legacy media myself, I know how challenging it can be to push innovation within those structures.
Another session I won’t miss is After the Gold Rush: Navigating the Post-Bubble Podcast Landscape. That said, the title doesn’t quite reflect our situation in the Netherlands. We never really had a “gold rush” like the U.S. did. Which is why, as I said before, our podcast weather is still mostly sunny.