What goes on in Williamsburg....

Hey honeys and hustlers,

What questions about storytelling and the podcast industry keep you up at night? On Air Fest Brooklyn returned to Williamsburg, NYC this year, and it looks much different from my experience in 2024. Hundreds of audio nerds still descended upon the borough, clutching tote bags and deeply held opinions on the state of the podcast industry, I’m sure. This is On Air Fest, and it's still standing—which, in the volatile world of podcast-centered events, is no small feat. While other events have folded or merged, On Air Fest has managed not only to survive but to thrive, expanding from a cozy gathering in a single hotel to a sprawling, three-venue, multi-day event.

I attended my first On Air Fest back in 2024, and it left an impression on me. The energy was electric—panels packed with industry veterans sharing their wisdom, hallway conversations that turned into collaborations, and live recordings that reminded you why audio storytelling matters. It was the kind of event where you could find yourself chatting with a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist one moment and a scrappy indie podcaster the next, both equally passionate about the medium.

But here's the thing: I haven't been back since. And it's not because the lineup isn't incredible—it always is. Every year, I scroll through the schedule with a mixture of FOMO and resignation, marking sessions I'd love to attend, live recordings I'd kill to see, and networking opportunities that could theoretically change my career trajectory.

So why haven't I returned? The honest answer is a cocktail of practical concerns that many indie podcasters face. First, there's the financial reality. Between tickets, travel, accommodation, and meals, attending On Air Fest is a significant investment. For someone who isn't pitching a new show to networks or working in the podcast industry, it's harder to justify that expense. As much as I love learning about the latest trends in dynamic content insertion or hearing war stories from podcast veterans, I have to weigh those benefits against my budget.

Second, as an indie podcaster, my needs are different from someone working at a major network or actively shopping a show. On Air Fest is brilliant for making industry connections, learning about the latest tech platforms, and understanding where the money is flowing in podcasting. But when you're bootstrapping a show, recording in your home, a coworking space, or even a closet, and handling everything from audio editing to social media yourself, some of that feels a bit removed from your day-to-day reality.

That said, I'm seriously considering buying the replays once they're available this year. The lineup of talks and live recordings is too good to ignore entirely, and consuming them at my own pace, from the comfort of my home office, feels like a reasonable compromise. Plus, I can pause to take notes without worrying about missing the next session while I’m yapping or grabbing lunch.

The expansion of On Air Fest tells the story of podcasting's growth writ large. What started as an intimate gathering in a single hotel has mushroomed into a multi-venue affair spanning three locations across Brooklyn. Perhaps the most significant addition to this year’s On Air Fest is the Ambies, podcasting's most prestigious awards ceremony. The Ambies previously called Podcast Movement Evolutions home, but their migration to On Air Fest represents a consolidation of podcasting's elite events. This shift actually explains why our usual live Substack session didn't happen Tuesday evening—everyone was too busy watching the audio industry's version of the Oscars unfold.

The awards ceremony brings a certain gravitas to the festival, transforming it from purely an educational and networking event into something more ceremonial, a celebration of the medium's best work – an honor previously bestowed to the biggest (read = most attended) podcast event in the US.

The Podcast Business Summit, hosted in partnership with Bloomberg, is an ongoing partnership designed specifically for industry titans that takes place the day before the festival. The invite-only gathering focuses on "the most pressing questions facing the industry," which is code for "how do we make money from this thing and keep the lights on?"

The summit feels analogous to the Fast Follow Summit that precedes Resonate, another podcast conference. These pre-conference gatherings have become increasingly common as the industry grapples with fundamental questions about its business model. It's not enough anymore to just make great audio—you need to understand dynamic ad insertion, subscription models, video integration, and the seventeen other ways podcasters are trying to monetize their work.

It's also worth noting that Ashley Carman's excellent newsletter on Bloomberg, Soundbite, covers the podcast industry with the kind of rigor and insight that makes it required reading for anyone serious about understanding where audio is headed. I was subscribed to this newsletter until Bloomberg made it a completely paid newsletter. You can subscribe to it on its own or alongside Power On (Apple/tech), Tech Daily (formerly Tech In Depth), Game On (gaming), and Q&AI (artificial intelligence) as part of their Tech Newsletter bundle. (Semi-related: Screentime with Lucas Shaw is still free, and one newsletter I also enjoy about film and TV.)

Lucky for us, her LinkedIn gives us snippets of her newsletter. Here are her 6 biggest takeaways from the Podcast Business Summit:

On Air Fest has always punched above its weight when it comes to attracting marquee names, and 2026 is no exception. This year's lineup reads like a who's who of audio storytelling and broadcasting excellence. Don Lemon brings his decades of broadcasting experience and recent pivot to independent media, and is one of his first appearances after his arrest. Pablo Torre continues his remarkable run as one of the most thoughtful sports media voices. Roy Wood Jr. represents the intersection of comedy and cultural commentary that podcasting does so well. Audie Cornish, fresh from her NPR days, embodies the transition from traditional radio to the podcast ecosystem that so many journalists are navigating.

And then there are the Meyer Brothers, making their return to On Air Fest. If you've never seen Seth and Josh Meyer do their thing live, you're missing out on one of podcasting's most delightful sibling dynamics. Their presence on the schedule is always a highlight, and judging by the photos circulating on social media, this year was no different. They did a panel talk in 2024, and a live podcast recording this year.

But here's what makes On Air Fest special: it's not just about the big names. The schedule is packed with panels featuring producers, sound designers, indie creators, and behind-the-scenes folks who make the magic happen. It's a recognition that podcasting is a collaborative medium, and the people working in the trenches deserve as much spotlight as the hosts.

If you wanted a snapshot of what the podcast industry is obsessing over in 2026, the On Air Fest schedule serves as a pretty good proxy. Several themes dominated the conversations, reflecting the tensions and opportunities that define podcasting right now.

The Video Question: Can you still make a hit podcast without video? This question has gone from "interesting thought experiment" to "existential crisis" faster than you can say "YouTube is the new podcast app." The rise of video podcasts—or are they vodcasts? We still haven't settled on terminology—has created a two-tier system where shows with video seem to have an advantage in discoverability and growth. But what does this mean for the audio purists, the narrative audio storytellers, and the producers who got into podcasting specifically because they love audio and story, not film production?

Sidenote: I have many thoughts on how celebrity podcasts do not truly embody what a video podcast is or can be, but that’s another article.

Audio Goes Visual: Related but distinct from the video question is the broader trend of audio becoming a more visual, physical experience. From live podcast recordings that sell out theaters to in-person audio storytelling events that feel more like immersive theater, there's a recognition that audio doesn't have to exist only in earbuds. On Air Fest itself is evidence of this—bringing the podcast community together in person creates an energy and connection that purely digital interactions can't replicate.

Funding Niche Narrative: Perhaps the most pressing question for many podcasters is how to fund high-quality, niche narrative podcasts. The economics of podcasting have always been challenging, but as the industry matures and consolidates, finding sustainable funding for ambitious, experimental, or narrowly focused shows becomes even harder. Do you chase broad appeal to attract sponsors? Do you go the membership route and build a small but devoted audience? Do you hope a network or studio will take a chance on your vision? There are no easy answers, which is probably why this topic comes up at every podcast conference.

As I write this from my home office, scrolling through the On Air Fest posts flooding my LinkedIn and Threads timelines, I feel that familiar mixture of inspiration and hope. Inspiration because the conversations happening at the festival are exactly the kinds of discussions the podcast industry needs to have. Hope because I'm not there to be part of them, but know I will be again soon.

But here's what I've learned from my years in the creator economy: you don't have to be at every event, attend every conference, or network at every mixer to build something meaningful. Sometimes the best thing you can do is focus on making great work, serving your audience, and finding the learning opportunities that fit your budget and goals.

Either way, I'm glad On Air Fest exists. We need spaces where the podcast community can gather, learn, celebrate, and grapple with the hard questions facing the medium. We need events that take podcasting seriously as both an art form and a business. And we need festivals that can attract Don Lemon and indie creators in equal measure, recognizing that podcasting's strength lies in its diversity.