Libsyn Hits Record Payouts, New LA Creator Summit, & More

by Gavin Gaddis

IRL Events Are the New Influencer Trips by Kaya Yurieff & Jasmine Enberg

Scalable’s Yurieff and Enberg give a breakdown of what to expect at SXSW this year. With the Austin Convention Center under construction, SXSW will take over to the venues of Austin over a seven-day program. Which includes a live recording of the Scalable podcast at Podcast Movement Evolutions this Friday at 7:15 p.m. Reminder: Podcast Movement Evolutions this year is a free event, no SXSW badge or extra ticket required. SXSW badge holders will get priority access. Pre-registration for PME is live and highly encouraged. Things kick off Friday morning at SKYBOX on 6th, with a 400-person capacity venue plus an overflow area with capacity for 350+ attendees. Three days of networking, curated panels, celebrity-guest live performances, and more.

Libsyn Hits Record Creator Payouts 

New Libsyn data shows 2025 to be a record year, reaching an all-time high for creator payouts. Ad impressions grew 46% year over year, reaching 4.5 billion for 2025. The amount of creators monetizing on the platform increased more than 2.5 times and downloads grew 17% year over year. The release notes a key driver of 2025’s growth was the expansion of Automatic Podcast Ads by removing prior download minimums. A move that allowed more creators to monetize their podcasts. 

Netflix Just Got an Extra $2.8 Billion. Here’s What It Should Spend On by Max Cutler

Paramount recently paid Netflix a $2.8 billion breakup fee during the bidding process to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. PAVE Studios founder Max Cutler has published a guest column in The Hollywood Reporter pitching what Netflix could do with that new windfall. He spotlights a lack of daytime TV coverage as a challenge Netflix faces. Cutler pitches investing in content audiences return to out of habit, rather than in short spikes due to hype. Netflix made a name for itself in documentaries and standup comedy specials by targeting top talent and signing them. The same strategy could be applied to expanding their video podcasting presence and licensing content creators. 

Introducing Press Publish LA: The Hollywood Creator Summit

Last September, Publish Press gathered 400+ content creators, operators, and media entrepreneurs for its inaugural summit. This year they’re hosting The Hollywood Creator Summit in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 28. The event will feature on-stage conversations with creators and industry leaders, networking events, and a live episode of The Colin and Samir Show. Tickets for creators, teams, and creative operators are now available.