If INMA’s Media Innovation Week in Dublin had a single unifying theme beyond AI, it was audio. Podcasts, smart-speaker formats, on-demand listening — they have moved from curiosity projects to strategic imperatives.

News companies across Europe and beyond are treating sound not as an add-on but as a pillar of transformation. Across conference stages, newsroom hub discussions, and study tour stops, one message was repeated: Audio is where attention, loyalty, and monetisation converge.

Attention time is the new currency

The Newsroom Hub made the point that podcasts look weak if judged by old metrics.

“When you evaluate your content on pageviews, podcasts do a really bad job,” one speaker said. “It’s sometimes a couple of hundreds of events. But the time spent over there when it’s a podcast, about 20, 30 minutes, you immediately see this at the attention time.”

This was a revelation threaded throughout the week. In a world where audiences swipe through headlines in seconds, podcasts offer sustained presence; 20 minutes in someone’s ear builds far more loyalty than a dozen fleeting clicks. 

Two case studies from the conference illustrate this point.

• Inside the Crime, a Newstalk true crime series, amassed 600,000 listeners. A companion daily trial update podcast — covering the courtroom twists of a high-profile murder case — reached nearly 800,000 listens. “We had our court correspondents give a daily update on what happened today in court … that proved immensely popular,” presenters said.
• NWZ Mediengruppe in Germany found similar traction with The Search for U-96. Coordinator Nico Reimer explained it was conceived not as a side project but as an immersive narrative product: “This was about investigative storytelling, not just the headlines.”

The conclusion: Audio thrives when you shift the metric from reach to depth.

Audio as brand identity

Podcasts humanise brands. They carry tone, humour, and intimacy in ways that print can’t. Several Dublin presenters underlined how sound had become central to their brand positioning. 

• Bauer Media Audio Ireland is the standout example. Since acquiring eight radio licences, it has invested heavily in digital audio. “It started out live as an aggregator app,” executives explained. “It has grown into other areas. We’ve got GoLoud Studios … GoLoud Podcasts and GoLoud Presents. They are new products we’ve been creating … to serve new audiences that we don’t have within the radio portfolio.” Those “new audiences” mean younger, digital-native listeners. GoLoud has developed original shows like Excuse My Language and Hold My Drink. The latter — a chatty lifestyle podcast — has become one of Ireland’s biggest youth hits. By doing so, Bauer has created a brand voice outside the FM dial. 
• Russmedia Digital in Austria took the opposite route — micro-audio. Its VOL.AT Shorts delivers daily updates in just a few minutes. Head of Digital Publishing Lena Leibetseder told delegates: “It’s for listeners with minutes to spare.”

The lesson: Whether through half-hour talk shows or three-minute updates, audio lets publishers speak with a distinctive identity.

Explainers, storytelling, and the hunger for depth

Podcasts excel when they explain, contextualise, or dramatise the news. Dublin offered vivid evidence of this.

• Newstalk’s Let Me Explain, hosted by political correspondent Sean Defoe, goes “behind the scenes on some of the biggest stories dominating the news.” By slowing down and unpacking issues, it builds trust and demystifies politics for younger audiences.
• Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) is turning articles into audio experiences. Head of Storytelling Madelaine Levy told delegates: “We don’t just want to turn text into speech. We want to turn it into audio experiences.” That means professional narration, pacing, and sound design.
• Mediahuis Ireland saw opportunity in sports. Editor-in-Chief Cormac Bourke said: “We wanted to move our sports coverage onto a new pitch.” The Indo Sport podcasts translate print analysis into live, dynamic conversations.
• NWZ’s U-96 again demonstrates audio’s narrative power. By blending investigative journalism with drama, the podcast engaged audiences who might never pick up a newspaper.

These examples underline the theme: podcasts are strongest when they add value, not duplicate text.

Innovation through AI and automation

Audio is not immune from AI. In fact, it may be one of the formats most ripe for automation.

• AI Camilla Hillerö, head of data and analytics at NTM in Sweden explained how AI is assisting its audio content strategy: “It’s about any format, any time. We want readers to choose if they read, listen, or watch.” AI-driven narration allows NTM to offer flexible “liquid content” experiences.
• Several editors described how AI was being used to transcribe, translate, and even automatically summarise podcasts into text. “You could click to audio and listen to it, or translate it into multiple languages,” one speaker said.
• Bauer Media’s GoLoud has also leveraged technology not just for distribution but for third-party podcast hosting — creating an ecosystem rather than a silo.

The broader trend is clear: AI and tech are lowering the cost of production and widening the distribution funnel. But Dublin discussions stressed this is not about replacing creativity. It is about removing friction so that journalists can focus on craft.

Business models: from free reach to bundled value 

Audio’s revenue pathways are multiplying.

• Advertising and sponsorships: Bauer monetises GoLoud at scale, selling both its own pods and those of third parties. This aggregation is key to competing with platforms.
• Subscriber loyalty: Some publishers are bundling podcasts as value-adds. Newstalk launched News Talk Daily, a short daily news podcast designed to keep subscribers in the habit loop.
• Prestige products: Investigative projects like NWZ’s U-96 attract sponsorship not just for their audience but for their halo effect. Associating with serious, high-quality audio boosts advertiser credibility.

As one Irish publisher put it: “Sometimes our programmes that we put on the radio are our most successful podcasts. But we’re focusing on our brand strengths — news, politics, crime.”

The emerging consensus is that audio will never be a banner-ad business. Its value lies in deep engagement, loyalty, and premium association.

Culture change: audio as core, not side 

Perhaps the biggest shift revealed in Dublin was cultural.

• Newstalk has reoriented its Web site: “Every article on our website has an embedded player … because we are an audio brand. We really want them to listen to us.”
• Bauer Media formalised audio creativity through GoLoud Studios — treating podcasting as a creative hub, not an afterthought.
• One speaker underscored the priority: “The No. 1 I really want to make sure that we know is the attention time spent on audio, on podcasts.”

This marks a clear break from the past, when podcasts were often repurposed radio shows. Now, they are core products with dedicated producers, budgets, and strategies.

The youth connection

Though not always explicit, much of Dublin’s audio conversation revolved around winning younger audiences.

• Bauer’s Hold My Drink and Excuse My Language pods were designed specifically for under-30s, giving them a space to hear voices like their own.
• Newstalk’s Let Me Explain uses clear, accessible language to appeal to first-time voters as much as seasoned policy wonks.
• Russmedia’s Shorts are ideal for mobile-first users accustomed to TikTok-style brevity.

Audio provides intimacy and authenticity — two traits younger audiences prize.

Audio in the broader transformation 

Finally, Dublin positioned audio within the wider upheaval facing news media.

As one Irish Times strategist put it, we may soon live in an “audio-first world” where news is delivered as a morning feed matched to your diary: “Here’s your news. You’ve got a meeting at 8:00 a.m., so you have 10 minutes to listen to this. Here’s a digest of all your information.” 

This is not just about podcasts; it is about the future of human-media interaction. Audio integrates seamlessly into AI assistants, smart speakers, and mobile apps. For publishers, mastering audio is preparation for that world.

Conclusion: the sound of survival

INMA’s Media Innovation Week made the case that audio and podcasts are not peripheral. They are strategic essentials: 

• They deliver unmatched attention time.
• They embody brand personality and intimacy.
• They enable storytelling depth and explainer journalism.
• They scale through AI and automation.
• They unlock diverse revenue models.
• They drive cultural change in newsrooms.

As one speaker put it simply: “News to us is … developing into audio areas that are simply not broadcast on FM traditional radio.” 

The verdict from Dublin is clear: the future of publishing will not only be written and seen — it will be heard.

Editor’s note: This article summarises, with the assistance of ChatGPT, original content created by INMA. All content has been reviewed and edited by INMA editors.

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