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b'There are a lot of experts within the podcasting industry. But James Cridland is in a unique position to see the industry\\u2019s trends, successes, and failures differently than most. As the curator of Podnews, a daily podcasting briefing, his perspective is a combination of news from podcast hosts, advertisers, content creators, and listening platforms. \\n\\n\\n\\nGiven his holistic view, we invited James to chat on our latest Audience episode. We took the opportunity to hear his thoughts on the future of Apple Podcasts and Spotify, monetization opportunities, and what\\u2019s the biggest distribution mistake many podcasters make. \\n\\n\\n\\nRead on for James\\u2019 biggest takeaways and listen to the full episode for even insightful comments.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nHow Can Apple Podcasts & Spotify Change The Industry?\\n\\n\\n\\nAlong with many other experts, James agrees there\\u2019s a big opportunity to increase podcast consumption. He argues if the industry focuses on increasing overall listenership, all ships will rise. From creating more monetization opportunities for podcasters, increasing user bases for listening apps, and driving more financial investment into the industry as a whole. \\n\\n\\n\\nBut the driver of this growth isn\\u2019t squarely on the shoulders of podcasters. Instead, James offers opportunities podcast directories can take advantage of to jumpstart the effort. \\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nApple Podcasts\\n\\n\\n\\nThe biggest player in the industry is without a doubt Apple Podcasts. Apple helped grow and standardize things like podcast categorizations and artwork sizes. But in recent years, Apple hasn\\u2019t made many monumental advancements to increase consumption. \\n\\n\\n\\nBut given their strong foothold, there\\u2019s one opportunity available that would change the industry forever.\\n\\n\\n\\nAccording to Scientia Mobile, over 60% of worldwide mobile users have an Android device. But to date, Apple hasn\\u2019t created an Android version of the Apple Podcasts app. While there are popular Android-only listening platforms, the majority of podcasters primarily promote their Apple Podcast listing. \\n\\n\\n\\nThink of the instant consumption growth if Apple released an Android version of their app. Podcasters could more comfortably promote their Apple Podcast link knowing it would be a seamless subscription process across all devices.\\n\\n\\n\\nYou likely submitted your podcast to Apple Podcasts from the start. But in case it slipped off your radar, submit your podcast today.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nSpotify\\n\\n\\n\\nIn the aftermath of the Spotify and Joe Rogan deal, there\\u2019s been article after article about the possible implications. \\n\\n\\n\\nTo date, Spotify\\u2019s podcasting footprint is relatively small. According to Libsyn, Spotify accounts for 9.5% of total plays for their hosted podcasts. A far cry from Apple Podcast\\u2019s 60-70% share of the market. \\n\\n\\n\\nBut by acquiring exclusive rights to one of the most popular podcasts in the world, Spotify is betting on Joe Rogan\\u2019s lis'