3 Trends That Will Shape 2026
For coaches, speakers and authors…
For coaches, speakers and authors…2026 might be a wild ride.
Here’s what I’m watching closely right now, going from big to biggest…
Video is Coming to Apple Podcasts…Again…
Years ago, Apple made video podcasts available, but on a dedicated feed. Users couldn’t switch between video and audio. They were treated as two separate shows.
Apparently that’s all being fixed, and Apple Podcasts will join Spotify in adding video. Here’s the official announcement page.
There’s a lot that’s up in the air and lots of speculation.
Just search ‘Apple Podcasts HLS video’ on Reddit.
Will the user experience be better or worse?
Will video hosting costs be reasonable or expensive?
Will Apple Podcasts look like a low-rent YouTube with podcasts thrown in?
Maybe it’s my skeptical side, but how likely is it that Apple creates a mobile video viewing experience that’s better than YouTube?
I’ve always hosted and produced video shows. That’s where my allegiance is. In my book MicroFamous (2020) I wrote that the word ‘podcast’ would probably phase out.
It’s nice to see Apple upgrading the experience and adding video. If that works, and everything is just a ‘show’ now, we might not be far off from phasing out the term ‘podcast.’
Sponsorships & Partnerships
Lead gen costs aren’t going anywhere but up.
High quality video and higher labor costs means content production costs are going up.
A great partner can…
help cover those production costs
put your show in front of a lot more people
An amazing partner does both, happily and gladly.
That’s why I’m emphasizing these kinds of deals in 2026.
I’m also watching closely to see if sponsorships and partnerships pick up steam.
For hosts creating niche B2B content, monetizing your show by selling sponsors at $25 per 1,000 downloads is a waste of time.
The real win is in relationships and distribution.
Our client Lance Billingsley has a great relationship with WeSERV, the Phoenix-area REALTOR association. As part of that relationship, the association promotes each of Lance’s episodes to their list of 25,000 agents. (Check out his episode here).
Another client in the legal field partnered with the Toronto Lawyers Association to promote her episodes to 4,000 member lawyers. Not only is she on her way to being an industry celebrity in her city, she’s now setting her sights on bigger partners with member lists well above 50,000.
Video in Apple Podcasts also means video ads. And when you have sponsors and partners, ads are part of the deliverable.
So the quality, quantity and placement of ads is even more important. Apple adding the ability to dynamically insert video ads, even into older episodes, under your full control, is a big deal.
With one caveat…Creating video ads is a big change.
Many hosts either use pro voiceover artists to record ads, use AI voice models, or record the ads themselves audio-only. Which means they can follow a script without worrying about a camera.
With video in the mix, here are the best options:
Read your own ads from an outline, and speak from the heart rather than trying to nail a script to the letter, OR…
Put visuals on top of the standard audio-only ad - Use B-roll of past episodes, footage of speaking gigs, or even stock footage, to create the visuals
For our agency clients, I’ll give them either option. #1 means recording new ads, and #2 comes with some back-and-forth to get a final approved version. I think they’re about equal in time and energy commitment.
Want to explore sponsorships and strategic partnerships?|
Click here to get our free playbook, ‘Host Your Show for Free.’
Featuring sponsorship templates, case study, and details on the types of brands and organizations open to sponsorships and partnerships.
Now for the big daddy of all trends…
AI - Better Models…or a Bubble Burst?
There’s so much riding on the next generation of AI models.
If we don’t see radically better models in 2026, the AI bubble might burst.
And the signs aren’t looking good.
Gary Marcus, a neural scientist specializing in AI research, has been saying for years that the current ‘scaling-only’ approach won’t get us to useful, reliable AI. So far his predictions are mostly spot on (ticking off tech CEOs and AI bros alike).
On the other hand you have experts I really trust and respect, like Perry Marshall.
He’s all-in on AI…specifically using AI to build efficiencies into your business to create uncrossable moats against competitors. And he’s helping people do it with current AI models. No big upgrades needed.
So maybe two things can be true at the same time.
AI might eventually hit a wall in an obvious way. Investors lose faith. The bubble bursts.
But in the meantime, you might find new ways to use existing AI models that give you a huge advantage over competitors…
I have no idea how things will shake out.
But let’s say the AI bubble bursts. Here’s why I’m cautiously optimistic…
new startups will be built on the leftover infrastructure of failed companies
LLMs may get scaled down to run efficiently
leading to affordable, sustainable AI
Which means we’ll continue finding new and interesting ways to use AI in business.
Appreciate you reading to the end! I’ll be back next week with a featured guest. Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing and what I might be missing!
Talk soon,
-Matt
Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous
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