Fullschedule

Take in the views of the Manhattan skyline from Wythe Hotel’s 6th floor lounge and mingle with other business and creative leaders over pastries and coffee. The breakfast will include a fireside chat with Sounds Profitable partner Tom Webster.

Please note: This is for VIP ticket holders only.

Rachel Martin, host of NPR's Wild Card, kicks off the fest in candid conversation with Brian Reed, host of Question Everything.

Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway of the Odd Lots podcast get into the weeds of how the media industry has evolved within the last 20 years - from trends, disruptive technologies, and what we might see in the era of AI.

Join hosts B.A. Parker and Gene Demby to celebrate 10 years of NPR's Code Switch—the podcast that explores how race and identity influence everything. In an era defined by conversations around DEI, "woke" culture, and the legacy of movements like Black Lives Matter, how have our discussions about race evolved—and what ground still needs to be covered? Through their signature blend of humor, empathy, and nuanced insights, B.A., Gene, and their guests will explore how these conversations have shifted (and stayed the same) over time.

Narrative climate podcasts are under threat. The move away from this format to cheaper chat-casts with talking heads can alienate listeners and lack much-needed context, moving us further away from fostering empathy and collaboration for a livable future for all.

Media is transforming at a pace we’ve never seen before. From how we consume entertainment and sports to culture-defining moments like the Oscars moving online, the ground is shifting beneath our feet. Nowhere is that disruption more apparent, or more consequential, than in the news. As audiences walk away from legacy outlets and turn to independent voices for truth and accountability, the future of journalism is being actively redefined.

Join visionary creator Kenya Barris (beloved TV sitcom Black-ish and the Unusual Suspects podcast) for an inside look at the making of his latest Audible Original, Big Age, a hilarious new audio series that blends outrageous comedy and touching revelations. Barris shares how this incredible listening experience comes together - from casting comedy legends Jenifer Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer, and Niecy Nash-Betts to creating an outrageous senior community designed to come alive in audio. Through its blend of comedy and heart, Big Age explores what it means to grow older without growing old at heart. Crank up the volume and buckle in.

A crumbling, congested highway that no one likes and no one can agree what to do with – it’s a familiar refrain in US cities, which is why this year Ian Coss, host of The Big Dig, is hitting the road to study the problem on the ‘Highway Teardown Tour’. For this special stop, he’ll be joined by WNYC transportation reporter Stephen Nessen to talk about the distinct challenge posed by Brooklyn’s own outdated highway, as well as the challenge of how to tell its story. And stick around afterwards for a guided walk of the BQE with local artist Kelsey Strauch, who has turned the structure in a gallery.

Join a daring group of ancestors on their quest to find a Promised Land in the midst of the American Revolution.

Audio isn’t just something you listen to anymore - it’s evolving into a powerful, multi-platform storytelling engine that lives across video, social, and real-world experiences. In this session, leaders from the creator economy, a major audiobook and podcast platform, and a leading IRL media company will unpack how today’s creators are going visual, how brands and platforms fuel fandom and niche communities, and how immersive, real-world experiences turn audio into something you can see, feel, and share.

Featuring Stacy Minero, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer of OUTFRONT, James Finn, Global Head of Brand & Content Marketing and Audible & Brooks Miller, EVP, Creator Marketing at Edelman and UEG.

Get ready for a mind meld of the sharp, contemporary market analysis of Bloomberg’s Everybody’s Business with the deep historical storytelling of Pushkin’s Business History. Together, the hosts will bridge the gap between past and present, examining how the forgotten legacies of industry giants continue to shape today’s global economic landscape. It is a unique crossover experience that combines high-stakes financial reporting with a narrative journey through the pivotal moments that defined modern commerce.

Award-winning Supervising Producer at iHeart Media of shows like Las Culturistas and This Is Important, and host of new podcast Welcome to El Barrio, Becca Ramos, will lead a lively panel with other Puerto Rican and Latine culture leaders to talk about Bad Bunny’s global rise and what we can learn from staying true to ourselves. The panel will also feature community builders who have been active in this field since before “Debí Tirar Mas Fotos,” sharing how their work has changed as Puerto Rico has become more visible in popular culture.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, professor and founder of Futuro Media, Maria Hinojosa joins La Brega host Alana Casanova-Burgess for a live taping of the acclaimed bilingual podcast. In their third season, La Brega is following Puerto Rican champions in boxing rings, in beauty pageants, in courtrooms and even at the United Nations to find out what it means to represent Puerto Rico as a country.

Podcast discovery no longer lives where podcasts do. As video platforms, algorithms, and clip culture increasingly determine what audiences see, many podcasters are finding that visibility doesn’t always lead to real listenership or lasting connection. This panel explores how creators are taking discovery back into their own hands: building community, using video intentionally, and growing audiences that actually stick. Whether you’re launching your first season or scaling across formats, this session reframes discovery for 2026 — with approaches rooted in craft, connection, and culture instead of chasing reach.

Presented by Patreon

2025 Audio Vanguard Award winner Debbie Millman returns to On Air Fest with a live taping of her podcast, Design Matters. One of the world's very first podcasts, Design Matters centers on how the world’s most creative people—designers, writers, artists, musicians, educators, scientists, philosophers, athletes and performers—design the trajectory of their lives.

What happens when the biggest sports stories happen outside the arena? The creators of The Sports Gossip Show, ESPN's 30 for 30 Podcasts, and the executive overseeing the making of Crave’s Heated Rivalry, examine how sex, scandal, and gossip—once confined to message boards and group chats - are dominating sports storytelling, from (fictional) rivalries to true-crime investigations.

Presented by ESPN 30 for 30 Podcasts

Audio Flux is a home for short form audio and bold storytelling. Join co-founders Julie Shapiro and John DeLore as they share original "fluxworks" from previous circuits and announce, for the first time publicly, the creative partner, theme, and prompts for Circuit 07. Additional guests to be announced soon.

Journalist Pablo Torre joins us for a special recording of his show, 'Pablo Torre Finds Out,' from The Athletic.

After a decade of sharing other people's regrets on the acclaimed and beloved podcast Heavyweight, host Jonathan Goldstein looks back on his own regrets making the show. Revisiting ten years worth of stories and tape, Jonathan reflects on his work and then opens it up for an audience Q&A with his producers Kalila Holt and Stevie Lane.

Video podcasting does NOT mean you are doomed to film people talking into microphones. This moment is an opportunity to invent a whole new medium and discover what video podcasting could be for narrative producers. In this session, drawing on experimental cinema, video games, and underground rave culture, audio producers will tell stories with a live “video score” that doesn’t dominate audio-first storytelling. You will leave with concrete ideas, references, and techniques to help you dream up a video version of your show that you can be excited about.

Talking Too Loud is a biweekly business podcast hosted by Wistia CEO Chris Savage, exploring the ideas, trends, and shifts shaping the worlds of tech, marketing, creativity, and brand-building. In this live taping, Chris sits down with Brittany Luse, host of It’s Been A Minute, to unpack what happens when audio-first shows move toward video—from YouTube’s growing influence to the real costs, tradeoffs, and personal shifts that come with showing up on the internet in a more visible way.