Podcaster Profiles: Sam Sethi -- TrueFans & Podnews Weekly Review

 As a podcaster or podcast fan, you may not know the name Sam Sethi. But you should, because he's one of the most influential people in podcasting. Let me tell you more about Sam Sethi.

 Sam Sethi is a well-known tech entrepreneur, award-winning radio presenter, and a prominent figure in the global podcasting industry. He is best recognized as the co-host and producer of the Podnews Weekly Review alongside James Cridland, and the CEO and founder of TrueFans, a direct-to-fan podcast monetization and engagement platform. 

I think a quote from U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sums up Sam Sethi's outlook and output. "There are many ways of going forward, and only one way of standing still."

Mr. Sethi boasts a 25-plus-year career in the tech and internet industries. He previously held senior marketing and engineering roles at major companies like Microsoft, Netscape, Gateway Computers, and MicroStrategy. Moreover, he successfully built and sold three startups, and launched TechCrunch Europe. He is the Managing Director of River Radio and has hosted several shows, including Sam Talks Technology.

On his LinkedIn profile, this is his handle --  #Maverick #Host #Producer #Director #Guest #Editor #Co-Host #CEO #Audio Editor  -- reflecting the numerous roles he has played in the industry. Last year, Sam Sethi and James Cridland won an Ear Worthy Award for Podnews Weekly Review.

Sam lives in Berkshire, London. Sam is talented enough in our estimation to be U.K. Prime Minister (A job that may be opening up) or manager of the EPL football team, Chelsea FC.

Sam Sethi has been the co-host of the Podnews Weekly Review for about three and a half years. He joined James Cridland on the podcast in November 2022 when the show transitioned from Podland to the Podnews Weekly Review. The podcast is widely regarded as a must-listen resource for podcast creators, executives, tech developers, and network leaders. 

The hosts frequently interview top executives from major platforms—including Apple, Spotify, and Amazon—as well as leading figures in podcast monetization and technology. The show is known for scrutinizing platform metrics, RSS feed changes, AI integration, and advertising trends, keeping major corporations accountable. The show frequently records live at major industry gatherings like The Podcast Show in London, anchoring its status as a premier source for industry discourse. In April, James Cridland and Sam had an episode where they tracked the money moving into paid podcast subscriptions as Patreon reports record creator earnings, then they followed the ripple effects across platforms, hosting, and video.

Recent episodes of note include onc called, Fixing podcasting’s AI slop and spam problem when Sam talks with Alberto Betella from RSS.com about these problems. As supporters of indie podcasting and global podcasters, the hosts released an episode with Kattie Laur, exploring Canada’s podcast identity, the CBC effect, and why discovery and funding—not mandates—unlock local growth.

On numerous podcasts and in articles, TrueFans.fm founder Sam Sethi has been forward-thinking about podcasting. Sam has explained how True Fans grew out of the podcasting 2.0 movement into a full creator marketplace where podcasters can host audio and video, build real fan communities, and earn through value-for-value models, including micropayments, subscriptions, and one-off episode payments.

Sam has developed an entire podcasting ecosystem with TrueFans. 

Sam says: "True Fans removes friction for listeners with a built-in virtual wallet, gamified SATs, and simple top-ups using Stripe, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, while handling all the complex bits in the background. On the hosting side, we dig into why downloads are a broken metric and how True Fans uses streaming and six-second packets to deliver rich consumption analytics." 

Recent innovations, just developed or coming soon, include live-streaming, co-listening, chat, creator portals, custom domains, and AI/voice interfaces that aim to give creators more control than Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

"TrueFans is one of the most exciting innovations in podcasting," says Claire Waite Brown, the new Head Of Community for TrueFans.

Hosted by Sam Sethi and Claire Waite Brown, Creators by TrueFans is a podcast from TrueFans.fm that spotlights independent podcast creators and music artists, offering them increased visibility and a platform to connect with their fans. The weekly show features a new creator, discusses platform updates for monetization and discovery, and explores trends in the podcasting and music industries. Listeners can support the podcast through micropayments called SATs, leave feedback via SuperComments, and engage with hosts on social media. 

As I've said before, influence is not the same as influential. Spotify Chairman Daniel Elk has influence. Sam Sethi is influential. There's a quote by Steve Jobs, Apple founder, that exemplifies Sam Sethi's influence.

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."