A spontaneous chat at Podcast Movement 2025 turned into 15 minutes of pure gold when Peter Ferioli explained how podcasts can now be interactive, with Pantheon joining forces with Spooler Media to lead the way. And to be wow'd at a conference that regularly features the best and the brightest in podcasting, this really stood out.
Peter explains Pantheon's effort at launching music-oriented podcasts, netting maybe 10 listeners on day. He and his other partners were not inclined to quit their day jobs. But then when Spotify entered podcasting, suddenly everyone searching for artists was discovering their content alongside the music.
Pantheon Podcasts
And Pantheon went on to becoming one of the world's biggest music podcast networks with 150 shows featuring top-tier bands like Metallica.
The real turning point -- and where things get exciting?
Peter's now pioneering interactive podcasting with Spooler, a platform created by former Apple Podcasts and Megaphone executives. This isn't just another tech upgrade; it's completely reimagining what audio content can be...and do.
But thanks to a combo of new tech enablements from large language models anticipating conclusions to voice recognition and more, the team has raised the bar on what's possible. Try out the beta version of what the team has dubbed a "Podcast Puzzle" and try a brain game!
Walks and Talks
They're enabling everything from choose-your-own-adventure stories that adapt to your location in real-time, to walks through decades of San Francisco with The Grateful Dead, and even talks with Benjamin Franklin using his complete writings. As I proudly punned to Peter, it's "electrifying!"
Peter's Take: Compared to how Video has evolved, Audio has stayed the same... Til now.
"You have audiobooks, podcasts, music and radio. They're all passive forms of audio... So in this world that we're trying to build out these interactive podcasts... You can ask a voice assistant for the weather. With an interactive podcast can create a story about the weather, even bring in real location data and create a personal narrative around it for you."
Key Moments:
[03:00] Early podcasting reality check: 10 listeners after a year of detailed work
[04:30] Breaking the "sacred" podcast feed rules with multi-genre content
[04:46] How Spotify's entry transformed music podcast discovery
[07:35] Interactive podcasting revolution with Spooler FM explained
[13:36] Mind-blowing AI conversations with Benjamin Franklin
[14:28] Real-world application: Grateful Dead puzzle experience in San Francisco
Don't miss the app Peter mentions: try Links interactive puzzle at podcastpuzzle.com.
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Resources:
Peter Ferioli - LinkedIn
Pantheon on Spotify
Hit Replay the game
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