Welcome to episode 1 of the AMPLIFY podcast!

Our inaugural guest is Nina Wüst, Sales Director DACH at Acast, the world-leading podcast hosting, ad-tech and sales platform. Host Max Conrad, co-founder of Hypecast, guides the conversation from a cosy mobile studio parked at OMR Festival 2025.

Main topic

Nina and Max dissect the 2025 podcast landscape, spotlighting why an omni-channel strategy - audio, video, social, live events and merch - will define the medium’s next growth phase.

What we cover

• Nina’s route to Acast – from sports journalism and head-hunting to running sales for one of podcasting’s biggest players, and the hard-won sales lessons she still uses daily.
• The German market’s “education gap” – why brands still treat podcasts like radio, how sales houses differ from Spotify, and where dynamic ad-insertion fits.
• Video podcasts & live shows – when cameras add value, generational viewing habits, and sell-out arena events that prove fan loyalty.
• Omni-channel campaigns done right – host-reads, programmatic 30-second spots, social clips, rooftop product launches and custom-branded beer cans all working together.
• Programmatic & targeting – Acast’s dynamic ad insertion and Comscore/AI audience tools that make premium inventory as easy to buy as display ads.
• Niche riches – longevity, mental-health and other “sticky” verticals where brands like BetterHelp pour multi-million-euro budgets.
• AI’s mixed promise – brilliant for multilingual workflows, transcripts and smart ad-placement; still uncanny for synthetic host voices.
• Monetizing community – merch drops, exclusive clubs and why podcasts turn hosts into trusted influencers rather than CPM machines.

Connect with today’s voices

• Nina Wüst – LinkedIn | Instagram
• Max Conrad – LinkedIn | Instagram

Support our partners at

• DMEXCO – LinkedIn | Instagram
• BVDW – LinkedIn | Instagram

Stay tuned, subscribe, and drop us a review.

Follow Nina and Max on social for more takes on audio’s future - and keep an ear out for our next episode!

This podcast is produced by Hypecast Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.