Mixed Signals from Semafor Media
by Semafor Podcasts
Is this your podcast?Semafor Podcasts is an independent podcast creator known for delivering insightful commentary and analysis on contemporary media trends. With a focus on transparency and informed discourse, they aim to illuminate the complexities of how new…
On the show
From 31 epsHosts
Recent guests
Recent episodes
Kevin Roose on the singularity and his council of Claudes
Oct 16, 2026
1h 00m 37s
Alex Gibney on his Elon Musk documentary and why the doc business has never been more scared
Oct 9, 2026
48m 38s
Kasey Esser on being the "Brad Pitt of microdramas" and what's next for the booming vertical video format
Oct 2, 2026
39m 08s
Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario on selling water like a punk band, and why comedy is the one thing Coca-Cola can't buy
Sep 25, 2026
51m 00s
Pangram CEO Max Spero on why human touch is about to become the scarcest thing on the internet
Sep 18, 2026
49m 17s
Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
- media industry insights
- business news analysis
Podcast Focus
- media reporting
- storytelling behind news
Publishing Consistency
- 98 episodes total
- active for 2 years
Platform Reach
- available on major podcast platforms
- supported by Think with Google
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Based on 3 signals.
Built from
By chart position
- 🇺🇸United States · News CommentaryHOME#1148.5K to 45K
- 🇦🇷AR · News Commentary#84.9K to 26K
- 🇮🇩ID · News Commentary#182.6K to 14K
- 🇮🇳India · News Commentary#77923 to 4.9K
- 🇩🇪Germany · News Commentary#103530 to 2.8K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
22K to 116K🎙 ~2x weekly·120 episodes·Last published 4d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
44K to 232K🇺🇸39%🇦🇷23%🇮🇩12%+17 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
24K to 128K16K real followers tracked across platforms
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
—
* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
Social Links & Contact
Official channels & resources
Official Website
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/16/26 |  Kevin Roose on the singularity and his council of Claudes | New York Times veteran and "AGI Chronicles" author Kevin Roose joins Mixed Signals to talk about what it was like to be patient zero for the AI media moment (a Valentine's Day evening where he stayed up chatting with a Microsoft chatbot that told him to leave his wife). Max and Ben ask Kevin how he used AI aggressively to write his book without letting it actually write a word, and whether taking a grant from an AI safety–linked nonprofit is a problem. They also get into his new show at NPR, and why he decided to leave the New York Times. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected] | 1h 00m 37s | ||||||
| 10/9/26 | Alex Gibney on his Elon Musk documentary and why the doc business has never been more scared | Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney joins Mixed Signals to talk about his four-hour film on Elon Musk. Max and Ben ask Gibney how he built an AI avatar of Musk using only his actual words when Musk refused to participate, what Elon’s first wife, Justine Musk, taught him about “gaslighting” as a management strategy, and why he thinks Musk’s political turn was less ideological than it was transactional and childlike. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected] | 48m 38s | ||||||
| 10/2/26 |  Kasey Esser on being the "Brad Pitt of microdramas" and what's next for the booming vertical video format | Actor and producer Kasey Esser joins Mixed Signals to explain the multi-billion dollar "microdrama" industry, and why he's become one of its biggest stars. Max and Ben ask Kasey how a werewolf Romeo-and-Juliet show that shot in just a week for a hundred thousand dollars became a global hit, what it's like to translate Chinese scripts for American audiences in real time on set, and how microdramas make all of their money. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected] | 39m 08s | ||||||
| 9/25/26 |  Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario on selling water like a punk band, and why comedy is the one thing Coca-Cola can't buy | Liquid Death founder and CEO Mike Cessario joins Mixed Signals (with Semafor business editor Liz Hoffman filling in for Max) to explain how he built a billion-dollar water company by treating his ads like SNL sketches. Ben and Liz ask Mike why he thinks comedy is a more durable marketing genre than celebrity testimonials, why big companies almost never win when they sue smaller ones, and whether Liquid Death will fizzle out into the graveyard of buzzy consumer brands that came before it. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected] | 51m 00s | ||||||
| 9/18/26 |  Pangram CEO Max Spero on why human touch is about to become the scarcest thing on the internet | Pangram founder and CEO Max Spero joins Mixed Signals to explain how his AI detection tool actually works, and why he thinks the escalating cat-and-mouse game between AI detectors and "humanizers" is a fight worth having. Max and Ben ask Spero about how Pangram can already distinguish Claude from ChatGPT, why he built a humanizer internally and refuses to release it, and what it would actually take for a fine-tuned personal AI to fool his model. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected] | 49m 17s | ||||||
| 9/11/26 |  Salman Rushdie on what he's learned about media after a lifetime of being trapped by it | Author Sir Salman Rushdie joins Mixed Signals to talk about why he made a documentary about the attack that nearly killed him, and why he's ambivalent about having done it. Max and Ben ask Salman how he and director Alex Gibney divided authorship of the film, and what he felt watching footage of the attack for the first time. They also get into what he's learned from decades of being both subject and strategist in his own media coverage, and why he's trying very hard to pretend AI doesn't exist. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected] | 41m 49s | ||||||
| 9/4/26 | politicsmedia+4 | Jessica Tarlov | Fox NewsRaging Moderates+2 | — | Jessica TarlovFox News+5 | — | 55m 37s | ||
| 8/28/26 | social mediayouth mental health+3 | Taylor Lorenz | Semafor Media | — | screen timesocial media+5 | — | 37m 46s | ||
| 8/21/26 | social mediaalgorithm-driven distribution+4 | Rachel Karten | Semafor MediaThink with Google | — | social mediafollowers+5 | — | 46m 46s | ||
| 8/14/26 | music industryAI in music+3 | Robert Kyncl | Warner Music GroupSuno+5 | — | Warner Music GroupAI music+3 | — | 1h 03m 55s | ||
| 8/7/26 | talk showvertical video+3 | Kareem Rahma | VICESemafor Media+1 | — | talk show empireviral shows+3 | — | 1h 10m 36s | ||
| 7/31/26 | NBAsports media+4 | Vic Jacobi | Atlanta HawksSemafor Media+1 | Ibizadowntown Manhattan | Vic JacobiNBA+7 | — | 37m 34s | ||
| 7/28/26 | political comedymedia transformation+4 | Tim Heidecker | The OnionInfowars+2 | — | Tim HeideckerInfowars+5 | — | 40m 45s | ||
| 7/24/26 | loneliness crisispublic health+4 | Vivek Murthy | Semafor MediaThink with Google+1 | — | lonelinesspublic health emergency+4 | — | 1h 01m 21s | ||
| 7/17/26 | conservative mediaCalifornia politics+4 | Steve Hilton | Fox NewsParamount+1 | CaliforniaHollywood | Steve HiltonDavid Cameron+6 | — | 50m 14s | ||
| 7/15/26 | sports mediagambling+4 | Katie Nolan | CasualsSemafor Media+1 | — | sports gamblingpolitics in sports+3 | — | 34m 46s | ||
| 7/3/26 | RedditLLMs+4 | Steve Huffman | RedditAnthropic+2 | — | RedditSteve Huffman+5 | — | 44m 25s | ||
| 6/26/26 | media businesspodcasting+3 | Alex Cooper | Call Her DaddyUnwell+3 | — | Call Her DaddyAlex Cooper+5 | — | 40m 58s | ||
| 6/19/26 | advertisingcreativity+4 | David Droga | Accenture SongNew York Times+1 | — | David Drogaadvertising+6 | — | 50m 50s | ||
| 6/12/26 | AInews consumption+3 | Eli Pariser | New_PublicSemafor Media+1 | — | AInews+4 | — | 50m 00s | ||
| 6/5/26 | music interviewscelebrity press+3 | — | The New York TimesSemafor Media+1 | — | PopcastTaylor Swift+7 | — | 59m 00s | ||
| 5/29/26 | American political mediaTrump+4 | Bret Baier | Fox NewsCBS News+3 | — | Bret BaierTrump+6 | — | 42m 00s | ||
| 5/22/26 | podcastingaudio journalism+4 | Audie CornishAri Shapiro | NPRCNN+2 | — | podcastingNPR+4 | — | 46m 15s | ||
| 5/19/26 | business mediaAI in journalism+3 | Joe Weisenthal | BloombergSubstack+2 | — | business mediaAI+3 | — | 42m 54s | ||
| 5/15/26 | food mediarestaurant reviews+3 | Flynn McGarry | CoveWhite Lotus+2 | — | Flynn McGarryfood media+3 | — | 42m 28s | ||
| 5/8/26 | crowdsourcingHollywood+5 | Harmon brothers | Angel StudiosSemafor Media+1 | — | Angel Studioscrowdsourcing+6 | — | 49m 59s | ||
| 5/1/26 | journalismYouTube+4 | Johnny Harris | NewpressSemafor Media+1 | — | journalismYouTube creator+3 | — | 54m 06s | ||
| 4/27/26 | sports mediaathlete-led media+4 | Maverick Carter | SpringHill CompanyNBA+2 | — | Maverick Cartersports media+5 | — | 30m 56s | ||
| 4/17/26 | journalismtrue crime+3 | Patrick Radden Keefe | Semafor MediaThink with Google+1 | — | Patrick Radden KeefeLondon Falling+5 | — | 37m 55s | ||
| 4/10/26 | social mediadecentralization+3 | Rose Wang | BlueskySemafor Media+1 | — | Blueskysocial network+3 | — | 38m 58s | ||
| 4/3/26 | media businessAI+3 | Joanna Stern | The Wall Street JournalNew Things+2 | — | Joanna SternWall Street Journal+3 | — | 39m 58s | ||
| 3/27/26 | Sony hackcybersecurity+3 | Michael Lynton | Sony EntertainmentSnap Inc.+3 | — | Sony hackMichael Lynton+3 | — | 42m 28s | ||
| 3/20/26 | gamingmedia+4 | Douglas Scott WredenAiden McCaig | Lemonade StandSemafor Media | — | Twitchcreators+5 | — | 32m 47s | ||
| 3/19/26 | leadershipCEO insights+3 | — | SEMAFORCEO Signal | — | CEOleadership+5 | — | 0m 33s | ||
| 3/13/26 | SignalgateTrump administration+4 | Jeffrey Goldberg | The AtlanticThe Washington Post+1 | — | SignalgateTrump+6 | — | 47m 51s | ||
| 3/6/26 | streamingleftist media+3 | Hasan Piker | Semafor MediaTwitch | — | Hasan Pikerstreaming+6 | — | 46m 35s | ||
| 3/3/26 | media changesbusiness transformation+3 | Dara Khosrowshahi | UberSemafor+1 | — | Compound Interestmedia+6 | — | 1m 14s | ||
Showing 37 of 120
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Distribution & Reach
About the show, platforms, and key insights.
Distribution & Reach
About the show, platforms, and key insights.
Semafor Podcasts is an independent podcast creator known for delivering insightful commentary and analysis on contemporary media trends. With a focus on transparency and informed discourse, they aim to illuminate the complexities of how news and information are conveyed to the public. "Mixed Signals from Semafor Media" stands out by dissecting significant media stories every Friday, hosted by media reporter Max Tani and Semafor Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith. The podcast covers topics related to news, business, and marketing, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the media landscape and exploring the reasons behind the narratives that shape public perception. The podcast attracts a diverse audience of media professionals, marketers, and news enthusiasts who seek to understand the dynamics of media production and consumption. Listeners gain valuable insights into the industry, enhancing their comprehension of current events and the forces at play in shaping media narratives.
By the numbers
- Total followers: 46K
- Total plays: 23M
- Total reviews: 195
Platforms
TuneIn
- Followers: 1
Castbox
- Followers: 16K
- Plays: 129K
YouTube
- Subscribers: 30K
- Views: 23M
- Videos: 895
Podcast App
- Followers: 198
- Reviews: 193
Podcast Republic
- Followers: 106
- Reviews: 2
Find them online
Audience
adults, general
Key insights
What the show covers
- media reporting
- storytelling behind news
- impact of media
- analysis of media narratives
Audience interests
- media industry insights
- business news analysis
- marketing trends
- current events commentary
Platform reach
- available on major podcast platforms
- supported by Think with Google
- growing listener base
- specific platforms not yet detected
Publishing consistency
- 98 episodes total
- active for 2 years
- weekly publishing cadence
- consistent episode releases
Chart history for Mixed Signals from Semafor Media
Peaked at #8 in AR, top 10 in 1 of 37 tracked markets, currently #8 in AR.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR | — | #8 | #8 | — |
| ID | — | #18 | #18 | — |
| SA | — | #36 | #36 | — |
| Ireland | — | #39 | #39 | — |
| NG | — | #52 | #52 | — |
| VN | — | #54 | #54 | — |
| CZ | — | #59 | #59 | — |
| Finland | — | #69 | #69 | — |
| India | — | #77 | #77 | — |
| AR | — | #77 | #77 | — |
| Sweden | — | #79 | #79 | — |
| IL | — | #84 | #84 | — |
| TR | — | #89 | #89 | — |
| Denmark | — | #91 | #91 | — |
| AE | — | #91 | #91 | — |
| PT | — | #95 | #95 | — |
| HU | — | #97 | #97 | — |
| GR | — | #99 | #99 | — |
| Germany | — | #103 | #103 | — |
| PH | — | #103 | #103 | — |
Chart Positions
37 placements across 35 markets.
Chart Positions
37 placements across 35 markets.