We’re heading to the International Women’s Podcast Festival to talk sustainability, independence and doing things differently.
On 5th March, MIC media founder Vic Elizabeth Turnbull is heading to London for the International Women’s Podcast Festival 2026.
Presented by Content is Queen in partnership with Spotify, the International Women’s Podcast Festival brings together women shaping podcasting, audio and radio — from indie creators to established producers — for a full day of learning, connection and proper conversation.
With sessions covering video strategy, AI in podcast workflows and expanding your offer beyond your show, the Women’s Podcast Festival focuses on practical growth and meaningful industry conversations.
Rethinking Funding at the Women’s Podcast Festival
At this year’s International Women’s Podcast Festival, Vic will be joining the panel Alternative Ways To Fund Your Podcasting — and if you know MIC, you’ll know this topic is right up our street.
The dominant advice in podcasting still leans heavily on ads, sponsors and scale. But for many that model just doesn’t fit. And for independent creators, chasing it too early can drain the joy (and the budget) out of a brilliant idea.
As Vic puts it,
The podcast industry is shifting, and more creators are questioning the old monetisation advice. Not every podcast is built for ads, sponsors or instant scale — especially at the start.
If we only back the shows that fit that model, we shrink the space for different voices and different kinds of impact , so strong ideas don’t get parked before they’ve even had a chance to grow.
At MIC media, we’ve seen this firsthand.
Some of the most powerful podcasts we’ve worked on, the ones that genuinely shift conversations and amplify underheard voices, wouldn’t exist if they relied on traditional ways of financing podcasts.
The International Women’s Podcast Festival is exactly the kind of space where those funding conversations belong.
A Bigger Conversation Happening
The International Women’s Podcast Festival isn’t only talking about funding.
Across the day, sessions explore creative uses of video for audio-first podcasts, navigating AI responsibly, and expanding your offer beyond the show itself. It’s a programme that reflects where the industry is right now, questioning old assumptions and experimenting with new routes forward.
Vic’s panel sits within that wider shift.
Because the future of podcasting isn’t just about scale. It’s about sustainability, independence and making space for different kinds of creators and different definitions of success.
When asked what she hopes to be able to say about the industry a year from now, Vic reflects that bigger picture:
One year from now, I’d love to say the podcast industry has remembered its roots — that it was built by independent voices and creators, not just big budgets, fancy platforms and homogenous formats.
That we’re making space again for podcasts that matter (not just the ones with the biggest spend) and that there’s real space for different routes, different creators, and different definitions of success.
And that we’re championing thoughtful storytelling, recognising the power of podcasts that connect people, not just chase scale.
It’s a reminder that podcasting didn’t start as a corporate way to make money. It started with people who had something to say.
Join the Conversation at the International Women’s Podcast Festival
The International Women’s Podcast Festival 2026 takes place in London on 5th March.
Tickets and full details are available here:
https://luma.com/iwpf-2026
https://festival.contentisqueen.org/schedule-podcast-festival-london-2026