What Is the Future of Podcasting?

[apotatopot]

As a podcast host/producer, I've been thinking a lot about the long journey YouTube has taken over the last decade. I know podcasts have been around for a very long time, but they're definitely booming right now. I've seen ads for interactive podcast services and all kinds of wiz-bang stuff.

What do you predict for podcasting in the near future, culturally or technically that we who create them could prepare/plan for?

[jborichevskiy]

Whatever this future is, I seriously hope someone figures out global transcription and search:

I want to be able to step outside, type in some random topic on Spotify (or some other player) and see every podcast episode ever produced about it with snippets of how that search term appears in it. Preferably sorted by podcast producers I listen to regularly or am subscribed to.

[imagetic]

That's a really loaded question.

There's not much new in terms of what a podcast is. At it's core, it's been traditionally radio format with modifications for video. And as a medium, radio/talk-show formats haven't shifted dramatically since I started doing production 14 years ago. Popularity and delivery medium have shifted more than anything.

The direction an individual podcast takes is really where it's potential and limitations can be found. A podcast with a live/video component and a post-production edited side, will vary greatly vs a product review 1-man-band type of show format.

My biggest concern is always saturation, and the ability to curate quality content to keep the most relevant and quality content in a visible spectrum. YouTube has become pretty muddy. My suggestions keep me in a loop of the same content, and the only way I discover something new is if it's recommended to me, or it goes ultra-viral.

Also the ability to sustain itself. YouTube had a large ad model backing it. People made a lot of money from their efforts. But then as it became more saturated, that translation to income has become more watered down. I see more and more concerns with how to get paid a living wage. Podcast have been a far more direct interaction with sponsors.

We pitched podcast content for TV show productions for years, and someone high up always shot it down. The ad revenue wasn't viable. It wasn't until Serial became crazy popular and break all the records that our bosses started to come around.

[hakanito]

Podcasts are maturing and is starting to be seen as a serious alternative for advertisers, and thus becoming a real source of income for professional podcasters.

Companies like Acast[0] and Midroll have tech to dynamically insert targeted ads right into the audio stream while playing. So two people listening to the same podcast will get different ads.

[0] https://acast.com

[MS90 → hakanito]

It is interesting (I don't know if that's the right word, but I can't think of another) to see how podcasts have become such a target for advertising. I remember when I first listened to podcasts in like 2008 I'd pretty rarely hear an ad, and when I did it was usually some gimmicky product from a company no one had ever heard of. But nowadays I can't think of any podcasts that I listen to that don't have ads, save for Hardcore History, and it's frequently an ad for a big company or service like Door Dash, Turbo Tax, etc.

I know he's an outlier due to the enormity of his podcast, but it's been said[1] that Joe Rogan now makes $75,000 per episode

That's a long way from his early days of being sponsored by the Fleshlight.

[1] https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/joe-rogan-how-much-...

[apotatopot → hakanito]

Amazing technology. We use Anchor, which does the same thing. I'm wondering if this is going to lead to censorship of content creators in the same way it has on youtube. I suppose if you get in right now and grow a ton, maybe that won't impact a creator, but idk.

I imagine more companies making podcasts that seem like they're home-grown, regular ol' people, like what was done with the music industry. Maybe that's something that people are already used to, though and companies won't have to hide it. Def lots of pro level podcasts have popped up to compete w/ us little folk. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

[badatcomputer → hakanito]

As Adam Curry looks on with sad puppy dog eyes

[hackermailman]

Alternative color commentary for live events/sports has happened a bit (Rogan UFC) but that will likely increase in the future. Your cable/streaming provider should give you an option of various podcast color commentary to sync with the live event