Podcasting is probably the most familiar, and certainly the most wildly successful, form of new media out there, and it's a medium that relies entirely on audio. The number of monthly podcast listeners last year increased to almost four hundred million around the world, while the number of podcasts rose last year to over eight hundred and fifty thousand. More people are turning to podcasts than ever before, and that number's only going to keep growing. In these episodes, we look at the ins and outs of podcasting itself and how it can help you connect with your audience and build your brand.
More than half of all American households listened to podcasts last year, and, for the first time ever, podcasting ad revenue topped one billion dollars. There’s a huge market out there when it comes to promoting your brand, but first impressions count: a quarter of listeners report that they’ll move on after just five minutes if a new podcast doesn’t grab their interest, and there’s plenty of podcasting competition for them to choose from.
These episodes feature podcasting discussions and interviews with a variety of expert guests as we talk about everything from podcast formats and marketing opportunities to the more practical side of podcasting. Whether it’s choosing the right equipment or avoiding the more common pitfalls when starting a new show from scratch, there’s something here for newcomers, veteran podcasters, and listeners who just want to learn more about this quickly growing industry.
We also explore the future of podcasting and how, as more of us are working from home and connecting with one another through a variety of smart devices, the boundary between chatting and podcasting seems to be fading. From Zoom meetings and Clubhouse chats to Twitter Spaces and Facebook Live Audio Rooms, podcasting is spreading to more and more platforms, and becoming a bigger part of our lives.
Audio has emerged as one of the most essential elements of new media, and podcasting, in particular, has joined the mainstream, and even begun to replace traditional radio, as a way of reaching out to an audience and building your brand. Each of these episodes delves into the art and science of podcasting, in all its different forms.
“We did a sort of special launch episode with the King, um, who’s so knowledgeable, so passionate, you know. I don’t know whether he’d just read up about it, but it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like it really tapped into something that he wants to talk about and knows how to talk about. […]
“So the answer to why is that podcasts, whether they’re audio only or, nowadays, the vast majority are including video as well, provide a depth and a nuance and a detail of conversation that is almost impossible to get anywhere else. So, you know, we live in an age where people are scanning TikTok and […]
“I’m blown away by it. So, when I close my eyes and I listen to these things, and I hear those textures and I understand the footsteps coming from afar and getting closer and, you know, like, this stuff matters. Like, it paints the picture [so] that I don’t even have to have my eyes […]
“I don’t know if you can see it, [but] that’s an octopus. Yeah, on my upper arm. If you’re not watching this, the audio version is, there’s sunlight coming through and it’s dappling across this octopus. I’m a scuba diver. I really did believe, when I was young, that I was going to be a […]
“I think there’s nothing that truly resonates across all of your senses like sound does. If I’m watching something gorgeous, it’s a feast for my eyes, and it starts and ends there. But if I’m listening to something, it’s the one thing that can truly always be in your brain presence — always bringing things […]
“I love the use of AI voices or synthetic voices for people who might, you know, they’re embarrassed. I’ve worked with engineers my whole career, and sometimes, like, it’s not that they don’t want to tell their story or break something out there, but maybe they just don’t have the self-confidence or they were made […]