Did you know that the podcast industry brings in roughly $1 billion annually? Podcasts aren’t exactly new. But, in the past decade, they’ve exploded in popularity.
These days it’s not uncommon for people to make whole careers around podcasting. If you never really got into this type of digital audio format, you’re likely asking yourself, Why are podcasts becoming more popular?
That’s why we made this article. In it, we’ll be explaining why podcasts seem to have an enduring appeal for many people. We’ll also discuss some tips for starting your own. Let’s get started!
Why Are Podcasts Becoming More Popular?
There are a lot of factors that have gone into podcasts becoming popular. The first factor is their widespread accessibility of them. In the past, you would often have to download podcasts or go to websites to listen to them.
But these days, major streaming services like Spotify and Apple all have dedicated podcast features. This has made it easier to listen to these types of shows.
The second factor is the profitability of podcast entertainment. Podcasts are usually free, but they make their money through ad revenue.
There are a lot of reasons why ads for podcasts are so popular amongst advertisers. Here are just some of the reasons:
- They’re affordable
- They allow marketers to target niche markets through specific podcasts
- Podcast hosts can make ads sound like they’re coming from a friend
The last reason why podcasts are popular is the hosts that run them. These days, it’s popular for people to become famous simply because of their podcasts.
However, on top of that, there’s been a huge influx of celebrities starting their own podcasts.
This has led huge amounts of their fans to listen to them. Just take Joe Rogan’s popular podcast as an example. It was so popular that Spotify offered him a $200 million deal for it.
Benefits of Podcast
We’ve gone into some of the economic reasons why podcasts are so popular. However, you might still be scratching your head about the appeal that people find in podcasts.
So, to give you a better idea, we’ll be going over some of the benefits of this audio medium.
1. Multi-Task Friendly
One reason why people love podcasts is how they can use them. Like listening to the radio, podcasts are quite multi-task-friendly. They can make the traffic-filled drive go by in a flash.
Many people also enjoy listening to them while they work, clean, cook, paint, or do similar activities.
The multi-task-friendly nature of the medium means people can listen to them throughout the day, even while they do other tasks.
2. There’s a Podcast For Everyone
There’s no shortage of podcasts out there. These days, there is no shortage of podcast topics out there for people. Some of the popular ones include things like comedy shows, interviews, and murder/mystery podcasts.
But there is truly a podcast for every interest out there. Maybe you want a podcast on the history of death metal? Or an oral history of the show Star Trek: The Next Generation?
Regardless of your interests, you’re going to find a podcast that you like. All you need to do is do a bit of research.
3. Creates Intimacy
If you have a favorite actor or musician, it can often feel like you know them in real life. This is what’s known as a parasocial relationship, and it’s quite common with podcast hosts.
With podcasts, you’re spending a lot of time listening to the hosts each day. When you combine this with the casual format, it’s quite common to feel an intense connection with these individuals.
This can create a sense of intimacy and trust between the host and the listener. As we mentioned in the last section, this intimacy can be appealing to marketers who want someone to their audience to relate to.
4. They’re Informative and Entertaining
Not every podcast is informative. But, at the very least, they entertain people and make them feel better. However, it’s common for podcasts to deal with important topics like history, science, and politics.
In addition to this, many podcasts also give out advice that can help people in their day-to-day.
In these cases, the informative nature of podcasts can make them a positive force for change in people’s lives.
How to Start a Podcast
Interested in starting a podcast? The good news is that with some simple technology, almost anyone can make a podcast. The bad news is that not all podcasts are created equally.
If your show is unfocused, boring, poorly edited, or suffers from bad audio, people aren’t going to tune in. So, make sure that you do a lot of planning before you begin.
Hone your podcast idea and create rough schedules for each show. If your show involves a scripted story, write it all out. If you’re interviewing people, make sure to think of good questions.
Invest in some good audio recording equipment. We also recommend that you hire a podcast editor. These individuals can save you a lot of time and make your podcast end up sounding great.
Once your first episode is done, you can upload it to popular podcast platforms. Make sure you also list it in directories so more people can discover it.
Lastly, you shouldn’t expect people to find the podcast on their own. Do a little work into marketing it. And make sure you ask your listeners to share the podcast after each episode.
Appreciate Learning About Podcasts? Keep Exploring
We hope this article helped you answer the question, Why are podcasts becoming more popular? As you can see, the wide-reaching appeal and established infrastructure mean that podcasts aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
So, if you feel like starting one, there’s no better time than the present. Want more topics about podcasts? If the answer is yes, then keep exploring tons of related subjects.
