As many of us are aware, Discoverability is a huge issue in the podcast space. It isn’t a lack of willingness from audiences - recent research by the Guardian (2020) suggests that 27% of non-podcast listeners in the UK re open to picking up a pod or two in the next 6 months. It feels like if we just get our products in front of people, they will be sucked in to the vast amounts of engaging content available to them.
So I thought it would be interesting to pose that question to experts in this space - to hear their thoughts on what we need to be doing in the industry to get more people listening to podcasts moving forward. I’m speaking to a range of content creators - people who are making podcasts for a number of different ears - so bringing their thoughts together in one place should offer a rich perspective on this important topic.
As with all questions on this site, these views are those of the individual, and do not necessarily represent the companies at which they work. This page updates on a regular basis - check back in or follow us on social for new comments.
The Editor
Melissa Mbugua
Brad Hill
Gerard Edwards
Eric O’Keeffe
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Melissa Mbugua
Co-Founder, Africa Podfest & Host of Pros & Possibilities
“There is a need to commit more funding towards creating great podcasts across a diverse range of themes, in diverse languages, and in styles that audiences want to listen to”
In Africa, where radio is the most popular medium, podcasting has immense potential and is already taking root among younger people, who are the majority of the population.
There is a need to commit more funding towards creating great podcasts across a diverse range of themes, in diverse languages, and in styles that audiences want to listen to. These podcasts will come from investing in new talent, especially in regions like Africa where media has been underdeveloped and mobile internet has a strong presence.
There are many emerging voices in this part of the world who are interesting for the podcasting space and they have communities around their work that have been typically underrepresented in the media. With these new voices getting louder and more visible will come new opportunities for audiences to connect – this will change the media industry in a significant way. Audio is changing the shape of media.
Beyond this, there is a need to make podcasts easier to discover and more community-centred, for example being able to have live conversations and long-term discussion threads around podcast episodes. We have started to see this with new apps like Clubhouse and features like Twitter Spaces.
Now that Facebook is introducing audio functions and Apple is rolling out an updated version of the Podcasts app, there are interesting times ahead for podcasters and audiences alike.
Podcasters and audio crafters need to be involved in creating and experimenting quickly around these new technologies as they emerge, because this is what will nudge technology makers forward and avoid the lag that podcast tech has been in until now.
Enthusiastic tinkering is also what will create new models for financial sustainability in the podcasting world, which is still a very big question in the industry. Podcasting is still an industry in which most of the creators of the value are not financially rewarded or compensated for their input. This is unsustainable.
Brad Hill
Editor of RAIN News
“You can’t grow a media category that has friction between the consumer and the product… Google and Spotify are two powerful solvents removing the friction from the podcast/ listener relationship”
Growing listenership as a whole is a tidal issue that can lift all boats. I don’t have advice, but I do have two predictions: Spotify and Google.
Media success usually comes from distribution power, but right now general podcast distribution is fragmented.
Spotify is a power distributor, with 69% more users than Netflix. It’s not about Spotify acquisitions – those are for getting exclusive content and unique technology. Spotify’s real horsepower is pushing shows into the online listening routines of 345-million people around the world (Imagine when that number is a billion!) In a recent earnings report, CEO Daniel Ek confirmed that “podcast usage has been a factor in the accelerated net additions [of users].”
As well as Spotify, Google’s main search engine – which now includes a Play button in a podcast search result – is important and underestimated. Talk about power distribution! It doesn’t require any kind of app. As such, it short-circuits one big obstacle to podcast discovery, which is that people don’t know how to listen. Touch that Play button in Google Search, and a person moves from the “Never Listened” group to the “Have Listened” group in consumer surveys.
Any kind of media adoption is largely about ease of use. You can’t grow a media category that has friction between the consumer and the product. Google and Spotify are two powerful solvents removing the friction from the podcast/ listener relationship while consolidating the fragmented ecosystem.
Gerard Edwards
Founder of UK-based Podcast Radio
“A huge reason for consistent listener growth, despite all of the modern screens and flashing lights around us, is that people are falling in love with people again! Personality wins in podcasting.”
I believe there is something amazing happening in the listenership of podcasts.
On the whole, it is growing organically. To break that down, there are two listener types:
1) Those who converted early as podcast listeners. They found unexpectedly fun and engaging content (even in true crime and grizzly murders). This podcast content wasn’t necessarily ‘presented’ like radio or TV before it, but welcoming and warm.
2) Then there are new adoptees: people who are coming in to see what the fuss is about. Importantly, they are doing so with intrigue. They are already curious - and you can’t buy that curiosity.
A huge reason for consistent listener growth, despite all of the modern screens and flashing lights around us, is that people are falling in love with people again! Personality wins in podcasting.
However, the more podcasts that continue to flood the space, the harder it is for individual podcasts to be found. This is because ease of entry is great for unlimited content, not great for being noticed. Meanwhile, the podcasting industry as a whole is gaining more and more listeners by simply carrying on as it is
Eric O’Keeffe
Host/Creator of children’s podcast What If World
“Word of mouth is the purest way to build awareness and interest, but it can be slow”
Word of mouth is the purest way to build awareness and interest, but it can be slow.
Most people still aren’t aware that podcasts for kids exist, or that they’re any good.
In an ideal world, organizations and shows with a little money to spare would advertise to likely parents on adult podcasts, audio streaming services, or social media. I know it feels slimy, but there’s a near-infinite resource out there designed to help all of us parents stuck at home with our kids.
Kids can be voracious listeners, so once parents have discovered their gateway kid-cast, they’re more likely to try out a few others.
The term "Edutainment" bothers me, because the best educators always make learning fun, but it is an important part of every podcast for kids. If a podcast is entertaining, kids will listen again, and if it has educational value, they'll enjoy learning as they replay their favorite episodes. Plus, adults can feel good about using podcasts for enrichment, rather than pure distraction.
check back in soon… this conversation will be regularly updated throughout the season.
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