The Podcast Renaissance
Podcasts have been around for almost a decade now. As the chart below shows, interest in podcasts reached a peak around January 2006, which has since stabilized (or declined, depending on how you want to look at it).
I believe we’re now witnessing a Podcast Renaissance, driven by various factors but primarily smartphones.
Update: Turns out I’m not the only one thinking about this! The timing is uncanny but FastCompany recently wrote an excellent on the subject and KQED Forum did an entire show on the rise of podcasts just last week
Convenience
Listening to a podcast used to be cumbersome. You had to find the right RSS feed, download the MP3, sync it to your music player. Now, almost everyone has a smartphone and online digital marketplaces (like iTunes) solve the problem of discovery and distribution. Listening to a podcast now is as simple as clicking Subscribe and new episodes just show up magically as they become available!
Content
NPR is the undisputed king in the world of podcasts. While well established radio shows like This American Life had the first mover advantage and became hugely successful podcasts, we’re now seeing several new (and compelling) podcasts that have no radio presence. Pop Culture Happy Hour, Ask Me Another, Serial and Hear Startup are just a few that come to mind.
Pop Culture
Podcasts are getting savvy. The topics are compelling. The content, well curated. The format is creative (more so because of the constraints of the medium). Podcasts are raising money on kickstarter and touring the country doing live shows like the rock stars of radio. And perhaps most importantly, the advertising is almost enjoyable. The FastCompany article puts it best:
Unlike advertising on almost any other medium, people like the interruption, mid-program, to learn about Squarespace and Stamps.com. Often, hosts read the ads in the tone and style of the show.
Join the revolution!
Here are some of the podcasts I currently listen to: Startup, Serial, The Gist, Snap Judgement, The Truth, TED Radio Hour, Ask Me Another,
Pop Culture Happy Hour, KQED Forum, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, Planet Money, Star Talk, Freakonomics, Radiolab, This American Life (phew!). I use Pocket Casts for Android and highly recommend it.
Do you listen to podcasts? If so, which ones? If not, highly recommend giving it a shot! Let me know what you think below.
