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