The Future of Podcasting from the Perspective of a College Intern
By: Sawyer Benge, TCIB Producer Intern
Being born in 1998 has had me growing up and “coming to age” right in the heart of the podcasting boom. As I have grown up, the podcasting industry has also steadily grown. The market started with the phenomenon of being able to listen to what seemed like a radio show you can download and listen to whenever and has grown into an established form of entertainment with a never-ending selection of topics and genres to listen to as long as you have access to the internet.
The introduction of the smartphone and the ability to access basically any form of media from your phone and internet has been one of the most crucial aspects in the success of the podcast industry. It has given fans of podcasts the ability to listen during any activity they might be doing. For example, people are now listening to podcasts on their daily commutes, while working, cooking, and relaxing. The almost limitless access to podcasts and the ever-changing distribution method is going to give the podcasting industry the longevity to remain a popular entertainment medium.
In the future, podcasts are only going to grow bigger. From the Joe Rogan Experience signing a $100 million contract to move the show over to music streaming service Spotify, or The Pat McAfee Show that started as a small sports podcast but now broadcasts on Sirius XM Radio and live on YouTube for each episode, podcasts are becoming more regular in our day-to-day media consumption. This means that creators of podcasts need to get more innovative on how to get as much high-quality content out to their listeners as possible.
Another aspect of the podcasting industry that I see becoming more predominant in the future is the formation of podcasting studios. Now I know what you are thinking, podcasts are already filmed in studios (or at least they were before the pandemic), but what I am referring to is a music production studio that houses multiple different musical recording acts distributing their music under the same label. In podcasting, the most current example of this is Your Moms House Studio Podcasts, ran by comedians/husband & wife duo Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitzky. Within YMH Studio Podcasts they have their own show, but YMH Studios also produces and releases four other podcasts under its name, all with different hosts and topics of discussion. Barstool Sports is another example of this idea of podcasting studios. Not only does Barstool have its own primary podcast it produces, it also has multiple different shows that branch out to all major sports and different topics. I see the future of podcasting heading in this direction, where the extremely successful podcasts will begin to make their own subset of shows within their studios.
The future of podcasting is very bright and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. It is an industry where you can start from nothing and turn it into something people turn to for guidance, knowledge, comfort, or just something to laugh along with as you are going through your day. That’s why I think podcasting is so amazing and has a limitless future; it has something for everybody, and all you have to do is look for it and listen.