How Podcasts Have Changed in Ten Years

Podcasting has a very unique set of challenges and while it is good to see that Podcasting has changed (as this article illustrates) There is an underlying problem of promotion, adoption and reach.

WE’VE ALL HEARD that a podcasting boom is underway. Since January 2013, the number of podcasts listed on iTunes US has doubled (see Activity below). Part of the allure for content producers is that podcasting is a wild frontier in the new media landscape, waiting to be shaped and settled. Some have questioned if podcasting is the new blogging, referring to a similar boom during the early and mid-2000's, but that remains to be seen.

I’ve noticed since starting a podcast of my own that research on the field is scant. Most of the research I’ve read has focused on listener behavior, which is fine for marketers, but other questions about the medium have gone unanswered. I decided to address a few.

With the Hardware Asylum Podcast I have taken the traditional approach, shared it on my website, shared it on Social Media, Google+ and even Twitter.  I even tried sharing it on Reddit but aside from a steady stream of growth (based on downloads from my website) it hasn't really "taken off".  I blame this on two things.

• First, Podcasting tends to be limited to a small group of people, usually with above intelligence and rather enjoy listening to things.
• Second, Unlike videos Podcasting doesn't have a dedicated network that is actively promoting the content.  Take YouTube for instance, this is a single network that gets paid by hosting and promoting user submitted content.  These submitters get a cut and everyone is happy,  iTunes has no structure so there is no incentive.

I doubt podcasting will get such a network given that "people" these days are rather mindless when it comes to surfing the web.  People want to be entertained and that means moving pictures and the silo’ed dominance of YouTube.

Related Web URL: https://medium.com/@slowerdawn/how-podcasts-have-c...