Podcasting continues to grow in the number of topics, users, content creators, distribution channels, apps, and subscribers. The technology and user base push along the podcasting trends for 2022. For 2022, the following are some trends that make podcasting exciting.
More Competition in Podcast Apps
Podcasting has been growing continuously since its inception. Along with the growth of podcasting, there have also been several similar technologies. What’s more, these technologies have also been keeping pace with growth. These technologies are not in competition with one another. Instead, because of content repurposing, podcasters, bloggers, vloggers, and other content producers have helped maintain the healthy growth of this industry. With the increasing demand for podcast content, more podcast apps are also in use today. Leading the market are Apple and Spotify, and other podcast apps are competing in the market.
The podcast market is not saturated, and more apps mean more choices. A study showed that heavy users listen for more than six hours a week and use at least four apps.
More Ways to Monetize Podcasts
Podcasting has opened up new ways and methods to monetize their content beyond traditional advertising. Podcast platform Luminary, for example, has a Netflix-like subscription business model. Instead of offering a free platform, Luminary asks users to pay $4.99 per month to access the material. They also compensate podcast hosts directly for their work.
Additionally, podcast advertising revenue is increasing. The listeners don’t mind. They treat podcast ads in the same way that they treat radio ads. 62 percent of podcast listeners buy new items that they hear from podcast ads. This figue is significant, and many expect podcast ads to continue growing.
Podcast Ad Placement Has Become Easier
New tools keep coming out, and podcasters have these new features that make it easy to create content. At the same time, it has become easier for advertisers to create ads for podcasters. In addition, placing ads has also become much more straightforward.
Traditional podcast ad placement required advertisers to search for relevant podcasts, negotiate and then send the ads to the podcasters. In 2022, ad placement has become a marketplace where advertisers no longer need to talk directly with podcasters. They can now speak to the podcasting platform, like Spotify, send their ads, and let Spotify find placement for the ads. Interestingly, Spotify also provides tools for advertisers. With these tools, they can clip audio from existing podcasts on Spotify and convert them to ads. It is a one-stop shop where the advertiser has the content, the editing tools, and the placement all in one spot.
With effortless ad placement, advertisers can place more ads, and more podcasts can also have more ads. It is a win-win situation.
Live Podcasting
Live streaming has become commonplace, and if you have an event, you can broadcast it live on the platform. Live podcasting has also come of age. Podcasters can have guests and broadcast live. Listeners are happy with this new feature because they can now ask questions in real-time. The listeners don’t need to send a message and wait for an answer. They can be included in the podcast itself, immediately answering their question.
Live podcasting is not just spontaneous, with guest interviews from worldwide. It can also reach out and discuss relevant topics or current events. Users can listen in real-time and then listen again at any time after the broadcast.
Content Creation
Podcasting is relatively easy compared to YouTube videos, and podcasting is becoming easier. Explainer video production has become commonplace both on YouTube and in corporate settings and has the advantage of being visual. However, the simplicity of audio requires less investment in equipment. The software and the hardware are also getting cheaper. You can even have a podcast with software already included in the computer OS.
Emphasis on Discovery
Podcasts and vlogs are perfect for repurposing, aiming for easier user discovery. Content creators can convert vlog content to a podcast and blog posts, tweets, and FB shares. The current state of podcasts has made the medium even more discoverable.
Google, Facebook, and YouTube have made user discovery even easier. Podcasts can be shared or posted on Facebook, which allows for a broad reach of listeners. Posting on YouTube creates a link to Google search results. These search functions enable the podcasts to reach a wider audience.
Podcasts on Demand
It is the nature of podcasts to be on-demand. However, users don’t see it that way. Subscribers are informed of a new episode of their favorite podcasts. They log in and listen, and if they don’t have the time to listen, they can download the episode and listen offline.
Podcast on demand is a trend that meets the need of the subscribers. They can tune in at any time they want. With different distribution channels and apps, subscribers have the luxury of choosing when they want to listen. New subscribers have the same mindset. Podcasts can also be considered a library. You can listen to the latest episode or go to specific past episodes. This flexibility of listening on demand is common among almost all social media sites.
In short, podcasting has come a long way in the past few years and has become more popular. Additionally, users have greater flexibility in when and how they listen to their favorite shows because of their on-demand nature. Any way you look at it, podcasts are perfect for those who want to be entertained or informed while on the go.