The podcast industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, specifically since COVID-19. People found ways of keeping busy, and what isn’t there to discuss? Podcasts vary from relationships or casual conversations to politics and celebrity interviews. There is definitely a podcast for everyone, but is there an oversaturation of podcasts?
This market has undoubtedly expanded rapidly, with over 3 million active podcasts now available across various platforms. When compared to other forms of media, the podcast market still appears to have room for growth. There are far fewer podcasts than active social media accounts on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Screen time rates are getting higher and higher, matching the growth of technology. Listening to a podcast, rather than spending extensive time on TikTok or Instagram, is a good way to pass time. This perspective suggests that there can never be too many podcasts as everyone has different experiences and wants to connect to something on the internet. Providing organic content through podcasts is much healthier than mass-produced social media content.
One of the many sources of the potential podcast overload is social media influencers. Podcasts are often seen as a way to monetise their content and develop a bigger community. Following drastic life changes or leaning into their original talkative content, many social media stars seem to have had the idea of launching a podcast. From Cancelled by Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield to NewlyWeds by Sophie Habboo and Jamie Laing, their pre-existing fanbase allows them to attract listeners easily, somewhat decreasing the exposure of lower-scale lifestyle podcasts. This phenomenon also creates an issue with the varying quality of podcasts. Indeed, due to the lack of a clear topic, many influencerled podcasts are simply conversations. This can be pertinent, but it has also created a wave of new podcasts that have no particular interest in mind, increasing the oversaturated market.
A specific sector of podcasts I find to not be saturated, is political podcasts. Everyone’s political views vary, so having many different podcasts in the political field is an advantage. It is also a valuable opportunity for people to educate themselves on current affairs and to be better voters and citizens, whatever their chosen podcasts are. Considered to be the number one podcast in the world is Joe Rogan’s The Joe Rogan Experience. On October 25th, he received Donald J Trump on his podcast to discuss his campaign and some recent controversies. On the 8th of October, Kamala Harris appeared on Alex Cooper’s podcast Call Her Daddy, where they talked about reproductive rights and her policies. These two examples demonstrate the importance of having a variety of podcasts to showcase different parties and political figures and their ideas. These podcasts reach audiences in age of voting that perhaps are not wellinformed in the political sphere.
The podcast market has undoubtedly become more crowded. While challenges exist, particularly for newcomers in the industry, there are still many opportunities for high-quality, focused content podcasts to find an audience. By demonstrating creativity and uniquely valuable content that stands out, a podcast can only be successful.