Podcasting’s Golden Age is Now
It’s easy to think of a “golden age” with a sense of nostalgia, as something long since passed, a gloried time of yesteryear that we will never experience, unless that time is now. Look to the world of podcasting and you’ll see expression and creation happening at full tilt.
So what’s the reason for this Golden Age of Podcasting? The fact that you can start a podcast with almost no investment is one of the reasons. You only need a few mics, a laptop, and some software and you can be off and running. How successful you can become at it, well that’s where training, experience, and knowledge of your market come into play.
When they first started in the early 2000’s, podcasts were simply a group of friends who gathered on a semi-regular basis and discussed a given topic. Today, the medium has evolved to the point where people like Sarah Koenig, Roman Mars, and Chris Hardwick produce extremely high-end product that’s consumed by millions of people.
Perhaps the real reason podcasts have come into their glory has everything to do with commuting. In today’s world, drive times are getting longer and longer. People don’t want to listen to bite sized pieces of news or the same three songs on the radio while they’re driving to work. They want content that’s catered to their interests, pursuits, and worldview. Whether they’re listening to podcasts on comic books, gardening, or musicology people are actively seeking out this content.
Because podcasts are relatively affordable to produce they can specialize on appealing to specific niche markets. Fans can contribute directly to show their support for content they care about. Numerous podcasts have also turned to Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon and other crowdfunding platforms to raise funds to support their shows. In other words, conventional advertising isn’t the only way to monetize a podcast. If a podcaster producer can find their audience, it’s likely they’ve found their patrons too.
A decade after their invention, podcasts are at the forefront of culture, news, and entertainment. Thanks to the array of podcaster-generated content out there, people are embracing their various interests and are moving away from being passive consumers to active listeners who get involved and support the content they believe in. Where will it go from here? Only time will tell but this Golden Age is only getting brighter.
Learn about how you can get the skills and connections you need to launch your career in podcasting and radio broadcast at RadioConnection.com