Nickelodeon and Disney Stars Find a Second Act on Podcasts

Creators from Audio Collective say they view themselves as part of a larger shift toward independent work, following in the footsteps of Instagram influencers, YouTubers, TikTok stars and Twitch streamers.

The first generation of these companies is already on the scene. Products like Patreon, Cameo and Substack have gained traction over the past several years by zeroing in on the monetization component of the problem, offering creators pathways to generating revenue directly from their audiences rather than relying solely on platform-controlled adver... See more

Just as an entire industry of secondary workers has formed around YouTubers, TikTok stars, and streamers, we’ll also see more supporting jobs crop up to support this new class of journalist/creators. Perhaps the new entry-level media job will be editing a big-name writer’s Substack, or helping an independent journalist with their Patreon podcast la... See more

• 8.4 million US unique monthly audience for their podcasts (May, 2020)

It makes sense that norms are shifting in this direction as Gen Z’s influence spreads. Raised on social media, with access to once illicit bad-taste touchstones like Rocky Horror just a click away, they’ve largely replaced IRL subcultures with a constellation of aesthetics—cottagecore, dark academia, Y2K—to be performed, then discarded or demoted t... See more

Like the rest of the United States (well, almost), the American podcast business experienced a sudden disruption over the past week as an increasing proportion of the American populace was made to sharply limit their time outdoors as part of the effort to slow the coronavirus pandemic.