Why most podcasters will benefit from the platform wars

Spotify doesn’t have that sort of grip on the podcast industry, and it faces competition from some of the largest tech giants in the world.

This gives the companies more control over hosting and distribution of podcasts, which will allow for better targeting and dynamic insertion for ads. Under this new paradigm, advertisers can achieve the same level of targeting and scale available on the Facebooks and YouTubes of the world.

More advertisers and better ad delivery: Most of the major tech platforms aren’t satisfied with just capturing podcast market share. They’ve also invested heavily in podcast hosting and ad tech, acquiring companies like Anchor, Megaphone, SimpleCast, and AdsWizz.

Don’t get me wrong. I am fearful of a Facebook-like algorithm that chokes my podcast off from those who subscribed to it. Just as I sometimes get nostalgic about the old school blogosphere from a decade ago, I’ll no doubt look back at the open podcast ecosystem and miss parts of it. And I’m not super excited about a future where I have to toggle be... See more

Review the short history of podcasting and you’ll find a few seminal moments. There’s the format’s invention, of course, quickly followed by its official inclusion in the Apple iTunes directory. Then there’s Apple’s 2012 rollout of a standalone podcast app that was featured on the home screen of over a billion iPhones and iPads. Finally, we have th... See more

I think comparisons to YouTube are apt, but they’re missing one key differentiating factor. YouTube had a 10-year head start as the dominant player in user-generated video. It wasn’t until the mid-2010s that platforms like Facebook Watch, Twitter video, IGTV, and TikTok entered the picture.

Podcast listening audience will explode: Talk to anyone who’s been producing podcasts for at least a decade, and they’ll tell you they directly felt the impact of Serial’s success in 2014. Not only was Serial one of the most popular podcasts in history, but it brought millions of new listeners into the fold, many of whom stuck around and started su... See more

But I also think that the maturation of podcasting, on the whole, is a good thing. The decentralized nature and lack of scale over the last 15 years limited the format’s growth, and increased monetization will trigger a cambrian explosion of new talent.