The Podcast Boom: 3 Reasons for the Rise of Audio Streaming

Hello, Creatives!

Today we’ll be diving into the podcast boom. How did podcasts explode into popularity and become a quarantine staple?

It all began with the dot com boom. As mentioned previously, in the early years of podcasts, they were called “audio blogs”. In 2000, several innovations came about to integrate audio blogs into PC software, MP3 players, and RSS feeds. This fueled interest among the early adopters of technology.

When did podcasts become mainstream?

It wouldn’t be until Apple made podcasts available on iTunes when podcasts became more visible and accessible than ever. Around this time, streaming services for music and podcasts were growing with the rise of iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify all happening within a few years of each other.

Here’s an infographic that highlights some of the major developments that made podcasting so popular.

As mentioned, Nielsen and Edison reported that there are now an estimated 1 million podcasts globally. That number is nearly double what it was in 2018.

So what’s driving the growth?

It’s all well and good to see the developments that have happened, but what has been the catalyst for such rapid growth between the developments? I’ve narrowed it down to three things:

Technology has become cheaper and thus, more accessible
Technology has become integrated
The skills necessary have become easier to obtain

Technology has become cheaper and thus, more accessible

Take a look at these podcasting starter kits. Many of them will run less than $1000. While this is no small chunk of change for someone who may be a hobbyist starting out, this is far less expensive than what it would have cost in the earlier years. The Audio Engineering Society provides an extensive timeline of the evolution of audio/video equipment and you can see the beginning of digital and “affordable” equipment occurring in the early to mid-90s.

For example, take a look at one of the first “affordable” digital mixers offered by Yamaha in 1995 at a “low price” of $1999 as an entry-level model. Adjusted for inflation, this is equal to a little more than $3400 in today’s dollars. Now, Yahama offers the AG06 mixer as an entry-level model and available for a price of around $200.

See what I mean? If you want to be a hobbyist you can set yourself up for less than $500. If you’re trying to go pro, the cost won’t necessarily break the bank either.

Technology has become integrated

We’re entering the digital-first era, which means everything is connected. Do you want to start a podcast? There is a plethora of website hosts to give your podcast a home. Streaming has become ubiquitous, embedded in websites, blogs and social media accounts. Setting this all up may take a bit of time but once it’s set up, scheduling and publishing are easy to do.

ConvertKit has a good post about the platforms available to host your podcast and the perks they offer as well as a guide to integrating your sites for publishing your podcasts to iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts, among others.

The skills necessary to start a podcast have become easier to obtain

The internet has become the place where everyone can learn new skills. Believe me, if it wasn’t for Youtube, I wouldn’t have passed a few college classes. Beyond Youtube, a large crop of companies have put together certifications and a plethora of industry professionals have launched online courses to bridge the gap between academia and the workplace as well as to provide up-skilling opportunities for those looking to break into new career paths.

Whether you’re looking at an online course or email newsletter or ebook, there is something out there for you to learn the steps and skills of starting a podcast. Prices range from free resources that offer general guidelines to several hundred dollar courses that run a few weeks long. Finding what works best for you depends on the level of support and determination you need/have for getting started.

The Podcast Host has a wide variety of resources and services available for anyone interested in starting a podcast. Another good sources is Podcast Insights. I’ve personally signed up for their email newsletters and have found them incredibly valuable so far.

I should note, I’m not a part of an affiliate program or anything. I don’t get paid for the links I may provide in my blog posts. Maybe later, if/when the blog grows and I have had a personal experience with the brand(s) I blog about, but not right now.

I hope this post helps explain the why behind the podcast boom, which will only grow in the coming years.

Until Next Time,

Rochele