The Podcast Hype is real

17 December 2018

Why podcasts are becoming increasingly popular

Wedemark, November – Podcasts are currently experiencing a second renaissance. Having become firmly established in the USA, this auditory series format has now also arrived in Europe and many other countries across the globe. The number of podcasts and their consumers is constantly growing. And in the meantime, there is even an International Podcast Day on 30 September, when the format is duly celebrated by its fans. But what is behind the hype? We try to find some answers.

According to a representative study on listeners and use behaviour carried out by AS&S Radio in cooperation with Facit Research in Germany, around 15 percent of 14-year-olds in Germany listen to a podcast at least once a week. That is equal to a minimum of ten million listeners a week. Added to this number are around 39 million people who have at least heard about podcasts[1]. Whether it is lifestyle, sport, politics, music or technology – all of these topics find their corresponding target group in the format.

There is a huge variety of topics dealt with in podcasts, the most popular content being news (43%) and entertainment (41%). These data are used with the kind permission of Splendid Research GmbH.

Popular among consumers and producers alike
The hype surrounding podcasts is nourished by a kind of interaction: More and more podcasts cover an increasingly broad spectrum of topics, thus resulting in an ever wider audience as just about everyone can find their topic of interest on offer somewhere. And this huge audience itself motivates people to generate new podcasts, leading to a further increase in supply and demand. What is more, they are very attractive for the recipients: podcasts are free of charge, are very easy to access via streaming services such as Spotify, Deezer or iTunes, and can be listened to flexibly on mobile devices. 73% of users listen to their podcasts on a smartphone, followed by a laptop (61%), PC (53%) and tablet (42%)[1]. Older episodes can also be streamed on demand – a concept that has become established at series portals such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and which differs significantly from classical broadcasting.

But it is not only from the consumers’ perspective that podcasts are growing in popularity. Producers too are finding these auditory series formats increasingly appealing. And the reason is obvious: Podcasts are relatively easy to produce. You simply need some software and a microphone to get started, and in some cases a smartphone is all you need to take the first steps. The focus of the topics also differs from that of visual content. In auditory podcasts, there is much greater emphasis on the content itself.

Making your own podcast with Sennheiser
Feel like producing your own podcast? Together with mixing engineer and podcaster Marc Mozart, Sennheiser has developed a YouTube series for podcast beginners – from concept development and tips for making the best recording and finding the right equipment to marketing your own podcasts.

You can find the series and all other information here: www.sennheiser.com/how-to-podcast

[1]Source: ASS Radio/Facit Research: SPOT ON PODCAST – Hörer & Nutzung in Deutschland 2017/18. URL: https://sendegate.de/uploads/default/original/2X/f/fb250c671d6bc79756b122fe5cfdd256ead86652.pdf.

[2]Source: ASS Radio/Facit Research: SPOT ON PODCAST – Hörer & Nutzung in Deutschland 2017/18. URL: https://sendegate.de/uploads/default/original/2X/f/fb250c671d6bc79756b122fe5cfdd256ead86652.pdf.