-
So Much Content, So Little Time
December 8, 2016
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Do we have too many podcasts, and too many good-to-great podcasts? I don't think so, considering that three-quarters of Americans still don't partake, but it's also a fair question to ask if the sheer number of podcasts is intimidating some people from listening. If you're new to it and you go to iTunes or Stitcher and there's what seems to be a wall of shows with bright icons and, other than the popularity charts, there's no intuitive way to know which you might like, is that enough for a newcomer to bail on the idea entirely?
-
Have we reached Peak Podcast?
It's a fair question. Do we have too many podcasts, and too many good-to-great podcasts? I don't think so, considering that three-quarters of Americans still don't partake, but it's also a fair question to ask if the sheer number of podcasts is intimidating some people from listening. If you're new to it and you go to iTunes or Stitcher and there's what seems to be a wall of shows with bright icons and, other than the popularity charts, there's no intuitive way to know which you might like, is that enough for a newcomer to bail on the idea entirely?
Forget about newcomers. How about even the regulars? Does anyone have time to listen to everything? It's the same issue with which the TV industry is grappling when dealing with the glut of must-see shows on streaming, cable, and broadcast. Who has time to do all of that? Are you like me, having to be selective, and listening to a lot of it at 1.5x or 2x speed just to squeeze in another episode? (Pray for me: I also have to listen to broadcast and satellite radio for my job. And have a life. Not easy to pull off.)
I know Mark Ramsey's recent post on podcasting said that the thing the industry needs is another hit, like another "Serial." That's true to some extent, but generating another "Serial" requires another perfect storm: Not only does the content have to be ultra-compelling, but it needs a way to get into people's ears. "Serial" had "This American Life" to propel it. You can have an amazing show but if you don't have the springboard of an existing hit to propel you, you're back in that wall of icons.
So the answer's not obvious. Yeah, we could use a massive new hit -- there have been some strong additions, but we're waiting on a podcast that captures people in a way that "Serial" did, or... well, maybe it'll take someone bringing his or her audience from another medium, like Carolla did. But in the meantime, there's just so much content, it's hard to break out. Anybody up for a better curation idea?
Got a question about podcasting? Go ahead, send it to psimon@allaccess.com or tweet it at @pmsimon. That's what I'm here for.
-
-