My podcast predictions for 2021

From a non-expert who values her opinions a bit too much.

Dec 27, 2020

Dear Reader,

I hope you’re having a relaxing and hope-inspiring holiday season after the year we’ve had. I know things aren’t going to magically reset themselves back to pre-Corona times (which is why I think it might be a bit premature for me to buy a 2020 Dumpster Fire sticker), but this year has been as remarkable as it has been shitty. This is the part where I would talk about resilience, creativity and community, but I think you know what I’m talking about. Because you’ve experienced it too. In 2020, I’ve been inspired by so many things, including my friends who forced me to make TikTok videos just so I had something to do for the day; loved ones who instilled a great appreciation for ice bathing in me; friends who didn’t let a global pandemic stop them from making fun of me; stories of global pen pal clubs, Animal Crossing weddings and really fantastic Twitter threads that sent me spinning down the sub-Tweet rabbit hole.

And, more on topic, the year has been a good one for podcasting. Every first quarter, for the past four or so years, various publications have put out articles with titles like “20__ is the year of the podcast/Podcast Renaissance” (I’m guilty of exactly this), but maybe 2020 is/was actually the year of the podcast?

On a personal note, audio helped me through some of my most difficult times this year. At the beginning of pandemic, I would feel pangs of anxiety that threatened to overwhelm me, and I would put on my headphones, press play and go for a walk in the harbour area of Aarhus, where I was living then. If newsy podcasts — especially ’rona-related ones — felt like too much, I would listen to Stephen Fry’s reading of Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, and after finishing each chapter, I would listen to the corresponding episode of the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast (whose hosts, by the way, have addressed JK Rowling’s anti-trans comments very sensitively).

But, to be honest with you, it’s also felt like a bit much at times. Podcasts are everywhere. The ‘discover’ section of my podcast app feels overwhelming. Some of these shows are fantastic. Others seem like attempts to make podcasts for the sake of doing so, because everyone else is doing it.

So, what do you think 2021 has in store for the world of podcasting? If you’ve made it this far, I’d love to hear from you. Here are some of my predictions (some of them are more wishful than they are prophetic) for 2021:

An annoyingly high(er) number of people will say “Oh, I heard about that in a podcast. Let me tell you all about it…” I am guilty of explaining what I hear in other people’s podcasts to folks around me, like I’m the one who single-handedly amassed great amounts of knowledge on a particular subject. Since more of us are listening to podcasts, more of us will almost certainly definitely do this — especially as we reacclimitise ourselves to the art of making in-person conversation. RIP our ears.
News organisations will have to reckon with the dual pressures of fact-checking and being, well, news outlets. A lot has happened since I last wrote about the controversy about The New York Times’ podcast Caliphate. NYT has retracted portions of the story pertaining to the protagonist, Shehroze Chaudhry. They got other journalists to re-report the story, arriving at the conclusion that the chances of him having gone to Syria to join ISIS are very low. New controversy has emerged around a new episode added to Caliphate, explaining what happened. It’s hosted by Michael Barbaro, who didn’t disclose his conflict of interest. Dean Baquet, Editor-in-Chief at The Times, said that one of the reasons why the story might have slipped through the cracks is because audio journalism wasn’t being held to the same standards as other editorial departments. Ashley Carman has a great read for The Verge about how podcasting’s ‘gold rush’ can be dangerous, especially when it comes to fact-checking. In 2021, I believe that news outlets will (have to) find ways to be more careful about this, and step up their efforts to incorporate more verification methods that are consistent with news production.
There will be podcast fatigue — especially when social activities increase after vaccination rates go up and infection rates (hopefully) decline. We’re going to want more in-person conversation, and maybe we won’t feel like sifting through the many many new releases that are available. On the flip side, as the podcasting market becomes more saturated, maybe the inertia to produce podcasts will decline, thanks to creators’ awareness that they’re competing with many more shows for attention from the same number of people as before.
Advertisements will become more annoying — okay I know this sounds mean and like a freeloader’s woe. But I believe that ad placement in podcasts is an art that few have mastered. And rule number one is: keep it short. This year, I’ve listened to so many shows where the advertisement preamble is at least 90 seconds. I have actually reduced the number of podcasts I listen to from Pushkin Industries because I’m tired of Malcolm Gladwell telling me how plush the seats of a Lexus are, or how he found amazing colleagues from Zip Recruiter.
You might be thinking, “this is the price to pay for good audio content. If not, cough up the money for a subscription style service.” I hear you. Fair point. But, I sincerely believe that shorter is better, and could actually work in the company’s favour. For instance, if I ever am in the market for a good online counsellor, I will probably consider BetterHelp. I don’t know how good their counsellors are, but they are really into their audio ads. As one of the largest podcast advertisers of 2020, their name is etched in my brain. Not just my brain, apparently:

Independent podcasts will see an uptick in listenership and loyalty. While Spotify continues its acquisition spree and as we are treated to insights about things like love, kindness, empathy and perseverance from celebrities like the Obamas and Harry and Meghan, we’re going to wonder why everything sounds so bland and similar, and we’re going to opt for the sharp, incisive commentary of niche producers who don’t come with humongous production budgets. This year, I have gravitated towards shows like You’re Wrong About, The Tip Off, The Adventures of Memento Mori and The View from Somewhere. What I like about these shows — apart from the fantastic content — is they don’t rely on existing fame to be get noticed. We didn’t start listening to them because it was by ‘so and so’ as much as we did for their story, content and delivery.

That’s my list for 2021. What about yours? I’d love to hear from you!

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