Top 2021 Podcast Trends
In 2020, podcasting was impacted by our stay-at-home / work-from-home lifestyle. Looking forward, what’s in store for podcasting in 2021 as our lives shift back to normal? How will this creative, on-demand, and very popular medium continue to evolve? Here are the top 5 trends I see shaping podcasting in 2021.
Fierce competition - Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Spotify will continue to invest in and prioritize podcasts. Amazon and SiriusXM made strong moves in 2020 but as always, watch out for Apple. It will be interesting to see how these platforms vie to be #1 in podcast streaming.
Advertising shifts - Companies will look more to hosts to use their trust and likeability to read ads (as opposed to using commercial-type ads created by the company). We might also see the ads model shift to fewer advertisements throughout podcasts, especially those selling products, to fewer ads that offer more helpful and in-depth content to listeners like, e-books, courses, membership groups, etc. The ad mid-roll spot will continue to be the most successful.
Meaningful content - COVID and the last election have depleted our interest in news-focused podcasts and we’ll be looking for podcasts that offer not only escapism but also meaningful content that’s more about our interests and personal growth. I think we’re going to see new shows on a variety of topics.
Creativity flourishes - I can see podcasters experimenting with all aspects of podcasts, from length, to format, to the use of video, etc. Unlike, tv or movies, podcasts aren’t as tied to industry standards and formulas. There are more opportunities for podcasters to get creative with how shows are produced and I think we’ll see hybrid type shows and new iterations of what a podcast is this year.
Diverse voices - With the events of 2020 putting important social issues at the forefront of our minds, there is a desire for new voices and new perspectives. There are already quite a few podcasts focused on sharing marginalized voices. I hope to hear from more women of color and would love to see more bilingual podcasts that can reach more audiences.
I can’t wait to look back a year from now to see how accurate (or not) my predictions were. Do you agree with my predictions? What trends are you seeing? Which trends are you most excited about?