{"id":74858,"date":"2022-03-23T01:38:30","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T01:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/podcastservices.com.au\/?p=74858"},"modified":"2022-10-24T01:03:57","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T01:03:57","slug":"how-has-the-pandemic-impacted-podcast-growth-in-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/podcastservices.com.au\/how-has-the-pandemic-impacted-podcast-growth-in-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"How has the pandemic impacted podcast growth in 2022?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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COVID-19<\/strong> changed the world and the impact of the ensuing pandemic has been tremendous. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Very few aspects of our day-to-day life were left untouched by the disruption that followed, and among the ever-changing rules, restrictions and lockdowns, people\u2019s work-life balance and the way they spend their free time had been affected the most.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 This, in turn, also meant an increase in overall media consumption according to previous MIDIA research data, as people now had an average of 12% extra entertainment time in their day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s focus on the category that grew the most out of this trend \u2013 a deep dive into the world of podcasts!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll explore two crucial questions<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. What <\/strong>are the key podcast<\/em> growth factors<\/em>? <\/strong><\/li>
  2. How<\/strong> are emerging behaviors<\/em> in podcast listeners (re)shaping<\/em> the future of audio content consumption?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Data and Trends<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There\u2019s no doubt that audio<\/em><\/strong> is<\/strong> BOOMING!<\/strong> Podcasting is on quite the uptrend, with Insider Intelligence data projecting almost half a billion listeners worldwide by 2022, which would account for 20.3% of all internet users \u2013 a tremendous number, which would correlate to podcasting becoming a $95 billion industry by 2028. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The data indicates there\u2019s a distinct trend line forming in growth where the pandemic served almost as a kind of a catalyst<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 a jet engine propelling the podcast industry\u2019s take-off fueled by the extra amount of free time listeners now had at their disposal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Podcasts were a great fit in maintaining a sense of normalcy<\/strong> during turbulent times, and especially during lockdowns when we were away from each other, but the <\/em>need for conversations<\/em><\/strong> remained the same, if not higher!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is mirrored in the huge growth of Spotify<\/strong> and Apple Podcasts<\/strong> as the leading platforms that host almost 4.5 million shows combined. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Behavior and the Audience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    How<\/strong> has this tremendous growth then reflected on listener behavior and what does that mean for the future direction of podcast audio creation and consumption? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The answer<\/strong> could be simple or complex, but let\u2019s answer it with another question \u2013 \u201cWho doesn\u2019t like a good story?<\/strong>\u201d Exactly! That\u2019s what podcasts are - a way for people to hear good stories and engage in them, \u2018cause there\u2019s just something simply profoundly human in storytelling that connects us all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That curiosity and motivation<\/strong> to explore all the nooks and crannies of a topic that so fervently interests the listener creates an unquenchable appetite for content that simply cannot be fulfilled by any other medium out there, other than podcasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Neither radio nor television can come close, and the reason is that their target audience reach is just far too general which means a lack in engagement<\/em><\/strong> from the very start.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Engagement<\/strong> is what drives growth and keeps the listener coming back for more. With podcasts, whatever interest or topic comes to one\u2019s mind, during any time of the day, there\u2019s most certainly a podcast made about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In today\u2019s connected world, it\u2019s all there<\/strong>, sought-after content of our heart\u2019s desires freely accessible at a click of a button or a swipe of a screen on our mobile devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another possible reason why podcast shows<\/strong> tend to drive a higher level of engagement<\/strong> stems from the fact that natural speech<\/em>, according to a study from UC Berkeley in 2016<\/strong>, has a profound impact on stimulating the neural pathways of the listener and releasing dopamine and serotonin \u2013 hormones that light up the reward centres in our brain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So<\/strong>, can listening to a podcast make you feel good?<\/strong> - Most certainly!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To sum it up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    At a time when the worldwide pandemic brought the world to a halt, with isolation and lockdowns turning lives upside-down, it\u2019s no wonder the industry of the spoken audio word is on the rise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Podcasts have evolved to become hubs for global conversations<\/strong> on the most various kinds of issues with voices spanning to all corners of the world and across all social strata, and it\u2019s through those conversations and the voices of others that we can keep up that feeling of connectedness and belonging regardless of borders or boundaries, lockdowns or restrictions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n