Candidate Authentication

I confirm that the attached assessment is all my own work and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself and sources have been appropriately referenced.

Finlay Mander

What I want to find out from my research:

Are some genres of podcast more successful than others, what are the most popular?

“In the third quarter of 2019, it was found that the most popular podcast genre was comedy, with 36 percent of respondents to a survey having listened to a podcast in this genre in the last week. News podcasts, as well as those focusing on society and culture, had been listened to in the last week by 23 and 22 percent of podcast consumers respectively” (Published by Amy Watson, Jun 4, 2020 statista.com).

Most Popular Genres (TOP 3)

Higher resolution image: https://imgur.com/dATgPlA

Taking the information from this graph its clear that the top 3 genres as of October 2020 are Comedy, true crime and news.

The biggest names in podcasting

sourced from podcastinsights.com

Podcast Name: Dr. Death season Dr. fata
Network/Artist: Wondery
Genre: True Crime

Podcast Name: The Joe Rogan Experience
Network/Artist: Joe Rogan
Genre: Talk

Podcast Name: The Dan Bongino Show
Network/Artist: Westwood One Podcast Network / Dan Bongin
Genre: News & Politics

Podcasting Industry Statistics

Back in 2006, only 22 percent of the adult population in the United States was aware of podcasting. By 2020, this figure had risen to 75 percent. Podcasting is an increasingly popular pastime in the U.S. and  there were an estimated 88 million podcast listeners in the country in 2019. (Published by Amy Watson,Jun 8, 2020 statista.com).

How Do Podcasts Make Money?

Higher resolution image available here: https://imgur.com/a/tjdleHi

Getting started with a podcast & first year start up cost

A quality podcast, requires quality gear. Of course its entirely possible to have a podcast with a minimum set up, for example you can record and edit a podcast using just your phone. When it comes to editing your podcast recordings there is plenty of free softwares available, for instance audacity for audio editing.

People start making podcasting for a number of reasons, however when taking the mind map above into consideration, its entirely possible that people can see a podcast as an investment due to potential to turn it into a side income or full on career.

Information taken from Buffer eLibrary, KevanLee: Lee, K., 2020. Podcasting For Beginners: The Complete Guide To Getting Started. [online] Buffer Library. Available at: <https://buffer.com/library/podcasting-for-beginners/> [Accessed 4 December 2020].

Why do people choose to listen to podcasts?

Using my existing knowledge and notes.People implement podcasts into their daily routine not only for entertainment, they allow for multitasking, provide background noise and can prepare you fro the stage in life or career, teach you about specific fields of study or career paths, inform you on world news/politics, teach you how to cook etc etc. The list will only grow the larger the number of podcasts rise.

What caused the rise in podcasts?

Using my existing knowledge and notes. The cause for the rise in popularity is due a few reasons. Platforms such as, Apple music, Spotify, Sound cloud, YouTube and Twitch.tv (live podcasts usually occur here) Made podcasts readily available (for free) and mainstream, whilst also providing new audiences to already established podcasts through deals and promotions. Because there is so much choice in the genres of podcast today it was inevitable that they would eventually blow up in popularity.

Because of the low entry cost in its starting ear and the opportunity for sponsorship, its no surprise why since 2019 nearly 200,000 podcasts have started up – with various success levels however.

What is the point of a Podcast?

Podcasts can either be very advanced and sophisticated, whilst another podcasts can be a group of friends with a simple set up, it doesn’t really matter as each will appeal to its own demographic. Every time a guest is featured on a podcast for a special episode they hope that it will give their podcast a bigger following and more notoriety, further expanding their brand. Ad revenue/sponsorships and product placement is how podcast host(s) make a living so by doing special episodes it can allow them to grow big enough to earn a living from podcasting.

Podcasting formats

Most podcasts follow a format. When I ran out of formats I can remember from podcasts I’ve personally listened to before. I then put these into a mind map which ive uploaded below. I sourced my additional information from Castos. 2020. 8 Podcast Formats To Consider For Your Show – Castos. [online] Available at: <https://castos.com/podcast-format/> [Accessed 4 December 2020].

What are good aspects of a podcast?

Higher resolution image available here: https://imgur.com/a/Zw0z3fa

What are the different genres in podcasting?

• True Crime
• Philosophy
• Comedy
• Education
• Sports
• Science/environment
• Interview cast
• Religious
• History
• News & Politics
• Audio dramas
• Technology

Evidence to support the growth in podcasts this year:

• There are currently over 1,500,000 podcast shows total worldwide.
• As of October 2020, there are over 34 million podcasts episodes.
• June 2018 Apple confirmed that there were a total of 550,000 podcasts, compared to the current 1,500,000 million two years later.
• An article in 2018 also stated that there were “Over 525,000 active shows and over 18.5 million episodes”.
• Another article in the summer 2018 also stated that “Apple podcasts… features more than 500,000 active podcasts, including content in more than 100 languages.”

Winn, R., 2020. 2020 Podcast Stats & Facts (New Research From Oct 2020). [online] Podcast Insights®. Available at: <https://www.podcastinsights.com/podcast-statistics/> [Accessed 4 December 2020].

Phones and the popularity of podcasts:

Taking the trends of this line graph into consideration its clear that since 2017 the upwards trend for smartphone listeners will still be on the increase, whilst less and less people use the less portable device options. Its interesting to see graphs like this develop as the podcasting industry still evolves.

Winn, R., 2020. 2020 Podcast Stats & Facts (New Research From Oct 2020). [online] Podcast Insights®. Available at: <https://www.podcastinsights.com/podcast-statistics/> [Accessed 4 December 2020].

Evidence to support the arrangement that podcasts will replace radio shows

Candidate Authentication

I confirm that the attached assessment is all my own work and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself and sources have been appropriately referenced.

Finlay Mander

ABSTRACT: 

In this essay I plan to explore all of the different genres available in the podcasting industry, at the time I’m writing this abstract essay, I can only think of a few basic podcast genres, such as comedy, sports, news, interviewing. Yet, I am certain that there is a much wider variety than these four I mentioned, as people are always innovating old ideas. Whilst taking an insight into what makes a good podcast, I want to discover why people listen and what the point of a podcast is, is it just for entertainment purposes? Personally, when I listen to podcasts, they are usually of the interview or talk show genre as once I find a guest or host with an interesting life experience(s), a unique career or anecdote. If I cannot find one which I am fully interested in, I find that podcasts can make for good background noise half of the time. In my opinion, the hosts or co-hosts are responsible for the level of success their podcast sees. However, I imagine that podcasts use their guest features or special episodes to not just provide content but to gain followers and notoriety, further expanding their business. I hope to find an insight into how people manage turn their podcast into a sustainable income. I will be using my research from the previous task (critical frameworks) to investigate all the various aspects of media podcasts cover. I want to further explore why podcasts have become so popular in recent years and the platforms which have allowed them to become so mainstream. I believe that its only right for me to also investigate the key formats that a podcast follows and its structure as they are becoming the ‘online radio’. For my research I want to look at some key areas which I haven’t previously mentioned. I am interested to see if some genres are more successful than others, or the top three genres currently. Another thing to look at would be to see the startup cost of a podcast and how much can be made from revenue. But like most popular things I want to take a look at the biggest names in the industry or biggest podcast shows globally. I will be using four main research methods when conducting my research for this essay. I’ll start with conducting secondary research which is when I’ll be looking at data which is already collected, for example, views from YouTube, downloads, and stream numbers to determine how popular the podcast is. Next, I will use quantitative research to see how much podcast creators earn from ad-revenue from their sponsorships or ad-reads. But I can also use quantitative research to measure the numbers a podcast pulls. I also want to use experimental research to see if certain age groups or genders have trends. For instance, if they have certain genres or podcast hosts they prefer. Then on the other hand I am going to use descriptive so that I can gather information and data on everyone.  

The Different Genres in Podcasting  

With almost everyone having access to the internet and a device in their pocket, you’ll find that nearly everyone does/has started listening to a podcast of some sort or have listened to one. Podcasts are playing a bigger role in people’s day to day lives than ever before. Since their recent increase in popularity, there have been multiple arguments made that believe that podcasts will soon replace radio shows or that they are to become the ‘online radio’ or the ‘modern radio’. It’s smart to predict that podcasts will only become more advanced, available, and influential in the upcoming years, meaning that they do stand a chance at replacing radio shows. The argument puts forward the claim that because traditional radio broadcasting has a limited airtime, they must try and appeal to as large an audience as possible in the short amount of time given, meaning that in most cases radio shows can feel unrelatable to a lot of people.Where as, with a podcast there is a lot more recording time available to the creator, allowing for a stronger connection to be built between listener and host quicker than one between radio show host and listener. Another point to be made is about how podcasts are a lot easier for people to access on the go.”Many local radio stations might have apps, but they can be unreliable… Spotify and iTunes are two of the easiest platforms people can access podcasts”. Amanda Mitchell (2019) Will Podcasts replace radio? Available at :https://easttennessean.com/2019/11/24/will-podcasts-replace-radio/ (Accessed 9th December 2020).  

So not only are podcasts easier to access than radio stations, but podcast also shows allow for a great level of detail on subject matters of all different genres and can be listened to at anytime, anywhere. This is the premise of the essay and what I will be looking at, whilst also exploring the other aspects of podcasting. 

As mentioned, podcasts can cover a variety of genres, from in-depth scientific discussions with leading figures in a field to fictional creepy stories. For instance, there are podcasts on; True Crime, Philosophy, Comedy, Education, Sports, Science/ Environment, Interview cast/Talk, Religion, History, News & and Politics, Audio dramas, Society/Culture, technology and anything else you can think of. In my research prior to the essay, I looked at which podcast genres were more successful than others. I found an article produced by Statista.com to aid me with my research. (Accessed 9th December 2020) The graph I took my information from is available here: https://imgur.com/dATgPlA. Taken from https://www.statista.com/statistics/786938/top-podcast-genres/#:~:text=In%20October%202020%2C%20it%20was,as%20sport%2C%20health%20and%20fitness. 

Statista had put a graph together showing the most success podcasting genres in the US since October 2020. Taking the collected information, I found out that the top 3 genres currently are Comedy, News & Politics and True crime. True Crime is one of the biggest and most successful genres, the podcast episodes run off of a schedule were the host(s) go into detail on true crime anecdotes. These podcasts find their success through the fact that most people have a natural want to find out why and how something happened, and these stories allow people to do this without having to experience the trauma themselves. For example, they often go in depth into the breakdown of the murderer. Most of the time, News podcasts feature a group of hosts who on either a weekly or daily routine produce episode(s) where they discuss a particular event in the world at the time or just cover local events, (depending of what podcast you tune into.) Comedic podcasts can vary, depending of a who you choose to listen to. Since most of these episodes will be based on popular topics in pop culture and the news it takes into account what you particularly view as funny or comedic, as everyone has a different view. 

One of the main reasons behind the rise in podcasts is the level of variety that they can provide. “Back in 2006 only twenty two percent of the adult population in the United States was aware of podcasts, by 2020 this figure had risen to seventy five percent.” (Amy Watson, 2020). 
It is also estimated that monthly eighty eight million adults in the United States listen to podcasts. With such a big market emerging I didn’t take long for big names in the industry to start emerging out of the cracks, for example, Dr. Death, which focuses on telling True Crime stories. Hosted by Dr. Fata. Another big name in the industry is Joe Rogan with The Joe Rogan Experience, his podcast features guest from all different fields of life/work meaning that each episode can delve into a new genre. The Dan Bongino show, a News & Politics podcasts, hosted by Dan Bongin an American commentator. Each of these three as some of the biggest names in their industry, provided by Podcastinsights (2020) Available at: https://www.podcastinsights.com/top-us-podcasts/ (Accessed 9th December 2020). 

When something goes mainstream it doesn’t stop, this same trend also goes for podcasts. One of the biggest indisputable contributors to the rise of podcast is the influence that major platforms had on the industry, such as; Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube, Amazon Audible and Twitch.Tv made podcasts readily available and accessible for free instantaneously. These platforms also provided already established podcasts with new audiences and a new platform to branch out to.  

So, what makes people want to listen to podcasts?   

There are all sorts of reasons why someone might choose to listen to a podcast or incorporate them into a part of their daily routine. Podcasts aren’t only a source of entertainment for some people. By nature, all podcasts allow for multitasking and can provide good background noise. Yet podcasts can diversify themselves. For instance, whilst one podcast can prepare you for the next stage in life or career, another can be used to teach you about a specific field of study. Because podcasts can be so personal there isn’t a distinct ‘point’ to a podcast or a list of fundamentals one must follow since they can either be very advanced/sophisticated or very simple, each approach to the industry will appeal to its own demographic. So its up to someone what they decide to listen to.  

Once a podcast gains enough traction it can begin to be monetized via sponsorships/ad reads or in some cases an entire show can be brought by a platform in multi-million-dollar deals. However, in the early stages a podcast still has the opportunity to generate money. Merchandise sales can generate a decent amount of revenue, whether it’s from selling clothing, or providing courses and services. Direct support is also a way that small podcasts can start earning from their work, using monthly subscription services which will allow subscribers access to early or premium episodes not available to everyday listeners. However, most of the time when a podcast has a has a guest feature on an episode, they hope that it will benefit the podcast in the long run, they hope that these episodes will cause the podcast to gain traction resulting in them gaining new listeners and notoriety from it, further expanding their brand. When researching means of generating income from podcasting I created a mind map which ive attached in this essay: https://imgur.com/a/tjdleHi . When creating my mind map, I used both my own understanding of how a podcast can generate money as well as ideas from castos.com and their article on “How Much Money Can Podcasters Make And How Do They Do It?” Which is available here : https://castos.com/how-much-money-can-podcasters-make/ 

In conclusion “The Different Genres in Podcasting” provide the industries audience with hours upon hours of content whilst also promoting the opportunity to bring members of communities together. Each genre has its own uses, for instance one podcast can be used to keep people updated on worlds news and pop culture, through a serious manor with a high-quality network production team. Whereas another can be the complete opposite, the point of this podcast could be to make people have a laugh after a day of work or on their commute. As I stated initially, there is no fundamentals as to what a podcast must achieve as each podcast will find its own specific audience and then cater towards their needs. Even if a “recipe for success” is not followed, it will still find dedicated listeners, who feel connected to the content and create a commitment with themselves to keep tuning in each week. In essence, the finding the right genre makes it quite easy for an audience to fall into place. 

Candidate Authentication

I confirm that the attached assessment is all my own work and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself and sources have been appropriately referenced.

Finlay Mander

Critical Frameworks

Genre

Genre covers a style or category of art, music or literature. Yet it covers all aspects of media activities such as games. For example, a new genre can bring new audience members into a franchise – Before 2009 Call of Duty was a first person shooter multiplayer game but with Black ops ones release in 2009 they added a whole new sub genre to their game “CoD zombies”. This was an attempt entice a new audience to their game through the use of the horror genre, and it worked. Genre is very diverse and what I personally find interesting is how it can be used to fix/ compare audiences. An issue which can appear in genre is over simplification or appealing too much to genre stereotypes. For example in late 20th century horror films shared the same style of killer and ‘final girl’ scenarios, being known as “slasher films.”

Narrative

By definition, Narrative is a spoken or written account of a story and can cover both fiction and non fiction. A good use of narrative has the ability to raise the carry a weak game or film. For instance, a low budget film might have ‘cheesy’ or bad practical effects a good enough plot / captivating story can distract the viewer from this or make up enough for what it lacks. A positive of a narrative is that it costs nothing to develop a good one. Narrative can be used to provide an engaging writing style which is relevant in current media trends. With so many options available to audiences of streaming services an original narrative with good writing can make a movie or series good and stand out since now almost everything on streaming services has the same level of practical effects, therefore, a weak narrative is usually always a bad thing, although this does depend of what genre of movie is on screen. What i find interesting about a good+strong narrative is how it can invite audiences into a world – again im more interested into its uses rather than what it is literally.

Representation

Representation is the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way or the action of speaking on behalf of someone.One of the main issues of this subject is negative representation, as it can go very political with how something or someone is being presented. For example stereotypes or certain historical documentaries (yet this is usually seen in less recent media activities). Yet on the other hand, representation can be a positive or educational thing. This is done by portraying a certain group or movement through media. For example, soldiers in war movies have their bravery portrayed and their narrative told. I dont share an interest in either positive or negative representation but I value its importance.

Audience

An audience is the assembled spectators or listeners at a public event,such as; a play,film, or concert.But its also the audience of a brand/product, both being equally as important. An audience has to be appealed for/to, as the audience is in control of the success a business or brand sees. Audience management is important as it allows for you to get a clear focus on what your brand will serve and means that an audience is kept at a manageable scale. However, an issue which appears when analyzing an audience is that you cannot analyze an audience in an uniformed way every time, not everyone can be categorized into groups causing inaccuracies among consumers.Both target audience and audience analysis are aspects of this media topic i find interesting.

Regulation

Regulation is the rule or direct ive made and maintained by an authority, for example, wages, pricing, development approvals, employment, production standards and military forces and services. Regulation is important because they ensure the delivery of public goods and services, underpin markets, ensure employment and protect rights and safety of citizens. However, an issue which i could see when researching was that commonly the people in charge of regulating can be disconnected from society or the working class due to their position so things like wages and pricing could come under some scrutiny. Personally, i think that things should be regulated and that they’re definitely important in today’s society as it advances.

Technology (including Digital Media)

There are three types of Digital Media, the first being on media, paid media and lastly earned media. Digital Media is in our everyday life, examples of it being; video games, digital video, social media and nearly every other type of digital storage, such as mp3 or electronic books. Digital Media are the tools which establish digital presence, the public wants to see it used to facilitate more effective business interactions and communications with the government. With the distribution of digital media on the increase it wont be long until it will outpace the sales of print newspapers, magazines and books. Meaning that in the long run these industries will see lower employment rates, or mass redundancies. Something that interests me about Digital Media is its potential to re-engage citizens in their communities by using its tools to bring everyone together. These tools being, websites, online marketing and apps etc.

Production/Distribution/Exhibition

Production, is the very beginning of the movies life cycle, its the funding stage of a new movie. Distribution overs everything that happens in between production and exhibition, including acquiring legal rights, marketing and distributing copies of the film to cinema, this all takes time. The final stage is exhibition this is the cinema release of a film, marking the final stage of a films journey from idea to audience. When i was researching the definitions, I began to see issues with the development process. Because of streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon video, Hulu etc, providing instant releases, mostly produced by themselves so that they become instant exclusives, because of this their customers have became accustomed to the instant delivery of content. So the idea of having to wait for a movie to be produced, then come out in your local cinema, pay for the overpriced tickets and food it wouldn’t surprise me going to the cinema becomes less common with the rise of streaming services, especially in current global circumstances.

Marketing and Promotion

Both Marketing and Promotion are very different and it is important to not confuse the two as the have different roles. Marketing handles product development, pricing, promotional strategies and is also in charge of how the product or service will be shipped. On the other hand, promotion is usually done by advertising agencies. These agencies are in charge of developing brand awareness and buying advertising/ advertising strategising. Promotion can be done through, advertising, press releases, consumer promotions (contests and discounts), trade discounts and freebies. The idea behind promoting a brand or product is to make people aware, and to attract and induce them to buy the product in preference over others. An issue with promotion is that products require different promotional approaches. For example, convenience or shopping goods will usually be promoted through mass marketing, where as high-end specialty goods require personalized selling. Marketing also has its issues, with one of its biggest being pricing. For instance, the rising in food costs can have major impacts on vulnerable families, pushing households further into poverty and hunger. Both of these are vital functions for businesses but i find promotion the more interesting of the two because of the advertising side of things.