LiSTNR's Audio Amplified event in Sydney analysed the rise of podcasting and predicted the future of contemporary listening.
Grant Tothill, general manager of digital audio at Southern Cross Austereo, interviewed a panel of podcasters including: Abbie Chatfield, Mark Howie Howard and Jennifer Goggin, as well as the CEO at SCA, Grant Blackley.
Blackley: “Podcasting ... has grown and gone from strength to strength. Audio, in terms of consumption, is growing. The one thing that is universally spoken about on an international level is that audiences and consumption is growing.
“A lot of platforms we compete against consumption are declining. Audio is not, It’s growing. Radio is resilient as it ever was, and the SmartAudio Report 2022, recently released, shows evidence of that fact."
Jennifer Goggin, head of factual and drama content at LiSTNR original podcasts, led the charge and development of LiSTNR’s first rom-com podcast series, The Younger Man. The podcast is based off of Zoe Foster-Blake’s original best-selling audio book.
Goggin: “Podcasting is as disruptive to radio as Youtube was to television. What we are looking at, is the base product which in this day and age is voice and conversation turning into all of these forms of different entertainment.
“I think the great thing about podcasting is that it captures immersive storytelling which is what people are naturally attracted to.
“What we saw, especially during COVID was people gravitating towards podcasts for their sources of entertainment and away from its traditional forms.”
Sports broadcaster and host of Home of the Howie Games, Mark Howard: “I think the difference between radio broadcasting and speaking on a podcast is the intimacy you have with your audience.
“In my role, I can comment on any game of cricket or football, but with podcasts, I can sit down and get to the nitty gritty with the person I'm interviewing and of course the audience.
“Recently I was able to sit down with Essendon Football Club coach and former AFL player, James Hird. To be able to sit down and connect with a man who has been through so much and hear about his struggles was truly inspiring and I believe it is moments like that which help us content on a personal level with our audience and ultimately grow in terms of numbers."
Abbie Chatfield, host of podcast series It’s A Lot and radio show Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield, says podcasting happened by accident for her.
“Podcasting was an accident for me. I would always rant on instagram stories a lot and I was posting so much about political things that my followers would often tell me to start a podcast and my little ADHD brain thought 'okay'. So, I drew up the artwork on my phone, bought all of the stuff I needed and literally started the next day. It was very chaotic, as everything I do usually is.
"I have always loved podcasts since I was 15, listening to Hamish and Andy on Itunes, so it was a seamless transition for me.
"The great thing about podcasting is that conversations don’t need to be short and sweet like they would be on the radio. We now have the opportunity to dive deep and have those long conversations that people truly care about and want to listen too.
"There are so many nuances that present different forms of entertainment for listeners, which is what I think is so attractive about podcasting."
LiSTNR’s consumers can expect to see a broadened library which Blackley says is “premium by nature” and audience numbers continue to increase.
"LiSTNR will continue to grow and adapt as consumer behaviours change, with more listeners tuning in digitally, while linear is on the decline.”
"We will continue to invest in LiSTNR, and we will continue to broaden our library which is premium by nature. In terms of audiences, I think we are going from strength to strength."
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