What are the challenges and opportunities in creating and sharing meaningful content in podcasting and publishing?

Podcasting shares its challenges of discovery and audience building with the world of book publishing.

If I tell you about a good podcast, that requires you to sit down, focus your attention, go to a site, put on headphones or your earbuds, and actually listen. That’s hard.

~ David Wilk (15:50)

The conversation explores the intersections between podcasting and publishing, focusing on their shared challenges in audience building and discoverability. It emphasizes how the low barrier to entry in both fields has led to an overwhelming abundance of content, creating a highly competitive environment. The discussion highlights how the “long tail” has evolved into an environment with a top-heavy market where only a few creators dominate.

Another key topic is the personal nature of consuming books and podcasts, which presents unique challenges for sharing and marketing. Podcasts are described as private experiences that lack the social visibility of books. The conversation also reflects on cultural changes, noting how digital experiences have reduced opportunities for shared moments, adding friction to the process of recommending and sharing podcasts.

Takeaways

The abundance of content – Challenges arise from an oversupply of podcasts and books, making audience building difficult.

Audience segmentation – Both industries face issues with dividing large audiences into meaningful segments.

Loss of the midlist – The “midlist” in publishing has disappeared, leaving only top earners and smaller outputs.

Personal nature of media – Podcasts, like books, are inherently personal and harder to share socially.

Curation necessity – Aggregating and curating podcasts is essential for discoverability but remains difficult to market.

Antisocial consumption – Personal consumption habits reduce opportunities for shared cultural experiences.

Marketing disparities – Marketing tools for books are more developed than for podcasts, yet both remain challenging.

Resources

Live Writers – A project curating book-related podcasts into three categories: readers, writers, and publishers.

PRX – Mentioned as a significant player in podcasting, likely referring to Public Radio Exchange.

BBC – Recognized for its role in podcasting and media production.

Field of Dreams – Cited metaphorically for its “build it, and they will come” narrative.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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