Let’s go back to the decade of the 2000s: the era of George W., Paris Hilton, and the rise of reality TV. It was also the era of the podcast, programs broadcasted over the Internet. Get ready for the podcast comeback.
By 2009 or 2010, the podcast was slipping, thanks to You Tube and other social media venues. But now, the podcast is back with vengeance! Where do you want to start? You can watch true crime podcast like Serial, a radio style talk show like Alex Jones Infowars, or catch the podcast of celebrities from Jersey Shore’s Snooki to WWE superstar Chris Jericho. Last month, 39 million people listened to at least one podcast show, a new record.? Not only are more people listening to podcast, more people are launching one. John Lee Dumas, host of podcast ‘Entrepreneurship on Fire’, says “It’s spreading like wildfire.” Dumas should know. He’s made over 700 episodes of Entrepreneurship on Fire. There are several reasons why the podcast is making such a resurgent comeback. One reason is the shows are better than they were 10 years ago. Another is economics. It costs less to produce than other media. Traffic and technology have a lot to do with this trend. We’re spending more hours in our car than ever before. Most cars made in the 2010s, at least in the US, can play Internet radio either through USB, Bluetooth or auxiliary plug. It’s estimated next year, half of all cars sold will be Internet connected. By the mid 2020s, all of them will be.
I like to add another reason to the podcast comeback: the overall quality of today’s media has taken a downward turn. From the mainstream news to the music, it’s more of the same. People are tired of it and switching to podcast and other alternative entertainment. This trend will only continue as time marches on. What’s your favorite podcast?