Breaking Down the Broadcasting Barrier

Before podcasts, getting your voice heard on air in Britain usually meant a BBC audition, a radio degree, or a lot of luck. Podcasting flattened the playing field. Suddenly, anyone with a mic and an idea could reach an audience – whether they were comedians in a kitchen, experts in a shed, or campaigners in community halls.

This democratic access gave rise to new voices that the mainstream often overlooked: people of colour, LGBTQ+ creators, disabled hosts, working-class storytellers. Shows like The Log Books, About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge, and Brown Girls Do It Too not only told stories that hadn’t been heard – they shaped how the UK understood its own diversity.

A New Kind of Comedy Club

Podcasting has also been a breeding ground for British comedy. In fact, some of today’s biggest names cut their teeth or rebooted their careers through podcasts. Off Menu, No Such Thing As A Fish, The Adam Buxton Podcast, and Athletico Mince have built cult followings, not just with live tours and merch, but with deeply loyal listeners who feel like part of the in-jokes.

More than a punchline delivery system, podcasts gave comedians the space to experiment and connect with audiences directly – without censors or schedules. They’ve also helped deconstruct the “panel show” format into something more fluid, intimate, and often smarter.

Rewriting the Rules of Journalism

The UK has a long and respected tradition of public interest journalism, but podcasting took that mission into people’s ears – and hearts. Investigative podcasts like The Missing Cryptoqueen, Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, and File on 4 have reached millions, combining forensic reporting with cinematic storytelling.

But it’s not just about prestige journalism. Podcasts like Political Thinking with Nick Robinson or The Rest Is Politics have made complex policy debates more human and accessible, while independent shows like Media Storm and Bylines have challenged the media narratives from the grassroots up.

This shift has empowered listeners not just to consume news, but to engage with it. In a time of misinformation and media distrust, podcasts have become a space for nuance – an increasingly rare commodity.

Changing the Way We Talk (and Listen)

Podcasts haven’t just affected what we consume – they’ve subtly reshaped how we talk. They’ve popularised certain speech rhythms (think the confessional monologue), made the long-form interview fashionable again, and brought emotional vulnerability into everyday conversations.

The rise of mental health podcasts – like Happy Place, How To Fail, and The Trauma Tapes – helped destigmatise therapy talk in the UK. Meanwhile, relationship-focused shows like Where Should We Begin? and You’re Wrong About (US imports with big British fanbases) changed the cultural tone from stiff upper lip to open-hearted introspection.

From the Podcast App to the High Street

Podcasts now have a real-world cultural footprint. They’re touring live shows, topping book charts, selling out theatres, and even influencing government debates. In 2021, My Dad Wrote A Porno was cited in Parliament for its role in sexual health education outreach. The Rest Is Politics became a fixture in national political discussion, with its hosts regularly appearing on news panels and front pages.

Podcast listeners also represent a new kind of cultural audience: engaged, supportive, curious. They buy merch, join Patreons, send emails, and – perhaps most importantly – talk about what they hear. Watercooler moments don’t just come from TV anymore. Podcasts have joined the UK’s everyday cultural chatter.

Looking Ahead: The Podcast as Cultural Archive

As the UK continues to grapple with its identity – post-Brexit, post-pandemic, mid-climate crisis – podcasts offer something vital: reflection. They’re a snapshot of how people really feel, what they really care about, and who’s finally being heard.

With schools using them as teaching tools, politicians referencing them in debates, and even the Royal Family dipping their toes in the audio world, the podcast is no longer a fringe format. It’s a cultural mainstay. And in the UK, where storytelling has always been a national sport, podcasts may just be its newest – and most exciting – arena.

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The Early Days: Pioneers and Podcasts

While podcasting as a medium began gaining traction globally in the early 2000s, it wasn’t until around 2004–2005 that UK creators began to explore the format in earnest. One of the earliest adopters was The Ricky Gervais Show, launched in 2005. Featuring Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Karl Pilkington, the show was a game-changer – it became the first podcast to top 250,000 downloads per episode and helped popularise the term “podcast” in the UK mainstream.

Soon after, the BBC stepped into the space. As one of the UK’s most trusted broadcasters, the BBC began offering downloadable versions of its radio shows, such as The Archers and Desert Island Discs, paving the way for broader podcast adoption.

A Growing Ecosystem

Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, podcasting in the UK grew steadily, though it remained a niche hobby for many. Independent creators began to find loyal audiences, and early successes like Answer Me This! and No Such Thing As A Fish proved that there was a growing appetite for content that was witty, offbeat, and proudly British.

As smartphones and mobile data became more accessible, listening habits shifted. Commuters and long-distance drivers embraced the format, and British podcasts expanded across genres – true crime, comedy, politics, history, and even football all found their voices.

The Boom Years

The late 2010s marked a tipping point. UK podcasting experienced a significant boom, catalysed by advancements in streaming platforms, increased funding, and high-profile talent entering the field.

Shows like Serial in the US had demonstrated the power of podcast storytelling, and UK counterparts weren’t far behind. The success of My Dad Wrote A Porno showcased British humour and became an international sensation. Meanwhile, investigative series like The Missing Cryptoqueen and Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder highlighted British excellence in documentary audio journalism.

Commercial networks began to take podcasting seriously. Companies like Acast, Audioboom, and Somethin’ Else started investing in original content, while radio giants like Global and Bauer launched podcast networks of their own.

The Present Day: A New Audio Renaissance

Today, the UK podcasting scene is thriving. According to Ofcom, over 25% of adults in the UK now listen to podcasts weekly – a dramatic increase from just a few years ago. Creators come from all walks of life, offering diverse perspectives and filling gaps in traditional media coverage.

Podcasts like The Rest Is Politics, Off Menu, Diary of a CEO, and You’re Dead to Me consistently rank among the most-listened-to, with live tours, book deals, and spin-offs becoming increasingly common.

Funding models have also diversified. While advertising and sponsorship remain central, listener-supported models (Patreon, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions), brand partnerships, and licensing deals have given creators more options to sustain their work.

What’s Next?

The future of podcasting in the UK looks bright. With the rise of smart speakers, AI-driven content recommendations, and more inclusive voices entering the space, British podcasting is poised to grow in both volume and value.

As the lines between radio, podcasting, and streaming audio blur, one thing remains clear: the UK’s podcasting voice is only getting louder – and more interesting.

The post Soundwaves Across the Pond: A brief history of podcasting in the UK appeared first on POD BIBLE.

From kitchen-table setups to professionally filmed studio sessions, here’s how video podcasting is changing the game – and what it means for creators and listeners alike.

1. Audio Alone Is No Longer Enough (for some)

Once upon a time, audio podcasting had a kind of purity to it: all you needed was a mic, an idea, and somewhere to host it. But with the explosion of content across social media, attention spans have shortened – and visuals have become currency.

Video podcasting meets the moment. It gives audiences a face to go with the voice, a peek behind the curtain, and a whole new level of connection. For creators, video offers extra exposure. For listeners-turned-viewers, it creates a more immersive experience.
Podcasts aren’t just heard anymore. They’re watched, shared, and memed.

2. The Rise of the YouTube Podcaster

For a growing number of podcasts, YouTube has become the primary platform – not just an extra channel.

Shows like Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett and Have A Word have exploded thanks to full-length, professionally shot episodes on YouTube. These shows aren’t just conversations – they’re visual experiences, edited with the pacing and polish of a TV show.

YouTube’s algorithm and massive user base mean these podcasts often reach entirely new audiences – people who might never open a podcast app, but will happily watch a 45-minute chat while cooking or working.

3. Clips, Virality, and the TikTok Effect

Short-form video platforms – TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts – have changed podcast promotion entirely.

A single viral clip can propel a relatively unknown show into the charts. Creators are increasingly editing punchy, subtitled snippets of their best moments and sharing them across platforms. These clips don’t just drive views – they drive brand recognition and audience growth. It’s visual word-of-mouth in action.

Some podcasts now plan for clips while recording – structuring interviews with viral potential in mind. It’s a shift that’s blurring the line between content creation and traditional podcasting.

4. A New Level of Authenticity

Interestingly, video podcasting hasn’t made things more artificial – it’s made them feel more real.

Viewers love the awkward glances, the laughter, the non-verbal dynamics that come with face-to-face conversation. These moments don’t always come across in audio, but they shine in video. It’s part of why interview-based podcasts are thriving in visual formats – the chemistry is just as important as the content.

And in a media landscape where trust and relatability matter more than ever, that visual intimacy is a powerful tool.

5. But Is It Still a Podcast?

As video podcasting continues to grow, one question keeps bubbling up: Are we still talking about podcasts? Or is this just talk-show content by another name?

Purists might bristle, but the reality is this: the podcast format is evolving. Today’s audience doesn’t care what we call it – they care about how it makes them feel, where they can find it, and whether it connects. If that means a hybrid world where a show lives on both Spotify and YouTube, then so be it.

The best creators understand this and adapt their content to fit both formats without losing the heart of what makes it worth tuning in.

Final Thought: The Mic Meets the Camera

Video podcasting hasn’t replaced audio – it’s expanded its possibilities. It’s offered podcasters new audiences, new revenue streams, and new ways to express themselves. But it also comes with new challenges: more equipment, more editing, more performance.

Ultimately, the question isn’t whether podcasts should go visual – it’s whether they can do it well without losing the authenticity, intimacy, and storytelling that made audio so powerful in the first place.

The mic may have met the camera, but the heart of podcasting? That still lies in the connection.

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But how did a genre focused on death, deceit, and detective work come to dominate our earbuds? And what does this obsession say about us as listeners – and as a culture?

The Spark That Lit the Fuse

While true crime stories have always gripped audiences – think courtroom dramas, tabloid headlines, and late-night documentaries – it was the launch of Serial in 2014 that truly changed the game.

The story of Adnan Syed, a high school student convicted of murder under questionable circumstances, wasn’t just gripping – it was genre-defining. Serial broke podcast records, ignited Reddit forums, and even reopened legal proceedings. It proved that podcasts could be investigative, emotional, and binge-worthy – and audiences were hooked.

The aftermath? A tidal wave of true crime podcasts, from scrappy indie sleuths to blockbuster productions.

Why We Can’t Stop Listening

At first glance, it might seem odd: why are millions of people choosing to spend their spare time listening to stories about murder and mystery? But true crime taps into something deeply human.

It’s part curiosity, part cautionary tale. We’re drawn to the psychological puzzle, the search for justice, the thrill of solving something unsolved. And in podcast form, the genre becomes even more intimate – you’re not just watching a story, you’re inside it, guided by a trusted narrator or investigative host.

True crime podcasts also offer space for reflection. They raise real questions about justice, class, gender, race, and power. Done well, they’re not just entertainment – they’re education.

The UK’s Voice in the Genre

The UK has played a major role in true crime podcasting’s global rise. Shows like They Walk Among Us, The Missing Cryptoqueen, Bad People, and Unheard: The Fred & Rose West Tapes have shown that British creators can bring nuance, restraint, and world-class storytelling to the genre.

British true crime often leans toward quiet horror – gripping tales of deception and tragedy, told with calm, clinical precision. There’s less tabloid sensationalism and more deep research, expert analysis, and human empathy.

And let’s not forget the indie creators: from single-host deep-dives into cold cases to grassroots campaigns for justice, UK podcasting has nurtured a diverse, passionate true crime community.

When Popularity Meets Responsibility

But with popularity comes responsibility – and true crime hasn’t escaped criticism.

Some shows have been accused of exploiting tragedy, misrepresenting facts, or prioritising drama over dignity. As the genre grew, so did ethical questions: How do we tell these stories responsibly? What do we owe to victims, families, and communities? When does “true crime” become voyeurism?

Many leading podcasts are now making transparency and ethics part of their production process – fact-checking, consulting legal experts, and including survivor voices. That’s a crucial shift in an industry that, for a time, blurred the line between storytelling and spectacle.

From Podcasts to Pop Culture Powerhouse

Today, true crime isn’t just a podcast genre – it’s a pop culture ecosystem.

Podcasts have inspired Netflix documentaries (The Staircase, Dirty John), bestselling books (I’ll Be Gone in the Dark), and even stage tours. Fans attend live recordings, trade theories in Facebook groups, and follow trials in real-time.

Entire platforms like Wondery and Crime Junkie’s Audiochuck have built empires on true crime. And the genre’s appeal cuts across age, gender, and geography – it’s the great unifier of the podcasting world.

Where Does It Go From Here?

True crime’s grip on podcasting isn’t loosening – but it is evolving.

Listeners are seeking more than just shock value. They want depth, context, and justice.

Podcasts that explore the why, not just the how. Stories that centre victims, challenge institutions, and illuminate the systems that fail people before the crime even happens.

Creators are listening. And as the genre matures, we may see fewer serial killers and more systemic storytelling – because sometimes, the biggest crimes don’t happen in the shadows, but in plain sight.

Final Thought

True crime has taken over podcasting because it speaks to something primal: our need for answers, justice, and human connection. And while the genre may be dark, at its best, it shines a light – on truth, on injustice, and on the voices that need to be heard.

The post Murder, Mystery & Mic Drops: How true crime took over podcasting appeared first on POD BIBLE.

From comedy to true crime, DIY setups to studio-backed series, here are five of the most important pioneers in UK podcasting whose influence still echoes in earbuds today.

1. Ricky Gervais – The Ricky Gervais Show

Let’s start with the obvious: you simply can’t talk about the early days of UK podcasting without Ricky Gervais.

Launched in 2005 with co-creators Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, The Ricky Gervais Show was one of the first podcasts to truly go global. It became a record-breaking hit, racking up millions of downloads and even being adapted into an HBO animated series.

But more than that, it proved podcasts could be funny, weird, and wildly successful. Pilkington’s deadpan logic became cult legend, and the show’s format – casual, unscripted, laugh-heavy – set a template for comedy pods that still holds today.

Why it matters: It was the UK’s first real podcasting juggernaut, and arguably kickstarted the entire scene.

2. Helen Zaltzman – Answer Me This! and The Allusionist

Before podcasting was mainstream, Helen Zaltzman was already making it sound smart, strange, and supremely listenable.

Answer Me This!, co-hosted with Olly Mann, debuted in 2007. It was funny, fast-paced, and famously DIY – produced in Zaltzman’s living room long before remote recording was the norm. It won awards, drew in a loyal fanbase, and showed that indie podcasters could punch above their weight.

Later, Zaltzman launched The Allusionist, a beautifully produced podcast about language, which became a cornerstone of the Radiotopia network and cemented her status as one of podcasting’s most innovative voices.

Why it matters: Zaltzman was one of the first UK podcasters to make a living from audio and remains a champion of independent creators.

3. Benjamin Fitton – They Walk Among Us

True crime has become one of podcasting’s biggest genres – and Benjamin Fitton helped give it a distinctly British voice.

Launched in 2016, They Walk Among Us brought a UK-centric approach to true crime: restrained, respectful, and meticulously researched. Unlike many US shows, it avoided sensationalism, focusing instead on lesser-known cases and the quiet horror of everyday tragedies.

The podcast grew from a passion project into a multi-award-winning franchise, with millions of downloads and dedicated fans around the world.

Why it matters: Fitton helped define the tone of UK true crime podcasting and proved that slow, thoughtful storytelling can still grip a massive audience.

4. Deborah Frances-White – The Guilty Feminist

Blending comedy, confession, and activism, The Guilty Feminist broke the mould when it launched in 2016 – and helped usher feminism into the mainstream podcast space.

Hosted by comedian Deborah Frances-White, the show brought live-audience energy to deeply personal and political topics. With its signature format (“I’m a feminist but…”), it gave space for contradiction and complexity – qualities that traditional media often overlooks.

The podcast quickly became a cultural touchstone, leading to sold-out tours, a bestselling book, and spin-offs tackling race, identity, and justice.

Why it matters: Frances-White proved podcasts could be both funny and revolutionary – and helped bring feminist discourse to thousands who might never have picked up a theory book.

5. Greg Jenner – You’re Dead To Me

Greg Jenner is the historical consultant behind Horrible Histories, but in 2019, he brought his sharp wit and deep knowledge to podcasting with You’re Dead To Me.

Combining expert guests with comedians, the show is part history lesson, part comedy club – and a rare example of a BBC podcast that cracked both the top charts and the classroom.

Its success has helped broaden the idea of what an “educational” podcast can be: accessible, entertaining, and endlessly memeable.

Why it matters: Jenner showed that podcasts can teach without preaching – and that history has a home in modern audio.

Final Thoughts

These five figures didn’t just make podcasts – they shaped the UK’s entire podcasting culture. They proved the medium could be funny, fearless, and profoundly human. They gave us permission to speak freely, listen closely, and laugh loudly.

In a world now flooded with pods, their pioneering voices still remind us what podcasting is really about: connection.

The post Voices That Carved the Way: Five pioneers of UK podcasting appeared first on POD BIBLE.

The answer, like most things in mental health, isn’t simple. But it is worth exploring.

For Listeners: Companionship, Catharsis, and Clarity

For many, podcast listening is more than entertainment – it’s a form of emotional support.

Podcasts about mental health (Happy Place, The Mindset Mentor, The Mental Health Moles) can provide comfort, reduce stigma, and offer practical coping tools. Long-form interviews, comedy chat shows, and gentle storytelling (think You’re Wrong About or LeVar Burton Reads) help people feel less alone – especially during moments of anxiety, grief, or isolation.

During the pandemic, millions turned to podcasts as a substitute for social contact. In that context, listening wasn’t just passive – it was connection. The sense of intimacy that podcasting creates, with hosts speaking directly into your ears, fosters a kind of parasocial friendship that’s been shown to reduce feelings of loneliness.

Of course, not every show is soothing. Doom-scrolling through true crime or politics podcasts late at night isn’t exactly self-care. Like any medium, balance is key.

For Creators: Expression and Exhaustion

On the other side of the mic, podcasting can be both healing and hard.

Many podcasters describe their work as cathartic. It gives them space to process emotions, share lived experiences, or advocate for causes they care about. For some, it’s a creative outlet that helps fight depression or burnout. The ability to tell your story, in your own voice, on your own terms, can be profoundly empowering.

But there’s a flipside. Podcasting – especially independently – is a lot of work. Writing, editing, marketing, recording, monetising… the pressure to stay consistent and “grow your audience” can lead to stress and burnout. Mental health podcasters, in particular, often shoulder emotional labour and listener expectations while managing their own wellness behind the scenes.

If you’re podcasting for self-expression, that’s beautiful. If you’re podcasting and trying to be your own producer, social media manager, and therapist, it can become overwhelming fast.

The Danger of the Echo Chamber

There’s another layer worth considering: the echo chamber effect.

Some listeners gravitate toward podcasts that confirm their worldview. While this can feel validating, it can also isolate people from differing perspectives – or deepen anxiety around certain topics (especially when consuming endless content on trauma, true crime, or global crises).

Podcasts are powerful, but they’re not always curated with mental wellbeing in mind. It’s up to listeners to tune into what feels nourishing and know when to switch off.

So… Is Podcasting Good for Your Mental Health?

In many cases, yes.

For listeners, it can provide community, knowledge, and a sense of calm. For creators, it can be a platform for healing, creativity, and connection. But like any tool, its impact depends on how – and why – you use it.

Some tips:

• As a listener: Curate your feed with care. Choose shows that leave you feeling better, not worse. Take breaks. You don’t need to finish every episode.
• As a creator: Set boundaries. Be honest with your audience about what you can (and can’t) offer. Ask for help. Prioritise rest.
• For everyone: Remember that real mental health support goes beyond podcasts. They can inspire and educate – but they’re not a substitute for therapy or clinical care.

Final Thoughts

Podcasting is a uniquely intimate, human medium – and that’s its superpower. When done thoughtfully, it fosters empathy, encourages reflection, and makes people feel seen and heard. And in a world that often feels loud and disconnected, that alone is good for all our mental health.

Just don’t forget to press pause when you need it.

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Welcome to the age of AI-powered podcasting!

Production, but Smarter

For many podcasters, the most time-consuming part of making a show isn’t recording – it’s everything else. Editing, transcribing, mixing, cleaning up audio… it can be a full-time job. That’s where AI is already making a huge impact.

Tools like Descript, Adobe Podcast, and Alitu are allowing creators to edit audio as easily as a Word doc – cutting “ums” and pauses with a single click or generating high-quality transcriptions in seconds. Noise removal, EQ balancing, and even full episode mastering can now be automated, dramatically speeding up workflows for indie podcasters and production houses alike.

Suddenly, what once required a studio and a sound engineer can now be done on a laptop in a café.

The Voice Revolution

One of the most talked-about developments in AI is voice synthesis. In other words: cloning voices and generating speech from text. This has huge potential for podcasting – good and bad.

Some creators are experimenting with “AI co-hosts” or synthetic narrators that can read scripts, translate episodes into other languages, or deliver content 24/7. It also opens the door to accessibility: for example, translating a podcast into multiple languages using the same voice tone and cadence.

But it raises serious ethical concerns. What happens when someone’s voice is cloned without consent? Or when fake interviews start blurring the line between fiction and reality? AI voices may be useful, but the human voice – warts and all – still carries something algorithms can’t replicate: trust.

Discoverability & Personalisation

If there’s one problem all podcasters face, it’s getting heard. With over 5 million podcasts globally, standing out is harder than ever. AI-driven discovery engines are starting to tackle this, using natural language processing to analyse transcripts and recommend episodes based on actual content – not just titles or tags.

Spotify, Apple, and Amazon are all investing in smarter search and personalised recommendations. Meanwhile, AI-powered tools are helping creators write episode descriptions, generate SEO-friendly titles, and even craft social media copy. In a world where discoverability is half the battle, AI may be the secret weapon smaller shows need to grow.

Creative Collaboration or Creative Crisis?

AI is also creeping into content creation itself. Some podcasters use AI to brainstorm episode ideas, generate interview questions, or create fictional narratives and scripts. AI-generated soundtracks and ambient audio are also becoming more common – especially for narrative podcasts and audio fiction.

But this creative boost comes with tension. At what point does AI stop being a tool and start becoming the creator? And how do we credit work created by – or with – the help of algorithms?

In response, some creators are choosing to be transparent about their use of AI, treating it like a collaborator rather than a silent assistant. Others worry that as AI becomes more capable, the industry may devalue original voices in favour of cheap, fast, synthetic content.

The Human Element Still Matters

Despite the hype, one thing is clear: AI can enhance podcasting, but it can’t replace the human connection that makes the medium so powerful. Listeners don’t just tune in for facts or sounds – they tune in for personality, vulnerability, perspective. AI can’t replicate lived experience, emotional nuance, or that moment when a host bursts out laughing mid-story.

In a way, the rise of AI might remind us what we value most about podcasting: its humanity.

What’s Next?

As AI continues to evolve, expect more innovation – AI-curated playlists, real-time transcription and translation, smarter ad targeting, maybe even virtual podcast guests trained on historical figures or celebrities. But also expect more debate: about rights, ethics, originality, and what it means to be a creator in a world where machines can “create.”

One thing’s for sure: AI is not the future of podcasting – it’s already part of its present. The real question now is how we choose to use it.

The post Plugged In: How AI is changing the world of podcasting appeared first on POD BIBLE.

What began as a slow tug-of-war has become a full-blown stream war. So how did we get here, and who’s winning in the race to be podcasting’s home base?

Apple: The Original Gatekeeper Fights Back

Apple was there at the very beginning. In 2005, it added podcasts to iTunes and, for a while, basically was the podcast industry. It gave the medium credibility and helped it scale – but for years, Apple did very little to evolve the platform. No original content, no monetisation tools, no strategic investment.

That changed in the early 2020s. By 2025, Apple Podcasts has repositioned itself as a premium, creator-focused platform. It now offers paid subscriptions, enhanced analytics, exclusive content, and improved discoverability features. The introduction of Apple Originals – high-quality, Apple-funded podcasts – was a major turning point, helping it claw back market share from Spotify.

Apple’s strength? Trust, long-standing brand loyalty, and tight integration across iPhones, Macs, and Siri-enabled devices. For many listeners, Apple Podcasts is still the default – and that’s a powerful position.

Spotify: From Streaming Giant to Audio Empire

Spotify, meanwhile, went all-in on podcasts years ago – and hasn’t let up.

Its strategy? Own the platform, own the content, own the audience. That’s why it spent big on exclusive deals with the likes of Joe Rogan, Call Her Daddy, and Emma Chamberlain. It snapped up production studios like Gimlet and Parcast, developed its own ad tech ecosystem (Spotify Audience Network), and built features like video podcasts and interactive polls directly into the app.

By 2025, Spotify has evolved into a podcast-first platform as much as it is a music service. Its algorithm-driven discovery, seamless UI, and exclusive content library continue to attract millions of younger, mobile-first users.

Spotify’s strength? Innovation, personalisation, and an aggressive push into new formats like live audio, video podcasting, and smart speaker integration.

Where the War Is Being Fought

Here’s where the Apple vs. Spotify podcast competition is heating up:

• Exclusives & Originals: Spotify still leads in sheer volume of exclusive content, but Apple’s focus on quality, prestige storytelling is winning over discerning listeners.
• User Experience: Spotify’s sleek, data-rich app offers intuitive navigation and smart recommendations. Apple, however, is catching up with a more streamlined app and better curation.
• Monetisation Tools: Both platforms now offer podcasters paid subscription options – but Apple takes a cut, while Spotify offers more flexible pricing and audience-building tools via Anchor (now Spotify for Podcasters).
• Global Reach: Spotify has pushed hard into global markets with translated content and region-specific shows. Apple, long dominant in the US and UK, is now fighting to stay relevant abroad.
• Search and Discovery: Spotify’s algorithmic recommendations remain more powerful, but Apple’s editorial playlists and human curation offer a more boutique experience.

What It Means for Creators and Listeners

For podcasters, the streaming war presents both opportunity and challenge.

More platforms competing means more investment, more monetisation options, and more chances to reach new audiences. But it also means navigating fragmentation. Do you go exclusive? Stay on all platforms? Build a community on Apple? Or double down on Spotify’s tools?

For listeners, the choice has never been more personal. Do you stick with the platform you’ve used for years – or go where your favourite show just signed an exclusive deal? Do you want algorithmic recommendations, or a more curated experience? And how many apps are you really willing to juggle?

Is There a Winner?

In short: not yet.

Spotify may have a lead in aggressive innovation and youth appeal, but Apple’s deep-rooted integration and emphasis on quality content still make it a dominant force. And with newer players like YouTube and Amazon Audible muscling into the space, the battle for your ears is far from over.

What’s clear is this: the future of podcasting will be shaped not just by creators, but by platforms – and the choices we make as listeners.

Final Thought: Power to the Pod

While Apple and Spotify fight it out in boardrooms and product updates, podcasting itself keeps growing – more voices, more stories, more listeners than ever before. And that’s the real win.

Because no matter who’s hosting your favourite show, the beauty of podcasting has always been the same: connection, creativity, and conversation – delivered straight to your ears.

The post Stream Wars: Apple vs. Spotify and the battle for your ears in 2025 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

1. Create Catchy Titles & Thumbnails

Your episode titles should be compelling, clear, and include keywords that grab attention. Pair them with eye-catching thumbnails to stand out in podcast directories and social media.

2. Leverage Social Media

Share short audio or video clips (teasers) from your podcast on platforms like Instagram, Twitter/X, and TikTok. Engaging visuals and sound bites can create curiosity and draw listeners to the full episode. Also, make sure that you’ve included all the information that people would need to find the full episode, either in the clip itself or in the caption – ensure that it’s obvious what the podcast name is, what episode the clip is from, and on what platforms listeners can find the full-length version!

3. Collaborate with Guests and Other Podcasters

Invite guests with their own audience to cross-promote the episode. Appear as a guest on other relevant podcasts to tap into their listenership, creating a win-win for both.

4. SEO & Podcast Directories

Optimise your podcast description, episode titles, and show notes with relevant keywords so it’s easily discoverable in search engines and podcast directories. Submit to all major platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

5. Engage Your Audience Directly

Encourage listener interaction by asking for reviews, answering audience questions, or creating community spaces (like Facebook groups or Discord). Engaged listeners are more likely to recommend your show to others – and hearing an enthusiastic podcast recommendation from a friend is often more likely to encourage someone to listen to your show than more traditional advertising methods (and it’s definitely cheaper!).

By following these tips, you can increase your podcast’s visibility, attract new listeners, and build a loyal following. Remember, consistency is key, so keep producing high-quality content and engaging with your audience. Happy podcasting!

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In 2018 The BBC launched BBC Sounds, a new audio platform to host audio, radio (both live and pre-recorded), and podcasts. I was in the right place at the right time, a young comedian who had got to the final of the BBC New Comedy Award the year prior, so when the staff at the BBC’s W1 offices were told there was a budget for new content and a mission to find ‘new talent’, I was one of the lucky few to get the phone call to ask ‘hey, fancy making a podcast?’.

It was a call that changed the direction of my career and indeed the direction of my life at that time. Six years later, with thousands of pounds of license fee’s payers money having gone in and out of my account, an ARIA award win at London’s palladium and six different series of podcasts under my belt, I look back and wonder ‘When I answered that call, did I even know what a podcast was?’

I pitched a few ideas back in 2018 but the one that stuck was to make a show about drug use in the UK. Jacob Hawley: On Drugs was born, a kind of gonzo journalism comedy/documentary podcast where I as host would travel the UK, interviewing people, performing stand up and having conversations, all with the objective of investigating how people use drugs in Britain.

My name was above the door, and indeed I hosted it, but I was partnered by a producer named Nick Coupe. Nick had been working in-house at the BBC on a mix of radio, TV and online projects for years, and I don’t say this to be kind, but I basically struck gold in being fortunate enough to make the show with him. Thanks to Nick, the show had everything; backing music, stings, artwork done by some feckless East London graphic genius, he found us huge guests to interview, he recorded me performing stand up and chatting to my mates and cut it all up into snappy, beautiful half hour episodes that discussed everything from drug laws, people shitting themselves in front of DJ’s, even conversations with the parents of a lad I went to school with who’d OD’ed on MDMA.

We made a show. We made a hit. We reached 12th in the iTunes charts, had millions of downloads, were featured in broadsheet newspapers, we had adverts going out on TV. It was the highlight of my young career. But at the time, I didn’t stop to think that, actually, we hadn’t made a podcast at all. We’d basically made a really, really good Radio 4 show, but we’d done it on a topic that Radio 4 wouldn’t have dared to touch, and in their infancy, BBC Sounds were naive enough to broadcast.

And then lockdown hit. I received no support money from the government as I’d only been self-employed two years, Nick the producer was in a similarly precarious position, so we drafted a new idea about a lockdown themed series and had it commissioned in a day. Financially, and for a short while I thought I’d won the lottery again; I could make the show remotely, we were getting huge guests because no one had anything else on, and our numbers were still strong. I couldn’t have known that, actually, lockdown was the end for what I was doing.

Within those months where we were all locked up at home, every man and his dog started making podcasts. James Acaster partnered with Ed Gamble, Rob Beckett with Josh Widdicombe, Danny Dyer with his daughter, stars of the screen dropped down a league, formed deals with Acast et al, and found success. When the masks came off and the doors opened with lockdown lifting, these guys had taken over the top of the charts, they’d made their branded deals, and they were finding it easier than they used to find doing TV… so why would they stop?!

People of my profile could no longer compete with the celebrities who’d taken over the top of the podcast listening charts. But cleverly, the other people on my level of profile were no longer trying to. Rather than trying to become megastars with broadcasters like the BBC behind them, podcasters on my level bought podcast mics off Amazon, downloaded Garage Band and just did it themselves. Podcasting became punk rock. You make it yourself, you put it out yourself, you find an audience by yourself, and they love you, for doing it all yourself. I watched my peers commit to a low-fi method of production but more importantly, a level of authenticity. And despite my efforts, despite journalists (nudged by the BBC’s PR teams) describing me as ‘authentic’, you can’t be ‘authentic’ and also make the kind of shows we were making, for the kind of money I was earning, with the level of production and editorial input that the BBC insisted that our shows had.

By the end of lockdown I was making the third in my series of BBC Sounds podcasts, a show about pornography and sex entitled Jacob Hawley: On Love. We made most of the show whilst dodging the protocols that come with a pandemic, we visited a porn site whilst wearing masks, the irony wasn’t lost on me and my producer that we were essentially making a show about intimacy whilst it was illegal to be too close to people.

The show did okay but numbers had been dwindling for a while. There was still an appetite for it from the listeners and the BBC, but as is often the case, things, and people, were moving on.

As I’ve already described, the whole landscape of podcasting had changed to essentially what it is today – shiny floor shows made on big budgets, with high profile hosts, funded by ads, OR basement, patreon funded, punk rock style shows that represent the alternative. I was a man with no profile making a show with a big budget that couldn’t be funded by ads. I was neither one nor the other, I didn’t fit into either category.

Also, as you’d expect with a show that was essentially a man in his 20s presenting shows on drugs and sex to a largely Radio 4 audience, we’d rubbed a few people up the wrong way, and the BBC were starting to get a bit tired of it. ‘Balance’ was the key word and the commissioners made sure I was kind to everyone, understanding of every viewpoint, and essentially didn’t nail any colours to any masts on any topics, to avoid potential complaints. That didn’t stop me writing things on my personal social media accounts that would sometimes wind people up. I was in a room once with Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC and a former Tory candidate. I don’t imagine an expensive show about drug use made by a lefty comedian who often tweeted things that wound up the older generations of the listenership was at the top of the list of things he wanted to recommission.

Things essentially came to an end because people moved on, our commissioner left as BBC Sounds cut their budgets for original content, our Exec moved back toward Radio 4 and my producer correctly found his place in the loftier world of television. I pitched a few new things to new people but the truth was I never loved the ideas I was throwing around and there was no longer either the space or appetite for someone like me doing what I could do.

What I should have done is carried one with what I was good at. I should have found a low budget way of continuing to create Jacob Hawley: On Drugs. I should have retained the IP and my own access to the RSS feed so that I could continue making the show with my name on it and getting it to the people who enjoyed it (I actually looked into the possibility of this and, despite the show having my name on it, I didn’t own it, and thus I wouldn’t be able to keep releasing shows under that name, despite that name being my name). I should have just begged Nick to keep making it with me on the side of his new job. My agents should have protected me with these rights upon signing contracts, but then, this had never happened before, podcasting was so new. These things happen.

And then I think about this sometimes and think, maybe not. I remember reading the reviews of the show on iTunes once, naturally paying attention to the only negative one I could find at the time (I’m sure there have been more since). The only two star review I could find basically said ‘it’s a fine show, but I just wish they’d hired a different host’. Now, I promise I’m not just personally hurt that this guy had enjoyed my show but specifically not the sound of, well, me. What jumps out is the fact he referred to me as the ‘host’. The host?! It was my fucking show! The whole thing was my idea! It literally had my name on it! It wasn’t the one show, they hadn’t just hired me to front it.

But here’s the thing, when you sound that well produced, when you spend that long doing different takes of the voice over, when everything is that well packaged… it isn’t really your podcast, is it? It’s the BBC’s. They’re paying for it. They’re editing it. Indeed, they had an awful lot of say on what I could and couldn’t say.

That was the lesson I took away from the whole experience. Sure, its great if your podcast sounds good, if it looks good, if its advertised well. But that’s not what a podcast is supposed to be. That’s a radio show, a TV show.

The point of a podcast is the listener should be able to get closer to you than they would if they were watching you on tele or hearing you on the radio. There should be a shorter gap between your idea and their ears, there should be less edits, less lawyers saying whether you can or can’t say something.

I didn’t give up on podcasting, but this realisation lead me to changing direction, and like many fallen stars who’ve been dumped by the BBC, I embraced punk rock.

I now make a show in my spare room, with two microphones, one that I stole from a mates warehouse, one that I bought online and I’m pretty sure doesn’t fully work. I film it on my phone.

It’s called The Screen Rot podcast. Me and one of my best mates, and indeed one of my favourite comedians, Jake Farrell. The objective of the show was simple – make something that replicates the way we make each other laugh on Whatsapp. For years I’ve been sending Jake the dregs of social media on Whatsapp, mainly as a wind up. I send him Instagram’s Nutter Of The Week, the weirdest bits of Tik Tok, and he will chastise the content, and then me for sending it to him.

That’s our show. Each week we find a different content creator. And we take the piss out of them. And we take the piss out of each other.

It doesn’t have millions of downloads, it has thousands. It will never be in a chart or listed as ‘most listened to’. But a few hundred people really love it. They message us constantly about it, they have a go at us if we’re not harsh enough on the content we’re discussing or indeed on each other. They interact with it more in their small numbers than the millions of people downloading my BBC shows ever would. They know for a fact that no one else could host it, because honestly, why would they want to?! It’s maybe not a hit, it has a cult following rather than a huge following, but most importantly, it’s a podcast. And its ours.

Listen to The Screen Rot Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>

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The Pod Bible team has given me a monthly column to discuss everything behind the scenes in the podcast industry. Calling it an “industry” still feels weird to me, as compared to TV, Radio and Film, Podcasting is practically a baby. But it’s thanks to people like the hardworking team behind Pod Bible; Podcasting is a dynamic, fast-paced and everchanging medium that basically has us all obsessed.

My name is Ross Adams, and I’m the CEO of Acast – the world’s largest independent podcast platform and home to the most valuable podcast marketplace. We help podcast creators earn value for their podcasts through ads, sponsorship and branded content.

This month I want to address something that’s been on the lips of the whole industry for a while now; AI. Yes, that two-letter acronym that can either strike fear or excite you.

Well, I’m here to tell you, for the time being anyway, that AI technology is nothing to be afraid of, and the work being done with AI in podcasting is genuinely groundbreaking. Yes, you might read headlines around ‘podcasts completely written and recorded by AI’, but at Acast, we still believe stories created by humans, for humans, make the creator economy so powerful and podcasts and podcast advertising so effective.

AI is nothing new to Acast; we have been using tools and developing products that incorporate AI for a while. So how is the wider podcast industry using AI? When it comes to creating a podcast, AI is particularly powerful when it can remove time spent on administrative efforts for creators and afford them more time to focus on what they do best: create incredible podcasts for you to listen to. There are also some brilliant examples of AI helping creators expand their audience, for example, across language barriers with AI translations. Some companies are even using AI to make podcaster’s jobs much easier. For instance, Headliner creates video clips from episodes. Uses AI to generate captions, select relevant images, and add visual effects to create videos for social media platforms.

If you’re not using Podchaser yet to discover your next great podcast (whilst reading Pod Bible, of course), then you’re missing out on another way that AI can help you, the podcast listeners. Podchaser uses natural language processing (a form of AI) to analyse episodes, show descriptions, and listener reviews to generate detailed metadata that enables audiences to discover podcasts based on specific topics, genres, or even specific guests. Basically, Podchaser will find the next big podcast for you to dive into.

Behind the scenes in the podcast advertising world, we use AI to assist in creating meaningful insights from things like listener data to improve the podcast advertising experience. Acast’s product development team uses AI to become more efficient and deliver more value to its customers, which are the brands and advertisers supporting all the podcast creators. I’m proud to say we were early adopters of the potential of AI in our product capabilities. For example, combining transcription with machine learning allows us to provide contextual-based advertising through keywords and content categorisation. We call this conversational targeting.

If that all sounds complicated, fear not, it’s what most content platforms – social media or video streaming – use to tailor their algorithms to specific users. We believe there is a place for AI within podcasting when used to enhance that human storytelling experience rather than replace it.

I promise you this column has not been written by the AI Bot 4000, but I would say that wouldn’t I?

Main image Ross Adams courtesy of Acast.

This article was created in partnership with Acast – the world’s largest independent podcast platform and home to the most valuable podcast marketplace. Acast helps podcast creators earn value for their podcasts through ads, sponsorship and branded content. Find out more at acast.com.

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Lou Sanders is a recognisable face on our TVs, often stealing the show. Seemingly out of nowhere she put in side splitting appearances on Hypothetical, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and, of course, Taskmaster. But to those in the podcast world it wasn’t out of nowhere, because she has been tearing it up as a guest on a wide range of podcasts for years now!

Lou’s unique takes on subjects have been what made her stand out on TV and they’re exactly what makes her a consistently hilarious and rarely repetitive podcast guest. Here’s some of our favourite episodes…

DRUNK WOMEN SOLVING CRIME
15: The Mother of All Criminals and Stolen Bermuda Shorts // Nov 2018

DWSC has been one of the blow up successes of podcasting, and, as luck would have it, two of Lou’s favourite things are drunk women and solving crime! The perfect guest, right? Not quite. She’s now sober. But fear not, as that doesn’t hinder her ability to approach the crimes in question from the strangest of angles. It makes no sense that she’s the only sober person. Listen now >>

UNEXPECTED FLUIDS
E4 S2: Sex tech Fails //Sep 2019

Taking your podcast live can throw up all sorts of issues but going live with a podcast about sexual mishaps and mistakes presents its own set of… unique hurdles. So who better for the London Podcast Festival appearance of Unexpected Fluids than the often uncomfortably comfortable Sanders! Lou gleefully shares tales of Tinder  terrors, fiancé foibles and so much more… Listen now >>

BIRTHDAY GIRLS’ HOUSE PARTY
New Year’s Eve // Dec 2018

The birthday girls bring party after party to the podcast world… but you don’t bring out a party pro like Lou Sanders for just any do. No, no no. You save Lou for THE NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY! Resolutions, choosing who to kiss at midnight and international New Year’s traditions all combine to make it a Birthday Girls’ House Party you really don’t want to miss. Listen now >>

FLIMS TO BE BURIED WITH
Christmas Special // 2018

After interrupting many episodes while living with host Brett at the Edinburgh Fringe, listeners were eagerly awaiting Lou’s full appearance on Films To Be Buried With. Sadly, things didn’t go quite to plan. As something of a precursor to her own podcast, instead of “first film you saw?” or “scariest/funniest film”, Lou proceeded to change the questions to “first cuddle you saw?” and so on. Ridiculous, but an unexpectedly tender and bloody lovely. Listen now >>

THE COMEDIAN’S COMEDIAN
110 // Feb 2015

Recorded three years before the episodes above, Lou’s chat with Stuart Goldsmith on The Comedian’s Comedian finds her in a much more calm and reflective mood as she discusses her career to date. Although there are sneak peaks of Lou’s performing persona, the majority of the podcast shows a side that we perhaps hadn’t heard before and allows us to learn about her journey as a comedian. Listen now >>

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We hope you enjoy these Lou Sanders podcasts. Read more Podcast Prophet articles in the Pod Bible magazine, which you can read online or buy in our shop.

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The podcast waters have been especially choppy in the past couple of months. A few of the bigger ships have cut their crews in half, others appear to be sinking. But, I think bigger waves are on their way. As a freelancer, my only option is to innovate, upskill, and try to catch a tube ride. To that end, this Revelation is a reflection on all of the columns I’ve written this year and how they might help us stay afloat.

In my very first column, I advocated for a one-year moratorium on the production of true crime podcasts. I felt the genre had morphed into something slightly grotesque – trauma porn. But the genre is lucrative and companies are never going to stop making true crime shows, so for the industry to survive ethically it felt like time for a pause. A chance for storytellers to find fresh angles and narratives. I see hope in shows like Short Cuts ‘Small Victories: The Gouging’ in which a thoroughly hilarious investigation is conducted into an unforgivable crime, Please Protect Abraham which explores the flaws in Britain’s witness protection system, and I Am Not Nicholas which investigates whether a convicted sex offender had faked his own death and moved to Glasgow. Could these true crime shows attract the same budget as the more violent stories, and save podcasting? Not on their own, but it might be a step towards repairing the industry.

My second column highlighted the growing number of celebrity-fronted podcasts. Whilst some talent choices make sense, spending half the budget on a celeb host purely in the hopes that their existing following will flock to the podcast does not. Often this celeb-first-approach results in a show where the host is going to ‘talk about anything and everything with my celeb friends’ – a format that is not only lazy but also boring. The budget might be better spent on funding more development time or paying the production team better wages, resulting in more nuanced narratives and innovative formats that elevate the medium…and in turn attract more advertisers. Love + Radio and Have You George’s Podcast being perfect examples of genre-bending, innovative podcasts that are pushing and evolving the medium.

We’ve lamented this creative stagnation, but alas we were recently hit with some bad news that I fear will only send us further down this path. A few of the creative avant-garde podcasts, such as Invisibilia, have recently been axed despite their acclaim and dedicated fan base. Production company Somethin’ Else recently handed back a few BBC contracts ‘amid concerns of diminishing commercial returns’ and quietly cancelled the podcast High Low with EmRata as Sony laid off podcast staff for a third time in two years. Following the news of cuts and layoffs at WNYC, the CEO of New York Radio pointed to Edison Research’s statistics showing that AM/FM radio’s reach is three times greater than that of podcasts, and so they will be focusing less on podcasts.

That doesn’t mean that podcasts are dead. They can still be wildly successful, but I wonder if these future successes will come from independent creators. Creators who are unencumbered by bureaucracy and company politics, who have full control over creative decisions, ownership over their IP, and a genuine connection with their audience. (Just typing that sentence brought me a flutter of excitement.)

To reiterate, podcasts are here to stay. Many times they were just used incorrectly, rinsed for profit (we’ve seen it happen in many industries), and often the people in charge of making the big decisions have never made a podcast or built an audience. So, I am trying to view this period of time as a difficult rebirth of the medium. An opportunity to make something different.

This creator autonomy and financial independence might be achieved through subscription platforms like Substack and Patreon – a concept I examined in my most recent column. The essence of podcasting lies in the connection between creators and listeners. When creators are empowered, it leads to more authentic and engaging content. Which is why I’m particularly interested in Patreon’s app overhaul. Patreon provides creators with tools to build a dedicated following and cultivate stronger bonds with their audience with features like direct messaging, exclusive content, and live chats. And of course there’s the added benefit of not having to worry about your show being axed out of the blue. In combination with other sources of financial support, a show could be more stable independently. A great example is Drunk Women Solving Crime, which is now being adapted for television!

I’ve been using this column to try and reveal the shows worth listening to and if you (like most listeners) engage in podcasts mostly through listening platforms, you might think that the shows that are featured in your favourite app are the best shows. Some of them are, some of them just had a good PR strategy and a big marketing budget. But hopefully I’ve shown that the best podcasts aren’t necessarily at the top of the charts, they aren’t always fronted by a celeb, and they may not have been produced by a podcast company. Sometimes, the best podcasts are the ones that are a little bit wild and a little bit accidental.

Of course, as creators, there are many benefits to building your show with a company – their network and existing relationships, a team of talented creatives to create with, access to a knowledge/skill pool far greater than your own, a legal team etc. But the truth is, there’s a lot of guesswork and experimentation behind company doors too. I’ve seen companies publicly dissect what an independent creator is doing well and retrospectively apply a strategy, but in reality there wasn’t a 45-point plan behind that creator’s success. They were small and independent and they tried something and it resonated with other people who came back for more, take Madeline Argy for example.

So, paddling out into the podcasting waters alone might seem terrifying and it might be harder and take longer to get out there but you might end up being more successful than you ever expected.

Useful Links:

In my second column, I called for the new age of audio to begin. Something that inspires me is looking outside of the podcasting industry. Recently, I was blown away by Los Santos +3°C – an experience that turned a server of GTA Online into a climate change simulator. I’ve also referenced VICE’s The Unfiltered History Tour in a previous column but it’s too good not to mention again.

I also wrote a column about audio and incorporating video into projects. I personally can feel a little bombarded with everyone using video in a similar way but projects like this one about the true story of Pocahontas inspire me to think outside the box.  [Ed. for more on that project, check out this episode of Stuff The British Stole]

Meera’s Recommendations:

Short Cuts – Series 33 – Small Victories

The Gouging sees a true crime being investigated – an academic conducts a study into missing forks and three friends search for the right note. The Gouging is Produced by Steven Jackson, Original music by Steven Jackson and Cue Shop, a music library and scoring co-op.

Please Protect Abraham

In Hackney, 2007, 15-year-old Abraham saves a stranger from a brutal attack. That split-second decision and act of astonishing bravery changes his life forever. Journalist Sam Holder has been following Abraham’s story for years. Together with Abraham’s friends and family, they retrace how this young boy finds himself in fear of his own life. Listen here >>

Invisibila

Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently. In their final episode, Invisibilia searches for the right way to say goodbye. Listen here >>

Love + Radio

Nick van der Kolk’s Love and Radio features in-depth, otherworldly-produced interviews with an eclectic range of subjects, from the seedy to the sublime. Get inside the mind of a rogue taxidermist. Listen here >>

Have You Heard George’s Podcast

In Have You Heard George’s Podcast?, spoken word artist George The Poet joins producer and composer Benbrick to create this narrative-style podcast where the narrator, George, delves into different themes and topics. Find out the best way to start listening here >>

The post Will podcasting survive? appeared first on POD BIBLE.

PB: TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR SHOW! WHAT’S YOUR PODCAST ELEVATOR PITCH?

Blindboy: My podcasts are monologue essays on whatever topic I’m genuinely passionate about at that moment. I’d consider them to be pieces of writing, because I approach a podcast like I would a piece of writing. I try to bring the structure, prose and storytelling of fiction, to subject matter that is factual.

WHY PODCASTING? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE FORMAT THAT APPEALS TO YOU?

I’ve worked for a decade as a writer and performer in TV. Because TV is quite a passive medium, you have to compromise creatively to grab the audiences attention. You’re competing with whatever app is on their phone, or the other channels on the TV. So, in a lot of cases, this means being louder, and brighter, and brasher. Unless the audience is absolutely there to watch your TV show. But in most cases, they’re not, you’re trying to reel in the uninitiated. As a creator, that’s minus craic, and it means creating a piece of work that you can’t fully stand over.

Podcasts aren’t passive. A person who’s listening to a podcast has made an active choice to listen to that podcast. They’ve created a space for themselves to be entertained . They’re less likely to be scrolling through an app. The experience of consuming a podcast, is a lot closer to reading a book.

As a creator, you now have room to be subtle, to take time, and to deliver a more thoughtful piece of work. I can make what I want to make, what I’d like to consume if I wasn’t me. Which is a pure privilege to do. That’s what I love about podcasting. It’s closer to a literary form.

WHAT‘S THE SECRET TO BEING A GOOD PODCAST HOST?

Be genuinely passionate. If you’re curious, and excited about what it is you’re chatting about, then your listener will experience that as entertaining and engaging. Be congruent and authentic. Let the words that you speak, match the emotions that you’re feeling in that moment.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES A GREAT PODCAST GUEST?

For me personally, it’s when I’m talking to a person who’s curious and passionate about their area of interest. When I chat with a guest. I want to learn, in the moment, and to get excited about what they’re telling me. I could be speaking to a vet who drains the rectums of cocker spaniels. But if they love what they do, then I’m there, I want to learn. That’s my job, as a person who hosts the occasional chat on my podcast. And I think, as listeners, we love to hear that. Because podcasts operate using the mechanics of empathy. There’s a dramatic technique in professional wrestling called Kayfabe. It’s an unspoken contract, between the audience and the wrestler. Where we the audience are consciously aware that the wrestling match is fake, but we ignore that, and submit to the emotion and spectacle.

When we listen to a podcast, we do that too. We plant ourselves in the conversation. We’re not listening to two people we’ve never met on our earphones. We’re smack bang in the middle of a conversation with our friends. A good podcast feels genuinely social. It’s not passive. It’s active. We suspend disbelief in order to do this. We tell ourselves a little lie. Just like a professional wrestling match. It’s kayfabe.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO BEFORE YOU STARTED OUT AND GIVE YOURSELF ONE PIECE OF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I came quite late to podcasting. Late 2017. I really really wish, I started earlier. Back in 2010. The weekly process of putting out work, would have massively benefited my creativity in other areas. Creating a piece of work is very important to my sense of personal meaning and mental health. The discipline of creating something and delivering each week has been really beneficial to me on a personal level.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR WORST PODCAST MOMENT SO FAR?

Pretty obvious one, but I have a fucking corrupted flash drive full of amazing interviews that never got backed up. I’m hoping I can get some cunt to retrieve the files.

WHICH EPISODE OR EPISODES OF YOUR PODCAST MEAN THE MOST TO YOU?

I did three podcasts on the history of disco music and how it became post disco and eventually house/techno. I’m a musician and producer. I think about music for about 70% of my day. A drum sound, a synth line, a melody. I care about these little details very deeply. They fill me with joy and wonder. Music is symmetrical vibrations of air that make us feel emotions. So translating that complexity into words, is very cathartic for me. Those three podcasts allowed me to explore an area that I’m really excited about, and to create a space where I’m verbalising very intense feelings using storytelling and metaphor. It was immensely enjoyable to do that. And If I ever tried to speak about music like that in a twitter thread, It would read like I was a pure prick. It required the congruity of my voice and emotion to not sound like a gowl.

Another podcast episode that I have a special fondness for is called “Boscos Throat”. I recorded it live on a street corner in San Francisco, using a stereo microphone, so that it captured a sense of 3D space. The podcast is a monologue. It was my thoughts on San Francisco at that moment, mostly whispered and hidden so that no one would interrupt me. But people would pass, or sit beside me and chat to each other. I had the podcast written, I knew what I wanted to chat about and how. But being on a busy street corner introduced chaos into the process. Most of the time, that chaos would be un-listenable, but on this day, it worked. So the end result felt like a fully produced radio play, written in the moment, with characters dropping in and out. Pure Participatory art. Dogs barking, trams going from left to right, the rumble of trucks. I’m really happy with that piece of work.

WHICH PODCASTS DO YOU TAKE INSPIRATION FROM?

I’m not a huge podcast listener. I enjoy Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast the odd time. This American Life. The Irish History Podcast. Of course Distraction Pieces, which was one of the podcasts that made me want to podcast. I did a podcast before, about podcasts. It was called “Krapps Last Jape”. I explored the idea that the first ever podcast was a Samuel Beckett play from the 1950’s called Krapps Last Tape. It’s an absurdest piece, about a man who records himself talking every day of his life, and then listens to them back. At the time, this would have been batshit mad as a concept. But now, it’s simply about a fella with a podcast. But the work of Beckett is something I’d consider to be an inspiration when I podcast, in particular, when I try to create “the podcast hug” as I call it. He has a play called “Not I” from 1973, it’s just a mouth, talking. It strips down speech, and listening to its bare minimum. There’s an intimacy to it. Where the words are both for an audience, but also a bit of a private monologue at the same time. I think that had an influence on me. I’m hugely inspired by the work of Joe Frank too. He was an American Radio host, who read out absurdest short stories that were specifically suited to be being heard, rather than read.

Being Irish also, I can’t detach myself from the tradition of the Seanchaí . It’s a form of Oral storytelling, unique to Irish culture that informs the way in which we tell stories, whether we are aware of it or not.

FINALLY, WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT FAVOURITE PODCASTS?

The last podcast I listened to was Our Thing by Sammy the Bull Gravano. He was John Gottis enforcer in the Mafia. He’s simply a great storyteller.

Listen to The Blindboy Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>

Find more interviews with your favourite podcasters in the Pod Bible Magazine >>

The post THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO… Blindboy appeared first on POD BIBLE.

As the festival draws near, we caught up with Founder, Dylan Pugh, to find out what we can expect at the festival this year…

It’s nearly festival time! Which shows are you most excited about seeing in this inaugural year?

They’re all going to be great shows obviously, but two in particular stand out for me. We have Morning Kombat, the leading MMA/Boxing podcast in the US and reigning Sports Podcast of the Year, flying over to play their first live show in the UK. They have a huge audience over here, and great guests lined-up, so that will be a great one.

And the FozCast will also be playing their first ever live show too, which is really exciting. I’ve been a huge fan of the way Ben Foster has built his own audience as a content creator – and he’s bloody good at it too! We’re excited for his fans to be able to watch the FozCast live in-person for the first time.

You mentioned some predictions for Sports podcasting in 2022 last time we spoke (more immediate content, the rise of the ex-professional, keeping episodes short and regular) – did we see it all happen?

We definitely saw more ex-athletes launch a podcast this year, from Jonny Wilkinson and Andrew “Beef” Johnston, to Neil Warnock and Chris Kamara. I would expect that trend to continue in 2023, with more current athletes in their prime joining the party.

Any things about 2022 podcasting that surprised you?

We didn’t see as much growth in the live audio space as I was expecting. Facebook flirted with it, but cooled their plans, Twitter Spaces has not been as widely adopted, and Spotify’s plans with Greenroom are yet to materialise at scale. In the same space, we saw more live-streaming and watch-alongs from leading sports podcasters – another trend I expect to continue to grow this year. And I was surprised by how quickly the live podcasting scene has not only returned post-Covid, but accelerated at such pace.

What are your predictions for sports podcasting in the next 12 months?

More current athletes in their prime to enter the game as podcasters, more sports podcasts going live and on tour, and in general, I think we’ll see some more variation in the types of podcast being created – niche topics and different formats. There’s clearly a formula that works for sports podcasting at the moment and I can see why people are sticking to that, but my opinion is that there’s now a lot of repetition. Those that do something different to the norm will cut through

Both the audio industry and the sports industry have a big gender disparity – do you think podcasts could help to engage these audiences?

Absolutely. There’s huge momentum around women’s sport right now and the growth trajectory is significant. To my earlier point, the sports podcast landscape is very ‘samey’ in terms of the format and profile of the hosts – and the gender disparity is shocking. So as women’s sport continues to grow in popularity, there’s a huge opportunity to add some fresh new voices to the space.

There’s already some amazing podcasts such as the No Balls: The Cricket Podcast, The Good, the Scaz & the Rugby and Jill Scott’s Coffee Club, and from our work with the Sports Podcast Awards, we are seeing more female producers out there too, which is great to see.

TV has made big strides in the number of female voices in sport, but these are not the current athletes and top stars themselves. Podcasts can be an amazing platform to showcase their true personalities and to build these characters and role models to inspire the next generation of female sport stars and audio creators.

I would urge anybody that commissions a sports podcast to think about the opportunity here, and the responsibility that we have as an industry to redress this balance.

For those interested in attending a live sports podcast show, how can they get involved with Pod Live?

We have live shows each night from Wednesday 8th to Sunday 12th February at Kings Place in London. There are two shows each night, with four on the Sunday, and tickets can be bought HERE. We have shows covering Rugby, Football, Cycling, F1, Combat Sports and some general sports comedy shows like Fighting Talk and Socially Distant Sports Bar – so something for everyone!

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