My favorite podcast would have to be The Colin and Samir Show. I don’t really consume it on podcast streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, but I consume their video podcasts on YouTube. Colin and Samir are a YouTube channel of two dudes who give advice on creating content, and they also interview big creators and talk for more than an hour about their story, success, and the current creator economy. The main reason I love it so much is because it’s educational for my interests, but even more than that, they tear down the veil and get into the nitty-gritty of what it’s actually like being a content creator. Lots of YouTube videos you would just casually watch, but they really show the details of the business side of YouTube, which is extremely interesting as it’s a growing industry.
I think that podcasts specifically are one of the most lucrative forms of media right now. The thought that you can start a podcast network from just talking with your buddy every week is a real possibility. TMG Studios is a great example of that. But podcasts are great because if they’re filmed, you can upload that to YouTube as a video podcast. You can also upload it to streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You can get lots of sponsors because of the length of the episodes as well. But the best thing about podcasts is that there is so much content produced that it could be edited down into highlights and clips that can go on short form platforms as well, building your reach. Video blogs are also a great style of content, since it makes you feel like you’re a part of someone else’s life. Audiobooks are similar to podcasts, but don’t have any of the benefits that I laid out above. The only benefit to an audiobook is that it is immediate payment of the content.
Audio is a great side of digital publishing that still has tons of potential in the market. Right now it seems like everybody has a podcast, but it is easy to succeed if you take the right steps in promoting yourself outside of the podcast streaming platforms. Everyone who drives to work has three options: Drive in silence, drive with music on, or drive with a podcast or audiobook on. For me, I love spending long drives or long periods of monotonous work while listing to a podcast. And with more hyper attention media on the rise, consuming podcasts can be the thing to do while doing something else, if it isn’t already.