Thoughts on the ‘podcast election’ – what’s behind podcasting’s recent surge

My story with podcasting

I first started listening to podcasts in 2006, in my 5th grade of primary school, when I started using iTunes to listen to the Hamish and Andy show. I often joke that listening to podcasts every day of my life since then has significantly rotted my brain. In the last few years, I’ve used a few of my last remaining brain cells to produce some great podcasts, grow their audiences on social media.

Are you looking for examples of my podcasting work instead? Click here.

In 2023, I worked full time as the Community Manager for RØDE Microphones. Podcasting is a huge business for RØDE and their products like the PodMic and RØDECaster Pro II have become ubiquitous in the field, for new entrants and established professionals alike. This role put me in contact with with thousands of creators, from niche bedroom microcelebrities making a living from an engaged Patreon audience, to major media organizations reimagining their approach to audience engagement.

Source: eMarketer

What’s behind podcasting’s recent surge?

Being engaged in the podcasting world for almost 20 years, I wasn’t surprised to see a recent upswing in the relevance of podcasting and podcasters, with some commentators even going as far as to call last year’s US presidential election “the podcast election” (if you’re not familiar with the discussion around this topic, check out this fantastic piece by Ashley Carman for Bloomberg Technology.

At RØDE, I saw that podcasting has become the default medium for creators looking to go professional, and organisations looking to grow an authentically engaged audience. Here’s why:

1. Podcasting is a content creation strategy which is fluidly multi-platform

Modern content creators often feel trapped by the limitations of their primary platform. While TikTok creators struggle to monetize their massive followings, YouTubers live in fear of algorithm changes, and Twitch streamers battle against poor discovery features. The conventional wisdom suggests expanding to multiple platforms, but this approach often leads to creator burnout and diluted content quality.

Podcasting offers a elegant solution to this dilemma – compelling conversations naturally adapt to other formats.

• A single podcast episode can become:

  • A full-length YouTube video
  • Multiple short-form clips for TikTok and Instagram
  • Lots of transcribed content for SEO

2. Podcasting naturally funnels your audience away from algorithmic intermediaries

While social media platforms promise creators access to massive audiences, they act as gatekeepers between creators and their followers. This dependency creates significant risks:

• A single platform policy change can devastate years of community building
• Algorithmic shifts can make content invisible overnight
• Monetization rules can change without warning
• Account suspensions can sever creator-audience relationships instantly

Podcasting, however, creates direct relationships with listeners. When someone subscribes to your podcast feed, they’re connecting with you directly—not through a platform’s algorithm.

3. Podcasting had been underestimated since the flop of the “Serial” bubble

My experience at FBi Radio in 2014 gave me a front-row seat to the biggest overnight success in this history of podcasting: Serial season one. When Serial launched, it created a gold rush mentality around narrative podcasting. Major media companies poured millions into trying to create the “Netflix of podcasting,” chasing a format that represents only a small slice of audience interest.

While there’s absolutely a place for narrative podcasting (and I love creating it), the truth is, most podcast listeners just aren’t looking for highly-produced narrative content, and as a result, a number of high-profile podcasting businesses went under. Since then, podcasting has seen enormous growth from:

• Authentic conversations
• Expert insights
• Community connection
• Comfortable, reliable content

I think part of the reason “the podcast election” has been such a hot discussion topic in the wake of the 2024 US election has partly come from people who had simply written off the significance of podcasting as a medium, and were forced to adjust their perspective.

4. Podcasting is social, and is actually fun to do

Unlike the often solitary grind of creating social media content, podcasting is inherently collaborative. This social aspect creates several advantages:

• Every guest is a potential collaborator or client
• Guests have built-in motivation to share episodes
• Conversation-based content is less draining to produce
• Regular interactions with guests and listeners create genuine relationships

Successful content operations can take months to develop, or longer. By making that experience worthwhile for you and your team, you’re increasing your chances of success, significantly.

The collaborative nature of podcasting also means you’re not just creating content—you’re building a network that can lead to opportunities well beyond your show.

5. By creating intimate connections with audiences, podcasts can create real change

Honestly, in the wake of every recent election, I think the influence of that year’s most prominent media trend has been overstated. That said, the “podcast election” of 2024 demonstrated something I’ve long observed, that podcasters are able to develop uniquely powerful connections with their audiences. This intimacy comes from several factors:

• The long-form format creates space for nuanced discussion and deep exploration of ideas, allowing conversations to breathe and develop naturally.
• Through regular presence in listeners’ daily routines, podcasts become integrated into intimate moments—whether during morning commutes, evening walks, or quiet moments at home.
• Audiences generally feel like their time listening to podcasts has been well spent, unlike their time scrolling social media feeds, which they will often tell you feels wasted.

What I can do

I’d love to help make your podcasting project successful. Whether you’re looking to launch a new show, improve your existing podcast, develop a multi-platform strategy, build stronger audience connections, I can be your one stop shop, able to:

• Help you craft a podcast strategy that can succeed across multiple formats and platforms
• Use my own equipment to film, mix, and record your show, either online or in person in Sydney
• Broadcast it live (if that’s relevant to you)
• Mix, master, edit, and publish audio and video shows
• Create engaging album artwork and motion graphics to give your show an edge over the competition
• Monitor your show’s performance across various feeds and platforms, and use all available audience data to iterate and optimise your show’s strategy going forwards