By Cliff Dumas

2021 continued to be a record-setting year for podcasting. As we enter a brand new year, what does the podcast ecosystem look like?

At the end of 2021, Spotify had become the leading listening destination for podcast consumption. The big three podcast tuning platforms (Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify) also expanded share.

Advertiser and agency interest in podcasts continued to rise: Podcast advertising consideration, intention, and usage were at an all-time high according to a November 2021 Advertiser Perceptions study of 300 media agencies and marketers.

So, what will 2022 hold for podcasting? One thing is certain, podcasting is a must content strategy for any brand, company or organization and we’ll see more and more brands expand their content reach with podcasting. A strong podcast strategy can set the foundation for content production across multiple social platforms that amortize the podcasting effort.

According to CUMULUS MEDIA and Signal Hill Insights' Podcast Download Fall 2021 Report, brands and advertisers can find hard to reach digital audiences via podcasts: Heavy podcast listeners are massive users of video streaming

We align with the CUMULUS MEDIA findings and expect more and more brands will want to explore social audio as a podcast fan engagement platform. energized over the promise of social audio. 36% of heavy podcast listeners say they are very interested in social audio. Podcast hosts are uniquely qualified to leverage social audio as they understand how to create compelling content and have a loyal built in fan base eager to experience podcast hosts in a live forum with Q&A opportunities.

As 46% of heavy podcast listeners say they are very/somewhat likely to attend a live event for their favorite podcast in the next six months. Events will capitalize on fan appeal and create revenue streams for content producers.

Women rule! More and more content will be created for women who represent the majority of America's newest podcast listeners: 60% of those who began listening to podcasts in the last year are women who have very distinctive podcast content tastes. 

Podcasts offer a solution for connected TV/linear TV audience losses: Many persons 18-44 are now lost to linear and CTV advertisers as they mostly watch ad-free video subscription platforms. Podcast advertising to the rescue. Two out of five podcast weekly listeners mostly watch advertising-free video streaming.

For more on how we can help give your brand a voice, visit Everything Podcasts.com