It\u2019s hard to ignore the\nimpact COVID-19 is having on the Australian media landscape. Some media formats\nare experiencing huge audience surges, while others are bracing for the worst\nwith businesses scaling back and some making redundancies. It\u2019s strange times\nto say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Podcasting is one of the\nlucky ones \u2013 the medium, once an \u201cemerging platform\u201d, is cementing its place\nwithin the Australian media landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like all players, we expect\nboth challenges and opportunities ahead. Only one thing is for certain \u2013 this\npandemic will change audience listener behaviour forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no mirror ball for\nwhat lies ahead. But we can look at the changes happening now, and how they\nwill impact the future of audio in Australia tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s what we know right\nnow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1) There\u2019s an even\ngreater influx of Aussie podcast content<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Australia has a strong\nhistory of local podcast content, and it\u2019s particularly well-known globally\nwithin the true crime category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s exciting is that we\u2019re\nnow seeing quality (and high reaching) Aussie podcasts being launched across\nall different genres \u2013 from news and politics to comedy, sports and\nentertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fans of The Bachelor\/The\nBachelorette can now tune in to Abbie Chattfield\u2019s It\u2019s a Lot or Georgie Love\u2019s\nEveryone Has an Ex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Julia Gillard\u2019s A Podcast of\nOne\u2019s Own and Osher Gunsberg\u2019s Better Than Yesterday cater to those interested\nin thought-provoking interviews and issues-based conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While those looking for more\nlighthearted relief can subscribe to Meshel Laurie\u2019s Welcome to Hell or even\nThe Art of Decluttering by professional organizers, Amy Revell and Kristy\nFarrugia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those examples are just the\ntip of the iceberg. What\u2019s encouraging is that we\u2019re seeing all sorts of\nindependent podcasting content emerge in Australia \u2013 and this is growing even\nmore significantly as the country continues to embrace audio-on-demand content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) Audience figures\ncontinue to skyrocket<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The rise of Australian\npodcasting has been covered significantly, but interestingly, COVID-19\nself-isolation measures have further propelled this growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just last month, 24.8 million\nlistens were recorded in Australia, a 6.5% growth over the previous month\n(which was also a record-breaker).<\/p>\n\n\n\n While this could be\nwritten-off as a short-term surge, our prediction is that Australian audiences\nwill continue to seek out podcasting content and add it to their daily media\ndiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In particular, the data shows\na 28% uplift for podcasts in the news and politics category as audiences seek\nour more independent on-demand news from reputable sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many Australian news podcasts\n\u2013 from Schwartz Media\u2019s 7am to The Guardian\u2019s Australian Politics Live \u2013 are\nseeing their audience figures grow and we expect this momentum to continue\nmonth-on-month both during the pandemic and in a post-pandemic world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) Podcasting ROI is\nunder the microscope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The pandemic has further\ndemonstrated podcasting\u2019s ability to reach the unreachables \u2013 those who shy\naway from traditional media but do listen to (and can be targeted via)\npodcasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But as more advertisers jump\non board, brands and their agencies continue to demand greater flexibility when\nit comes to podcast advertising, as well as more detailed measurement to show\nROI on podcast ad spend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a world where every ad\ndollar is being questioned, measurement has never been more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Final thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The above is just a sample of what\u2019s to come. And while we don\u2019t want to downplay the hardships many in the media and marketing industry are facing, it is important to celebrate the wins and look for new opportunities where we can.
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