🤯 Only 11% of podcasts make it to 50 episodes (2024)

The chance of a new podcast failing is 95%, according to new data from PodMatch . True crime is bringing in more annual revenue than any other podcast genre. And audiobooks are coming to Spotify Premium (okay, we're really excited about this one).

We've rounded up the last week's top headlines from across the podcasting industry in one place so you don't have to go scouring the internet for all the latest news.

Here's a sneak peak of what you can expect:

A huge new study indicates that there's a growing divide between marketers and consumers, one that's bound to cause issues with ad campaigns
Find out why everyone in the podcast world is mad at this one podcast network
Podcasts are found to be the most influential media channel in Singapore

Alright, enough with the breakdown! Let's dive straight into the roundup.

❗️ This Week's Top Headline

Starting an indie podcast? Your chances of "making it" as a podcaster might be as low as 6.33%, according to a new study

🤯 Only 11% of podcasts make it to 50 episodes (1)

PodMatch released their "Actively Established Podcast Report" for September 2023. They've defined an "actively established podcast" as "an interview-based podcast with at least 100 episodes and a release cadence of 10 days or less that’s run by a host who isn’t a celebrity, or part of a major media network."
The report looks at the phenomenon of "podfade", analysing how many podcasters end up consistently releasing episodes.
The findings are rather bleak. There are 2,878,959 total podcasts, but only 387,573are active. There has been no increase in the number of active podcasts since July 2020.
There are 475,493total independent interview-based podcasts with more than 1 episode, but only 118,951are active. This means that only 25% of possible future actively established podcasters are active.
Podcasts have a 94.77% chance of failure.

If this data reveals anything, it's that starting a podcast is hard.

But doing it with Poddster is a lot easier.

We've got industry-leading studios where you can record, friendly studio operators to help you every step of the way, and a team of superstar producers to help with your post-production. We've even content experts who can help you roll out your podcast and all accompanying micro-content across any platform you use.

Want to work with us?Find out more here.

🚀 This Week in... Podcast Advertising

Which podcast genre pulls in the most annual revenue? According to a new report by Rephonic , it's true crime. On average, true crime podcasts are earning $55,000 in revenue per year. The numbers could be misleading, however. Find out why here.
SiriusXM is making moves to bring more ad spend to the podcasting sector. Partnering with Barometer and ArtsAI, they've created "a first-to-market verification solution powered by reputable, innovative third parties for ultimate transparency and trustworthiness." Learn more about what this means and how it works on their website.
Magellan AI has added a new addition to their AI Measurement's dashboard, allowing advertisers to extend their campaign with similar shows. Discover how this can help here.

📻 This Week in... Podcast Platforms

Pretty soon you could be listening to audiobooks on Spotify Premium. Paying subs will have access to up to 20 hours of audiobooks monthly for free. Find out more about this exciting development here.
Turns out, you can't get rich by uploading your own song to Spotify and listening to it on repeat to rake in those royalties. This claim was made by financial analysts at JP Morgan, and Spotify's CEO had something to say about it.
Substack writers are moving their podcasts over to the platform in a bid to lessen their reliance on advertising and build a more direct relationship with their listeners. Podcast hosting on Substack is apparently growing at a rate of 70% year over year.

📊 This Week in... Podcast Marketing

There's a widening disconnect between marketers and consumers that is bound to hamper the success of marketing campaigns in a post-pandemic world. iHeartMedia and Pushkin Industries recently released the findings of a major study diving into this. Learn more here.
Lindsay Tjepkema, CEO and co-founder of Casted, the world’s first podcast and video marketing platform made for B2B marketers, writes for Forbes Business Council about why podcasts could be a key part of your amplified marketing strategy. Read all about it here.
Podcasts are the most influential media channel in Singapore, according to recent findings from Acast . Over half of Singaporean podcast listeners have made a purchase after hearing a product advertised on a podcast. Discover more of their remarkable findings in this article.

🎙️ This Week in... Podcast Production

Plan the launch of your podcast in minutes with this new AI tool from Alitu by The Podcast Host . Alitu Showplanner can generate a comprehensive action plan for your podcast, based on your answers to a few short questions. Give it a try here.
What's the best AI-powered transcription tool for podcasts? Transistor gives us the lowdown in this detailed article.
You can now add captions and subtitles to your videos in Riverside.fm . Their new tool allows you to transcribe your episodes, design the look and feel of the subtitles, and easily reformat your content to suit multiple social media platforms. Learn more here.
Acast podcasters can now access to more than 70,000 songs for use in their content creation, thanks to their partnership with Slip.stream . For six months, all Acast podcasters will receive free access to "Pro Level", with option to upgrade to their Pro plan at a discounted rate thereafter. Find out more here.
If you podcast with Castos , you can now transcribe your podcast for free thanks to a new initiative on their platform. Learn more about all the features they're offering here.

🫶 This Week in... Podcast Community

Everyone in the podcasting world is furious with podcast network Kast Media. The Verge dives into why in their latest story from their Hot Pod newsletter. You can also watch Coffeezilla's latest YouTube exposé to find out more.
Leading podcast platform PodcastOne becomes the first podcast network to award to its active hosts and all current employees equity in PodcastOne through shares of its common stock. Find out more here.
Matter introduces "Readable Podcasts" to its platform. Users can now save and transcribe podcasts, as well as highlight, take notes and share quotes. Find out why this is going to be a game-changer for listeners who rely on podcasts for education.
Launching in October, new quarterly publication Sound Sorceresses will celebrate the vast contributions women have made to the craft of digital storytelling. Learn more about the initiative here.

💡 Poddster in the Spotlight

On Speaking Terms by Lara Varlamova

🤯 Only 11% of podcasts make it to 50 episodes (2)

Holding a Master's Degree in Digital Marketing and 9+ years of global experience in a technology sector, Lara Varlamova is passionate about B2B podcasting. She recently launched her second podcast track, On Speaking Terms, where she speaks to experts about what it takes to transform brands into media enterprises.

Poddster is my podcast home and home is usually a place where you share everything, I come there for both fun and advice. And I hope more and more podcasters will start feeling the same with the growth of the community there.

Watch Lara's latest episode here 👇

🎧 Your Weekend Listening Lineup

Save yourself the hassle of searching for new shows on Spotify. Here are the latest episodes from our studio that you should have queued up.

😊 Thank you for tuning in!

We hope you found this first edition of This Week In Podcasts helpful, informative, and engaging.

As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated. Tell us what you'd like to see more of, whom you'd like to see featured and more.

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Catch you next week 🙌

🤯 Only 11% of podcasts make it to 50 episodes (2024)

❗️ This Week's Top Headline

Starting an indie podcast? Your chances of "making it" as a podcaster might be as low as 6.33%, according to a new study

🚀 This Week in... Podcast Advertising

📻 This Week in... Podcast Platforms

📊 This Week in... Podcast Marketing

🎙️ This Week in... Podcast Production

🫶 This Week in... Podcast Community

💡 Poddster in the Spotlight

On Speaking Terms by Lara Varlamova

Watch Lara's latest episode here 👇

🎧 Your Weekend Listening Lineup

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