Podcast Gumbo: Why We Listen

June 8, 2020 00:45:39

Paul Kondo joins Tim to talk about why we listen to podcasts, what’s the appeal, and some of the podcasts he likes. Paul is the editor of the leading podcasting industry newsletter for listeners called Podcast Gumbo, and new in 2020, the Podcast Gumbo Podcast.  Podcasting has shaped the way we think, but there’s something more to it. In this episode we explore the appeal of podcasting.

According to an industry web site that tracks podcasting called MyPodcastReviews.com, there are 1.1 million valid podcasts now in existence. Those shows represent a total of 29.8 million podcast episodes you could listen to.

At current rates, nearly 10,000 new podcasts are added every day. And only about 500 podcasts are removed every day.

Just over half of all of those 1 million podcasts – 500,000 – are considered active. That means that 500,000 podcasts are actively creating and dropping new episodes.

Now, before we get too excited, keep in mind that of all of the podcasts that exist, only 43 percent have gone as far as to produce more than 10 episodes each. That means that more than half of the podcasts that exist won’t get past the 10th episode.

If you’re a podcast listener, chances are you do it while you work out, or while your working in your home office, or while you’re driving, or doing chores around the house, or walking or hiking, or commuting.

You take your favorite podcasts with you wherever you go.

So, what are you listening to?

Another website called PodcastInsights.com has some interesting statistics of its own. Consider these numbers from Nielsen Q3 2017 Podcast Insights.

Fifty percent of all households are podcast fans. That’s 60 million homes.  Roughly half of all podcast listeners are men and the other half are women. Listenership is even across men and women.

The largest demographic for podcasts is people from 35 to 54 years old. The second-largest listener group are younger – 12-34 years old. Those 55 years old and older are the third-largest group of podcast listeners.

Half of all listening is done at home. 22 percent is done while driving. The media platform of choice is a smart phone. Podcast listeners listen to about 7 different shows per week. Eighty percent listen to all or most of each episode. This is unusual when compared to most other media you consume on a computer or smart phone.

Some of the top genres are comedy, education, news, true crime, history and self-help. But the truth is, if there is something that interests you, there probably is a podcast about that.

The podcast industry was in the middle of its dramatic growth in April of 2018.  That was when our own podcast was one month old. It was also when Paul Kondo decided to turn his interest in podcasts into a thing.

That thing was to help people find good podcasts to listen to. That was when Paul created a newsletter called Podcast Gumbo.

Links

Podcasts Mentioned in this Episode

About this Episode’s Guest Paul Kondo

Paul Kondo brings dedicated experience in multiple industries, including Inbound Marketing, Hubspot integration, digital media, film and tv, web development, education, publishing, healthcare, real estate, budgeting and financials, and telecommunications.

Paul’s strength is his knowledge and use of technology to create more efficient systems.

Paul is a natural teacher with a desire to help people learn and improve. He has managed numerous projects to help kids learn including Funderstanding’s award winning roller coaster simulation as well as being a certified Apple instructor for their Final Cut Pro editing software.

On the film and tv front, Paul has worked on socially important documentaries that include Control Room and I Sit Where I Want but also has edited multiple Sundance selected comedy shorts and films.

Recently, Paul founded the Podcast Gumbo Newsletter, a weekly email that focuses on and recommends individual podcast episodes to help cut through the massive and confusing world of podcasts.

Beside the newsletter, Paul blogs with a focus on helping people succeed (and podcasts) which can be found at paulkondo.com.

Tim O’Brien

Tim O’Brien, author, senior media advisor and veteran damage control expert, takes you inside the issues, the stories and to the people who reveal things you may not know, and other things some may want to keep hidden.  With over 35 years in handling high stakes and complex crisis management situations, and in his own comfortable style, Tim probes to uncover what’s real and what matters. What will shape the future. He developed the Shaping Opinion podcast to help you see how influence is at play every day. Get a fresh perspective that will help you see through the spin.