The question almost arises: Who isn’t hosting a podcast these days?
Comedians Mike Ward, Sam Breton, Guy de Temple, Francois Bellevuell, and Charles Bochezen (who just won an Olivier Award for History’s worst moments …), Actress and host Marina Orsini, legal affairs journalist for Radio Canada Isabel Richter, host Good night ! Jean-Philippe Wauthier has their podcast. In the United States, Barack and Michelle Obama as well as the entire Clinton family (Hillary, Bill, and Chelsea) host a podcast.
The American Journal Forbes He recently stated that “Podcast hosts are the influencers of the future,” and that more and more big names should be expected to invade in this popular format. Within a year, podcast viewership increased by 24%, according to an OTM report released last fall. In New York, the Tribeca Film Festival added a soundtrack to its competition. “Podcasts are popular with all audiences,” says Caroline Gammett, Executive Director of Radio and Voice at Radio Canada, who launched her OHdio platform a few months before the pandemic began in November 2019.
Niche content
What attracts podcasts: flexibility, freedom, and the ability to reach specific audiences. Artists like Beyries use it to promote their albums and brands (Sephora and eBay) to promote their products. Even Laval City has launched a podcast!
The main attraction remains stature. The host is a passionate person who wants to talk to other enthusiasts no matter where in the world they are. People have found a community through podcast.
Catherine Mattis, Director of Business Intelligence at the Canada Media Fund
What started out almost as a professional experience has become a coveted sector for the big players. In recent months, Apple, Google, and Spotify have invested in podcasts and Netflix will join them soon: The digital platform has just created the position of Director of Audio and Podcast Programming.
On Radio Canada, “Podcasts are undoubtedly at the heart of the strategic development of digital content,” says Caroline Gammett. With 95 audio files, 45 of which are in-house, OHdio doesn’t stop there. “Digital audio is the priority for the next few years,” she adds. Younger players like advertising agency Sid Lee and production company Blimp TV, among others, produce the podcast. It remains to be seen if the big names like Attraction Images or KO Média will follow suit.