Gandhinagar: Initially recognized for its audiogram creation capabilities, Headliner, in a few years, has evolved into a comprehensive suite of tools designed to empower podcasters in expanding their audience reach.  Headliner CEO and co-founder Neil Mody recently sat down with James Cridland and Sam Sethi for a podnews.net interview. Mody gave insights into the evolving world of podcasting, and his company’s role in facilitating growth for creators of all sizes. 

Mody emphasizes the significance of tools like Headliner in adapting to the rising prominence of video within the podcasting landscape, particularly on platforms like YouTube and Spotify. 

Mody wants Headliner to evolve into a comprehensive suite of tools for podcast growth, catering to podcasters of all sizes.

Creating short social media videos: This strategy utilizes platforms like YouTube and TikTok to reach new listeners.

Leveraging the “Disco” product: Disco helps convert website readers into podcast listeners.

Mody believes that video is becoming increasingly important for podcast growth, especially for interview-style podcasts. While he acknowledges that audio remains crucial for listener retention, video can be more effective at attracting new listeners. This belief stems from observations that video podcasts tend to gain larger audiences.

He sees platforms like Spotify and YouTube as key players in this shift toward video, as they are actively incorporating video features into their platforms. Mody emphasizes the importance of embracing video and adapting to audience preferences, while recognizing that audio-only consumption will persist for certain types of shows.

Focusing on developing tools that leverage transcripts: These tools include Eddie, a transcript-based editor, and promo packs with AI-generated descriptions and keywords.

Expanding partnerships with podcast hosts: Headliner recently integrated with Hub Hopper, enabling Hub Hopper users to access Headliner’s transcript-based tools.

Exploring the potential of an open API for their analytics engine: This would allow publishers to access and utilize Headliner’s first-party data on clip consumption. 

Mody highlights the vast untapped potential of podcasting, noting that only a small fraction of the online population currently listens to podcasts. He encourages podcasters to consider platforms like YouTube and Meta to reach broader audiences.

Mody acknowledges the growing trend of video consumption within the podcasting realm, particularly for interview-style podcasts, stating that video content proves more effective in attracting new audiences.  He suggests that while initial audience acquisition may be better served through video, audio remains the preferred format for long-term retention.

This trend aligns with the strategies of platforms like YouTube and Spotify, which are actively promoting video podcasting. Mody notes that even during his exclusive period on Spotify, Joe Rogan commanded a larger subscriber base on YouTube, indicating the audience preference for video on that platform. 

Mody believes that creators seeking audience expansion need to recognize and leverage the potential of video, particularly on platforms like Meta and YouTube, which collectively represent a significant portion of the internet’s user base.

Headliner is looking for collaboration and white-label integration, partnering with podcast hosts like Hubhopper to provide their users with access to the platform’s advanced features without requiring them to develop solutions from scratch. 

The integration with Hubhopper specifically focuses on incorporating Eddie’s transcript-based tools for efficient clip generation and streamlined social media posting. Mody highlights Headliner’s cost-effectiveness and ability to stay abreast of evolving AI and language models, making it an attractive proposition for hosts looking to enhance their offerings without diverting resources from core functionalities.

Mody advocates for allowing creators and consumers to shape the future of podcasting, rather than dictating it through industry mandates.  He expresses concern over the potential dominance of YouTube in the podcasting landscape, echoing sentiments shared by James Cridland regarding the platform’s reliance on algorithms and programmatic advertising.

Both Mody and Cridland champion the importance of maintaining the unique characteristics of podcasting as a multitasking medium, urging creators to consider the implications of aligning too closely with platforms like YouTube.

Sethi adds to the conversation by highlighting a debate within the podcasting community regarding the adoption of a new RSS tag called “content links.” This tag proposes to embed direct links to Spotify and YouTube within the RSS feed, potentially directing listeners away from dedicated podcasting apps and further empowering the large platforms. 

Sethi expresses strong opposition to implementing this tag, arguing that it would essentially prioritize traffic generation for Spotify and YouTube over the interests of independent podcasting applications and the open ecosystem.

The discussions with Neil Mody shed light on the evolving dynamics of the podcasting landscape, where the embrace of video and strategic platform partnerships are becoming increasingly important for audience growth. However, concerns remain about the potential for large platforms like YouTube and Spotify to dominate the industry, potentially compromising the open nature and unique characteristics of podcasting. 

Moving forward, the podcasting industry needs to find a balance between leveraging new technologies and platforms for audience expansion while safeguarding its core values and fostering a collaborative environment that prioritizes creator choice and consumer interests. This requires open dialogue, industry-wide collaboration, and a clear understanding of the long-term implications of embracing trends driven by external platforms.