With an exponentially growing listenership👂, podcasting has captured the imaginations of both creators and listeners, inspiring a shared sense of excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead. In the media landscape, podcasting offers a vast and ever-expanding library of content encompassing a diverse range of genres and styles.
A current definition of podcast is 🎤“a piece of episodically, downloadable or ‘streamable’, primarily spoken audio content, distributed via the internet, playable anywhere, at any time, produced by anyone who so wishes”🎤. The composition of a podcast is judged on five aspects:
👉Expertise and credentials
👉Accuracy
👉Quality of Information
👉Production Quality
👉Currency
How has the concept of podcasting changed since 2003 ?
Podcasts initially relied heavily on RSS feeds for distribution to listeners, a concept that remains cherished by many podcast enthusiasts. However, current listener consumption habits indicate🧐 a shift towards streaming rather than downloading podcasts. Additionally, while the episodic format of podcasts has been widely recognized, there is a growing trend of releasing content as standalone pieces, akin to movies, lectures, or concerts. Moreover, despite being primarily an audio medium, there have been significant multimedia endeavors, such as podcasters recording accompanying videos or companies offering “enhanced” podcasts with visual elements to aid navigation and enhance understanding.
Today your show could be one of the 473,870 active shows on Apple Podcast in August 2023, and you may have published your first episode which is among the 85,047,441 episodes made available in there since 2005. With an exponentially growing library and listenership since the first podcasts in 2003, and 1 out of 10 UK adults planning to start a podcast in 2022, it is clear that podcasting has become a key feature of our media landscape.
While the present state of podcasting presents a boundless space of opportunities, the future of this medium remains shrouded in uncertainty.🤔
Several groundbreaking technologies are currently poised to revolutionize production methods and listener experiences, introducing new dimensions of personalization and immersion. 👉Recent research supported by the XR Stories project, partly funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council Creative Industries Clusters Programme, carried out by researchers from University of York, BBC-Research & Development in UK and University of Miami and Music Artificial Intelligence Algorithms Inc in USA✨ have 🔍interviewed 16 leading podcasters about their work and what they wanted from next-generation podcasts. The research also tries to understand the requirements and expectations of tools that could be built to create new forms of audio-based programming.
Among these transformative innovations are advanced transcription solutions powered by artificial intelligence, enabling the generation of subtitles for episodes. Semantic audio editing tools are further enhancing precision and efficiency, while spatial audio capabilities in listening devices are unlocking immersive soundscapes.
The development of tools like👉 Audio Orchestrator a BBC Makerbox innovation, has helped podcasters create content that harnesses the loudspeakers in everyday devices all around us – in our smartphones, tablets and laptops – to play out a fully immersive audio experience.
Whether you want to create a captivating surround sound piece for the home or an innovative installation at an event, Audio Orchestrator gives you a chance to experiment and deliver a listening experience like no other to your audience. The tool’s unique creation process ensures that the experience can adapt to fit any number and many different types of devices – even if this changes during listening
Developed by 👉BBC R&D, Audio Orchestrator allows you to take your audio projects and rework them into interactive, 360°, spatial audio that envelops your listeners in sound – from above, from behind, sending sound to one, many or all connected devices to tell your story in a new and unique way. The technology was recently used for immersive podcasts like👉 Monster and Spectrum Sounds, which exemplifies the strides being made in creating spatially rich audio experiences. Additionally, the growing interest in object-based media and its potential applications to podcasts, through adaptive podcasting or non-linear programs, presents further avenues for exploration.
🌈Despite the transformative potential of these technologies, relatively little is known about podcast creators’ perspectives on their integration and impact. 🔍Data focusing on podcast creators often revolves around demographics rather than their insights and opinions.
In contrast, perspectives of industry professionals in traditional media, such as film and radio, have been extensively documented in dedicated academic publications. This disparity highlights the need for a deeper understanding of podcast creators’ experiences and expectations.
Listeners’ enthrallment with on-demand audio content stems from several factors, ✨including the medium’s versatility and ability to transcend expectations. ✌Podcasts offer a diverse range of formats, fostering loyalty and engagement among listeners, who often organize listening parties or engage with complementary content.
The motivations for listening to podcasts are varied, with studies indicating that entertainment and social belonging are significant factors. Media producers are drawn to podcasting for its ability to reach a wide and growing audience, currently encompassing over 41% of people over 12 years old in the US every month.
The🧐 podcasting industry’s value, estimated at $11.46 billion in 2020, further underscores its commercial appeal, with revenue streams derived from advertisements, sponsored content, and paying subscriptions.
The creative freedom afforded by podcasting allows for the development of unique and innovative projects. To fully envision the future of podcasts, it is essential to gain a deeper understanding of current practices, behaviors, and perspectives among podcast creators.
😎Scholars like Valdecir Becker, Daniel Gambaro, and Thais Saraiva Ramos in their research work Audiovisual design and the convergence between HCI and audience studies propose an inclusive approach to designing audiovisual software that integrates Human-Computer Interaction and Audience Studies into one Audiovisual Design method. This method analyzes the roles of various actors, including 👁the audience (passive listeners), synthesizers (listeners who curate content for others), modifiers (listeners who interact with content by modifying it), players (engaged listeners), and producers (content creators).✨
Advertisers and platforms play significant roles in the podcasting ecosystem, each with distinct expectations from next-generation podcasting. While existing literature adequately details the needs of listeners, understanding the expectations of advertisers and platforms is more complex due to their disembodied nature.
🔍Focusing on “podcast creators” as target users provides a valuable lens through which to examine motivations and expectations. Understanding these factors could be the missing piece in the puzzle of designing future podcasting tools and technologies that not only enhance the 😁user experience but also optimize content production and delivery.
As podcasting continues to evolve⏲, it is evident that a collaborative approach involving podcast creators, technology developers, and researchers is crucial to shaping the future of this dynamic medium. By fostering open dialogue and shared understanding, we can ensure that podcasting remains a vibrant and innovative platform for storytelling, education, and entertainment.
🤖How have new audio formats used for podcasting over years?
In 2003, the idea to distribute audio files via RSS feed was novel. The MP3 file format itself was only a decade old, and being tech-savvy was a requirement for any upcoming podcaster. Since then, there have been many improvements to the systems behind podcasting, including 👉new audio codecs –such as M4A and OGG—and the automatization of RSS feeds offered by third-party providers such as 👍Podbean, Buzzsprout and Anchor.fm.
🤔What do podcast creators envision as “next-generation podcasting” ?
Podcast creators envision “next-generation podcasting” as involving a form of improvement of the listener experience (a “listener-centric” vision of next-generation podcasting), but they also show an interest in using the technologies presented as tools to simplify production and reduce their workload (a “creator-centric” reaction to the demonstrations).
Creators expressed two separate goals that appear to contradict each other. ✨The first is to improve listener experience, through a combination of new formats, higher quality audio, or finding ways for content to be more engaging for audiences. The second is to simplify and streamline their production process, by using faster, smarter, more efficient tools.👍 Creators are particularly interested in technologies that could be 😉applied to adapting their content to their audience, whether for editorial or accessibility reasons.
👂The emphasis is now on listener-focused literature
The nature of podcast consumption is unique to the medium. Podcasts can be characterized as “private experience,” but they can sometimes approach what the authors call a “collective audience,” where listeners participate in creating an event without directly influencing the narrative.
Podcast listeners are generally considered an “intimate audience,” expected to form a direct connection with the content. Overall, the podcast experience is rooted in human interaction and the concept of social belonging. This is evident not only in the content but also in how listeners access, browse, and curate their podcast collections.
The proliferation of podcasts has made navigating distribution platforms increasingly challenging, necessitating efforts to personalize the listener’s experience on a platform level. While guidelines for podcast production exist for specific genres like education or news, there is limited evidence of shared production workflows, practices, and goals across genres and production networks. Researchers must address these gaps to develop tools that will usher in this new era of podcasting.
💖What is the concept of personalized/personalized podcasts?
Podcast personalization encompasses two key aspects that work together to improve the user experience: personalizing both content and the user interface. Personalized digital libraries offer services that can be categorized into three groups:
👉Mechanisms for content personalization
👉Mechanisms to aid in navigation
👉Information filtering and retrieval mechanisms
These themes are also evident in literature focused on personalization, particularly web-based or smartphone-based technology.
💖Personalizing Podcast Interfaces for Enhanced Immersion and Accessibility
Currently, podcast interfaces are primarily visual and accessed through a smartphone screen. This presents opportunities for new listener-audio interactions using voice, sound, gestures, motion recognition, or implicit preferences and habits through user metadata. Exploring different interfaces would benefit immersion and accessibility.
🔥Immersion
Integrating new modes of interaction with podcast programs could enable producers to tailor the interface to the listener’s habits, enhance navigation, and improve concentration.
🔥Accessibility
Alternative interaction methods could provide solutions for listeners who are engaged in other activities while listening or have visual or motor disabilities
😲Personalized Podcast Content: Beyond Fixed Formats
The fixed nature of podcast content, often in the immutable MP3 format, limits flexibility. Other “fixed” media, like TV, are evolving with accessible soundscapes and non-linear content.
✌File Format Adaptability
File format should be considered when developing personalized content but should not be seen as a barrier to innovation.
✌Enhanced Podcasts and Adaptive Podcasting
The growing interest in enhanced podcasts, chapters, and adaptive podcasting demonstrates the potential for personalized content.
🤓Further Modifications of Podcast Content
Beyond non-linear narratives and soundscapes, other content modifications could be applied to podcasting
👌Responsive Spatialization
Adapting sound to the listener’s environment for a more immersive experience.
👌Voice and Sound Synthesis
Generating personalized voiceovers or sound effects.
👌Reverse Engineering Tracks to Stems
Extracting individual stems from a podcast to allow for personalized remixing.
👌Server Communication
Supporting saving of user-generated data and near-real-time collaboration.
What Tools do Podcast Creators Use and Why?
In the dynamic realm of podcasting, creators rely on a diverse array of tools to bring their audio masterpieces to life. While the podcasting landscape is devoid of standardized practices, both independent and BBC-affiliated creators share a common preference for user-friendly, versatile tools that seamlessly integrate into their collaborative workflows. To delve into the habits and expectations of podcasting practitioners regarding their software and equipment, we embarked on a quest to uncover the essential tools they employ and the rationale behind their choices.
Prioritizing Efficiency and Compatibility
Our research, guided by the question “What tools do podcast creators use and why?”, revealed a set of key attributes that podcasting practitioners deem indispensable in their chosen tools. Efficiency, compatibility, usefulness, comfort, and value for money emerged as the top five priorities, reflecting the desire to streamline production processes and maximize the effectiveness of their tools.
Needs for Future Podcasting Tools
To cater to the evolving needs of podcasting practitioners, future podcasting tools should strive for:
✔Widespread Compatibility: Seamless integration with various work tools to enhance collaboration and streamline workflows.
✔Exceptional User Experience: Intuitive design and straightforward interfaces that minimize the learning curve and empower users without coding expertise.
✔Versatility and Adaptability: Catering to diverse production styles and preferences, enabling creators to personalize their podcasting experience.
Accessibility and Inclusivity: Ensuring that tools are accessible to users with varying levels of technical proficiency and physical abilities.
Striking a Delicate Balance
The future of podcasting lies in striking a delicate balance between listener experience and creator efficiency. By embracing purpose-driven innovation, discarding problematic ideas, and carefully considering the impact of new technologies, we can usher in an era of truly next-generation podcasting.
Authors
Jemily Rime: University Of York, UK and BBC R&D, UK
Alan Archer-Boyd: BBC R&D, UK
Tom Collins: University Of Miami, and Music Artificial Intelligence Algorithms Inc, USA
Read the research paper