Think about the last time you listened to the radio (AM or FM)?
Now think about the last time you listened to a podcast?
I’m sure you’ll find it was much easier to recall the last podcast you listened to as opposed to having listened to traditional radio. With the rise of streaming services (Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play) as well as an endless supply of podcasts to keep us entertained on our runs and commutes, traditional radio is a dying medium. For example, look at iHeartRadio: they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to decreased advertising revenue.
As I said before, there are so many factors pulling people away from traditional radio, and to be honest, I think the only people listening to AM radio are people who are eligible for Social Security and Medicare. We have become a society of instant gratification, and our consumption levels are through the roof and it does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. I am streaming Cardi B’s new album Invasion of Privacy as we speak and will continue to do so (on repeat may I add) because I can.
When subscription radio became prevalent (Sirius XM) there was a shift in the way people not only consumed music but also the way they consumed interviews, sports, and everything in between. Then came podcasts and eventually an overly saturated marketplace of content. Aside from the rise of streaming music services and commercial-free broadcasts, I believe that it’s amateurs (like myself) who feel we can create a platform for ourselves and compete with everyone else.
Continuously, it became much easier for the average Joe to create, produce and publish their own podcast. If you had enough money and know-how, you too can be a podcaster. While there are of course tiers to podcasters and distribution channels, the idea that we can one day achieve a greater exposure through both organic and paid reach is extremely advantageous.
For many years, people told me that I had a great voice for radio, I’m a great storyteller and orator. Throughout the past year of discovering myself and my passions, I decided I would start a podcast. Here’s the thing though, I had no clue what I was doing. Yes, I did use Google quite frequently and got myself a logo using a third party freelance graphic design service, but I was extremely amateur. My editing skills were zero and I would hope to record my podcast in one shot.
That was unbelievably unrealistic.
Eventually, I learned a few tricks and I got pretty decent at attempting to make my podcast legit. I tinkered with my format, asked my friends for their input and their criticism and made every attempt at bettering my podcast.
My first ten episodes, if anything, were a definite learning opportunity. I would blast it out on my business Facebook page and promote the hell out of it using boosted posts on Instagram as well.
Here’s the thing about being an amateur though: you’re an amateur.
Viewership/listeners are going to be extremely scarce in the beginning. You have to build goodwill with your listeners, especially strangers. Why should they devote their time to listening to your podcast over anyone else’s podcast? The first ten episodes I did were a trial run to see if I wanted to pursue this for real. To be honest, the highlight of my podcasting experience was interviewing a cast member from The Real World: St. Thomas and then having her blast it out to her followers. For me, that was a huge accomplishment. That vindicated my work (I wouldn’t necessarily call it hard work) but it showed that I was semi-serious about my podcast. Unfortunately that euphoric feeling wore off when I saw a drastic decline in listeners and plays the next two podcasts.
What I discovered is that when you’re an amateur, not only are you competing with other amateurs, you’re also competing with reality stars, tech-savvy journalists and broadcasters, and ultimately corporate podcasts.
In all honesty, I’ve aspired to be on reality television. I’ve applied to be on The Real World multiple times, and I obsessively tweet to my favorite and least favorite cast members of multiple shows in hopes of starting an epic Twitter feud to get me cast (one can only hope). Either way, I view my competition in the podcast world as these very reality stars I strive to be.
Some of my favorite podcasts are done by reality stars, from Susie Meister (Road Rules) and Sarah Rice (Real World) called Brain Candy, to Derrick Kosinski (Road Rules) doing his Challenge Mania podcast, as well as Straight Up With Stassi by Stassi Schroeder (from Vanderpump Rules) fame. There are of course podcasts hosted by various alumni of The Bachelor/Bachelorette and you can find them all on the charts in any podcast app.
Podcasting takes very little talent, an ability to be verbose and enjoy hearing yourself talk, and if you have enough money, you can outsource the technical work to create a decent product.
Essentially, traditional radio is dead and talent-less (but on occasion extremely educated), narcissistic, self-deprecating human beings have taken over a once prestigious industry. I guess all those stereotypes about millennials killing industries is ever true, and radio as we know it will come to cease in the near future.
You can listen to the Rudnick Rants podcast here or download on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher & Google Play Music.
Featured image via Unsplash
