Podcast Corner: Five podcasting trends to watch out for in 2021
Annie Mac, Doireann Garrihy, Fearne Cotton, Conor Behan, not to mention former Today FM presenter Muireann O'Connell - all are radio presenters with their own podcasts, unaffiliated to their employer. Their professional qualities make them stand out - many new shows from amateur podcasters (aka the good old days) take time to find their voice. As we reach Peak Podcast, expect to see the trend continue...
Allied to this, perhaps it's getting even more difficult for newcomers and amateurs to get any footing in the podcast landscape. When the likes of Tommy Tiernan can top the charts with two separate shows in a matter of months, where do listeners make space in their schedules for the indie newcomer?
It was fascinating to see Second Captains, a subscription-based sports network, take on an investigative hook in 2020, co-producing, with BBC Sounds, the brilliant and important crime series Where is George Gibney? Coupled with this was the superb Isolating podcast with David O'Doherty. Second Captains is already a playful, free-wheeling operation so maybe it was easier for it to go in such directions. Could we see more long-running podcasts branching out in new directions?
Last year saw big deals to bring the Joe Rogan Experience and the Ringer podcast network to Spotify, while the New York Times purchased Serial Productions. The year ended with news that Wondery, home to the likes of Dirty John, among many others, has agreed to a reported $300m deal with Amazon. As the big tech companies eye up more subscribers, content is key for them. And it's easier, if expensive, to sign up a renowned network of shows in one go. Further bonanzas may lie ahead.
It started with the West Wing Weekly, which recapped the much-loved series episode by episode, co-hosted by one of its stars Joshua Malina. And now also every TV series, beloved or not has a behind the scenes/recap show: Fake Doctors, Real Friends is hosted by Scrubs stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison; Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey helm the (US) Office Ladies; while one of the hits of 2020 was Talking Sopranos, led by Michal Imperioli and Steve Schirripa. That's not to mention recaps like the just concluded The Wire: Way Down in the Hole or official shows such as The Crown: The Official Podcast. By the end of 2021, there won't be a show left on TV without an accompanying podcast - anyone for a Love/Hate podcast for its 10th anniversary?
