Podcast Trends 2022: Live Podcasting

Podcasts appeal to so many people because they allow you to consume at your own pace. When your favorite podcaster drops a new episode, there's no need to rush to your earbuds to listen right then - that show will still be there next week or next month when you have time to invest in that episode.

But despite the appeal of on-demand listening, many podcasters are opting to go back to a more primitive time, when you had to be at the radio at the right time on the right night or you'd miss your show: the LIVE podcast!

As competition increases in the podcasting world, podcasters are doing what they can to set themselves apart, and creating live episodes leads a sense of exclusivity & urgency to their shows that wouldn't be there with recorded episodes.

Like most things in the podcasting world, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Some podcasters create their shows live and publish the recordings for on-demand consumption. Others stream live episodes only for special events like guest call-ins or in conjunction with another happening. And still others live-stream to at the same time every week with no option for watching/listening on-demand.

Platforms that support live podcasting abound - with both audio-only options AND video options: Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Streamyard, Twitch, and Zoom are just a few. While most of these are free, some like PodBean, are monetizing the live podcast trend by charging listeners to attend the live stream or by charging podcasters to stream their shows.

What does this mean for you?

Live podcasting is a trend that's poised for growth as we head into 2023 and it might be a worthwhile one for your show if you want to spice up your podcast life.

For Podcasters: Evaluate whether this is a trend you want to use in your podcast repertoire. It might be a huge boon to your listenership to have the option to attend (in-person or virtually) an airing of your show, or it might be a turnoff to your listeners to not have the on-demand options. Make sure you're judging every trend through the eyes of your idea listener!

For VAs: Get familiar with your clients' ideal listeners (pre-course content covers this in-depth for those of you who are members of the Association) so you can help your podcasters determine whether this trend is one they need to jump on, or is one they can let slide. Or, if you love the idea of live shows, consider adding live-stream support to your list of services.

This is one trend that we at Podcast VA Association believe is here to stay, so expect to hear more from us on this topic in future emails.

That's all for you today! Have a great day and we'll chat again later this week. 🙂

Kelly