Podcasters compete with traditional media

"I don't listen to your podcast anymore. Truth be told, I've found your quality lacking especially now that broadcast pros and media companies are getting in on the action. And to be honest I don't have time to sit and listen to two guys talk about how great their Mac Book Pro is. Sorry, but I've moved on. "

If you think that sounds like a breakup letter then you'd be right. It's been on my mind lately as I've culled through the dozens of podcast subscriptions I have. Maybe it's harsh to say, but I've grown a little tired of the "scene". Oh man, I sound like an old man now.

To be perfectly honest I bought into the whole podcast thing early on, and at the suggestion of a friend briefly ran one. The cast was discontinued not for lack of listeners or money issues, but because a lot of work went into making a top-notch program. In those days podcasts were created by amateurs and aside from other podcasters folks rarely listened to them. Now it seems like everyone has jumped on the bandwagon and there are even more podcasts to choose from than ever before. The problem is that podcasting isn't the amateur/homebrew item that it once was. Major media has embraced the idea and you can easily locate original and syndicated programs via various podcast directories.

The problem is that while podcasting has been growing, it's also experienced a step up in terms of quality. Media veterans have brought more diverse topics, better guests and interviews, as well as more professionalism to podcast programming. As a result it's become harder for amateurs to draw the crowds that they once did, and even harder to attract sponsors. Podcasts also face increased competition from Vidcasts or video podcasts which continue to grown as well. Sites like Democracy Channel Guide track over 100 shows that are being published on a regular basis.

While the future of podcasting is uncertain, the similarities between the it and the webpage boom of the mid nineties are striking. Early on websites were authored by hobbyists, students and amateurs much like podcasts. But as the Internet grew, companies quickly realized that they too needed their own web presence. So to has the phenomenon of portable entertainment changed the way traditional media companies approach their audience. Some reports state that people under 30 are far less likely to watch TV or listen to radio for entertainment. I predict that podcasting and vidcasting will continue to grow not just as portable devices become more powerful, but as media companies realize the vast untapped market that has been created.

In the meantime traditional homebrew podcasts will continue to be squeezed out of the mainstream, though I don't think they will disappear entirely. Much as commercial sites like Yahoo and MSN didn't put the personal webpage out of business, so too the personal podcast will survive. Just don't look for me to start casting my own anytime soon. However, I may yet eat my electronic words.