The podcasting landscape is evolving rapidly, with new strategies emerging for audience growth, branding, and technology. The BBC Academy’s ‘Future Of’ events explore different areas of the creative industries and how they might look in years to come. Here’s what caught our attention at the Future of Podcast event in London on April 22.
Session 1: The Future of Podcast
Chaired by Marianna Spring (BBC), with panellists from BBC Sounds, Spotify, Podimo, and former Sony Music.
The conversation began on an optimistic note. Jonathan Kanagasooriam from the BBC reported that the number of podcast listeners in the UK increased from 10 to 16 million over three years. Steve Ackerman, formerly of Sony Music, observed that video content does not diminish audio audiences. Citing the Infinite Dial survey from Edison Research, he highlighted that 59% of podcast consumption in the UK occurs at home, indicating that podcasts are replacing traditional television time rather than audio time.
Talia Stolerman of Spotify emphasised that loyal listeners are more than twice as likely to return within a month compared to occasional listeners, underscoring the value of cultivating a dedicated audience.
Session 2: Video Podcasts – Or Should We Just Call It Video?
Chaired by Emmanuella Kwenortey (BBC Sounds), with panellists from Persephonica, BBC Speech Networks, and Listen.
The panel debated whether ‘video podcast’ is the right term, ultimately agreeing that audience behaviour is more significant than terminology.
When it comes to developing a video presence, they identified three primary creative challenges: developing YouTube formats for audiences under 25, producing companion content for programs, and adapting popular radio formats for video while preserving their essence (radio audiences will tell you if you are messing about with their world!). They pointed to examples such as Traitors: Uncloaked, a BBC Two companion podcast that quickly evolved from an audio-only format to a visualised one through a series of iterative improvements based on viewer feedback and data; and Game’s Gone: The Steve Bracknall Podcast (BBC Sounds) that leapt from comedy fiction to a real football match watched by over 300,000 people, including 10% of livestream viewers under 18, a group the BBC usually does not reach.
Not every podcast, they agreed, needs to be seen as well as heard. The decision to add video depends on who is watching, what resources are available, and whether the story truly benefits from being told in pictures. The essential question remains: what does seeing add that listening cannot?
Production quality can range from fancy sets to simple home recordings, yet it is increasingly important to carefully consider building a set that reflects the show’s identity rather than using a standard studio. This made us think about new job opportunities in a professionalising industry, such as set design!
Session 3: The AI Revolution – Tools, Trends & Ethics
Chaired by Nicky Birch (BBC Generative AI Programme), with panellists from Bauer Media, FlightStory, and BBC Audio.
This session brought together a variety of perspectives.
Artificial intelligence is streamlining podcast production, with tools such as Descript and Adobe Enhance making processes once reserved for specialists more accessible. A standout example came from Bauer, which recently rolled out an innovative technology on its radio station, KISS. This system generates a jingle for each song, matching its key and tempo in real time. In the past, creating this effect would have been nearly impossible as it required an enormous team and constant studio sessions, but with AI, the sound can be generated automatically and at scale.
On the other hand, Richard Hooper from BBC Audio expressed concern about excessive dependence on AI writing tools. “Writing is thinking. If you can’t write, you can’t think. And if you’re a radio producer that can’t think, you’ve got a problem.” He also cautioned that most free AI tools use your content to train their models, which is a serious consideration for professional broadcasters.
As expected, all agreed on the need to maintain human involvement throughout the process.
Session 4: Don’t Just Listen, Belong – Community Building 101
Chaired by Rhian Roberts (BBC), with panellists from To My Sisters, Goalhanger, and Rusty Quill.
This session stood out for its focus on advocacy and community.
Courtney Daniella Jesse of To My Sisters observed that a podcast’s growth depends less on the host and more on listeners who share it within their circles. Hannah Rashbass of Goalhanger drew a parallel between podcast communities and the loyalty found among football supporters, suggesting that belonging persists even as the wider media landscape becomes more fragmented.
Hannah Brankin from Rusty Quill shared a scary anecdote about a Discord community that grew to 12,000 members and became so unmanageable and unsafe for participants they had to close it. The lesson is that sustaining a community can be far harder than building one, a reality that is often underestimated. On whether one can build a community around narrative fiction, her answer was, “If there’s a fandom around a film, a TV show, a book, why on earth would you think a podcast would be any different?”
If there was a thread running through the day, it was the value of authenticity. As content becomes more uniform and audiences scatter, it is sincerity and distinctiveness that seem to set successful creators apart. Audiences, ever more discerning, can sense when creators are chasing trends or profit, and tend to drift away. The future, perhaps, belongs to those who can embrace change without losing what makes them singular.
