Oxford Road, in partnership with Edison Research, published a podcast and a white paper. :Structuralization for maintaining its essence and expanding.
Researched by US podcast listeners, this report reveals important insights into how listener habits, industry fragmentation, and ambiguity in podcast definitions are affecting the future growth and commercial viability of podcasts.
Despite the rise in podcasting as a multibillion dollar industry with enormous cultural influence, the study identifies key identity crisis driven by the convergence of audio-only content and video formats that are prevalent by platforms such as YouTube and Spotify. According to new data:
72% of Americans + 12+ consider recordings of people discussing topics on YouTube that can also be used as audio-only shows elsewhere.
“We're looking forward to seeing you in the future,” said Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road and Veritone One.
“Audio-driven media, which once was a niche, is fragmented across platforms, formats, and metrics. Our research shows that there is a need to create a unified standard that welcomes innovation while maintaining clarity to make podcasting stronger and fostering sustainable growth.”
The whitepaper survey includes insights from over 4,000 people (performed by Edison Research), qualitative interviews with listeners, and more than 30 leading industry executives featured in the Oxford Road Media Roundtable Podcast series.
The report proposes a new work definition:
Podcast (noun): “On-demand audio-driven program featuring episode content across a wide range of themes and formats. Traditionally provided via open RSS, provided essentially conversational, can contain platform-based distributions, and are generally complemented by video.” Video Podcast (noun): “On-demand program of episodes centered around audio word content, where synchronized visuals significantly shape the experience.”
The study highlights that by resolving definition ambiguity and measurement discrepancies, we can unlock billions of dollars in advertiser investments.
To address these challenges, this paper calls for industry-wide collaboration to recommend open measurement protocols for podcasts, interoperable privacy safety metrics, and clear taxonomy across all platforms.
You can download the full white paper. What is a podcast? : From the Oxford Road website, its essence, its structure for expansion.
Listen to Spotify or Apple for a complimentary podcast series that explores the future of podcasting.
