6 reasons why it’s the right time to start podcasting

Is now the time for you to produce your own podcast?

More Americans (3.6 million more) listened to podcasts in 2020 than 2019. The total podcast audience in the U.S. is growing by 20% a year. It sure sounds like the right time—but before you decide you’re all in, here’s a more important question.

Are you ready for the long haul?

Podcasting isn’t a fling. To build a following and see a return on your investment you need to produce a lot of compelling content—years of it. The top five U.S. podcasts according to Edison Research have all been around for more than three years (most of them for longer) and each has at least 100 episodes.

If you don’t want to commit yourself to a years-long project, podcasting might not be for you, or you might want to consider alternate routes within the industry, such as advertising in or appearing as a guest on an already established podcast.

What are you getting yourself into?

Podcasting isn’t a new phenomenon, but 14 years ago only 22% of the U.S. population had heard of it. Things have picked up since then—now 75% of the U.S. population has heard of podcasts.