This is an archived page from 2020. Find out more
In our Tuesday installment from our industry experts on the year that was and the year we are about to jump into, we check in with Author, Writer, Podcaster and CEO of The Thought Card, Danielle Desir.
“While 2020 was wildly unpredictable, it was a year of tremendous growth for indie podcasters. First, 2020 was the year of learning. This year, three organizations created paid podcasting memberships focused on education, including WOC Podcasters, She Podcasts, and Podcast Academy. Each membership offers webinars, courses, templates, and more. In addition to attending conferences multiple times a year, I see more podcasters seeking ongoing mentorship as they work to sharpen their skills, expand their audience, and monetize.
“We also saw a significant shift from in-person events to virtual.
“Podcasting conferences like Podcast Movement, Podfest, and Afros and Audio all moved into the virtual events space. Podfest Global Summit broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Largest Attendance for a Virtual Podcasting Conference in One Week. Podthon, the virtual podcasting conference I co-founded with Lee Uehara from Asian American Podcasters Association, gained several sponsors’ support. Virtual podcasting conferences, summits, and events are profitable, and they are here to stay.
“In 2021, I predict more podcasters choosing to share either some episodes or move their entire catalog behind a paywall. Plenty of companies are already offering built-in, private podcasting, including Spreaker, Captivate, and Acast. I’m most excited about Acast because they recently rolled out an exclusive partnership with Patreon, offering podcasters the ability to make more money by creating a membership around their podcast.
“What was the biggest story in 2020 (that had nothing to do with the pandemic)? TikTok made a splash in 2020. Before removing the app from my phone, I spent hours (more than I’d like to admit) watching short skits and learning new dances on the app. My attention is now set on Clubhouse, a new audio-only social app great for learning, building relationships, and business.”
Our previous interviews Neal Shore - Triton Digital CEO Todd Cochrane – Blubrry Founder Rob Greenlee – Chairman of The Podcast Academy Board of Directors Matty Staudt – CEO of Jam Street Media Jack Hobbs – CEO reVOLVER