This is an archived page from 2019. Find out more
Emily Prokop is the founder of E Podcast Productions, an expert podcast editor, the host of Work Your Podcast and the author of the book The Story Behind. She’s one of the most positive people to be around in the industry and today she’s part of our Crystal Ball series.
PBJ: How would you summarize podcasting in 2019? Emily Prokop: Welcome to the Thunderdome. Kidding! But it has definitely grown exponentially. More advertisers, more celebrities and brands creating podcasts, more podcasting tech companies. From the inside, it seems like it’s getting a bit crowded, but we have to remember it’s still a very new and growing medium.
PBJ: What surprised you the most about 2019?
Emily Prokop: The community aspect of podcasting getting a lot of the spotlight. I worked in journalism for years before podcasting, and I’m used to observing and not having any obligation to get involved, but when I got into podcasting, I knew it was going to be different. Between staying connected on social media and seeing more and more podcasters at various podcasting conferences, the community-over-competition atmosphere still surprises me, but in a very good way.
PBJ: What disappointed you the most?
Emily Prokop: The plagiarism accusations. But I knew something like that would eventually happen since there isn’t really an attribution style specifically for podcasts yet. I’m hoping the introduction of the International Podcast Association will help put something together to help with that.
PBJ: What three things do you expect to happen in 2020?
Emily Prokop: 1. Android users get a little more love from podcasters — we listen to podcasts, too! 2. More celebrities will get into podcasting, bringing new audiences to podcasts, which is a great thing for everyone. I have a feeling Office Ladies is going to inspire a lot of similar podcasts. 3. Bigger and better podcasting conferences. When podcasters get together in person, some amazing things come out of it, and I’ve gotten to see that firsthand at conferences this year.
PBJ: There seems to be some anger toward radio getting into the space.
1) Do you believe that to be the case?
Emily Prokop: Yes, some.
2) Why is that? Isn’t it a good thing that more players – no matter where they come from – are joining the podcasting craze?
Emily Prokop: I don’t think anyone is upset that radio is getting into the space; I think the anger comes from the perceived arrogance coming from some of the radio-turned-podcasting players. For example, when iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman said “Podcasting is Radio’s Birthright,” of course it’s going to ruffle the feathers of those who have been in the industry for years. I am hoping that if they are serious about being a part of podcasting, they also embrace the community aspect of it, which many radio folks already have and have seen success for doing so.
PBJ: Will subscription models survive the long haul?
Emily Prokop: Not forever, but probably for a long time.
PBJ: What will advertisers think of podcasts over the next 1-3 years?
Emily Prokop: If they’re not already in it now, they’re going to want to get in soon because podcasters are realizing the influence they have and sponsorship prices are going up. I also hope they really do the research to find out how ROI works with a podcast, as opposed to another medium.
Emily Prokop’s company is E Podcast Productions and she can be reached at emily@epodcastproductions.com. Listen to her podcast at TheStoryBehindPodcast.com.
Coming Tomorrow: Rob Greenlee More from our series with: Steve Stewart Evo Terra Matty Staudt Robin Kinnie Steve Goldstein