Episode 006 - Trends in Podcasting for 2025

Hey there, and welcome to Your Voice Uncovered, the Became podcast. I'm Eoliana, your go -to podcast launch strategist, hockey mom, and passionate champion helping you uncover and amplify your unique voice in the podcasting world. Whether you're just getting started or you're ready to take your podcast to the next level, this is the place where we dig deep, get real, and most importantly, discover the true power of your voice. Every episode, we're going to explore what it means to podcast with authenticity and purpose from uncovering your unique voice to mastering the mindset needed to thrive. I'm here to guide you every step of the way. My mission? To empower you to fully embrace your podcasting journey, connect genuinely with your audience, and create content that not only resonates but transforms. So grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let's embark on this exciting adventure together. Because here, it's all about balance, communication, collaboration, authenticity, mindset mastery, and empowerment. Yep, that's became an action.

I'm so glad you're here. Let's get started. Hey, hey, podcast enthusiasts, and welcome back to another episode of Your Voice Uncovered where we dive deep into the world of podcasting and help you uncover your unique voice. Today, we're gonna be talking about the top podcasting trends for 2024, 2025, and how you can take advantage of them to grow your show and connect with your audience in new, impactful ways. So, we've got stats, we've got tips, we've got some practical advice, we've got some chit -chat talking from me, so, how about we get started? Alright, so, first up, believe it or not, educational content is the reigning champion of podcast genres. Who would have thought, right? Even though you might think sports, tech, entertainment, news, podcasts like that are topping the charts, educational podcasts are actually where it's at. That is the secret sauce.

So a recent report shows that 88 % of podcast listeners in 2023 tuned in to podcasts just to learn something new. Now that number is up from 74 % in 2019. Now I can attest to this. I am one of those. I do go to podcasts now more for the educational than just the entertainment. But as you can see, that's a huge leap or not see here. you can find the full breakdown of this data on marketing charts. I will add that to the show notes,

that website so you can look at that. So the question is, what's driving this? Well, 61 % of podcasts enthusiasts in the US hold advanced degrees. Now that means that they're hungry for more knowledge. They already are educated and they want more education. They understand the benefit of the education. But here's the kicker. Educational content alone isn't enough. You don't wanna just spit dry facts at your audience because that's not going to work.

What's working is a blend of education with entertainment. So shows like Stuff You Should Know. They combine storytelling with practical knowledge, which is why they're such a success. So here's how you can tap into this trend moving forward into 2025. Five, blend education with entertainment. Don't just inform, engage with your audience. Share personal stories or fun anecdotes or quotes that are gonna deliver the valuable insight as well as entertain. Number two, focus on actionable tips. People love learning things that they can immediately implement into their lives. So break down complex ideas into simpler steps. And number three, add a niche spin. Think about the audience's interests within your group, create educational content tailored to those needs. Alright, next up, let's talk about AI tools. I know the elephant in the room, it's like literally the largest elephant ever out there.

So as most of you know, AI is transforming podcasting in huge ways. In fact, 25 % of podcast creators are already using AI to streamline their production, with another 58 % open to trying it. Whether you're using AI for transcription, editing, or content repurposing, tools like PodSqueeze and Descript, which I'm a huge fan of, are making it easier than ever to focus on what you love, which is the creation process. But not everybody's on board. Some podcasters are concerned that AI might reduce the authenticity of their shows and only 53 % of listeners are comfortable with AI generated voices. Still, the vast majority, around 80%, fully support using AI for tasks like sound improvement and transcription. If you're curious about how the industry stands on AI, check out the latest data on ACAST.

So it's a website and it is A -C -A -S -T if you wanna check it out. Now I'll give you my insight. I am a fan of AI to a point. So I do use tools like ChatGPT when I'm stuck on ideas and have ChatGPT give me ideas on episodes, content, blogs, things like that. and then I'll go in there and once I have the idea or the outline of the idea, then I go in and create whatever it is that I'm trying to create at the moment. I also use Descript for transcription. I think it's a lot easier than trying to transcribe it yourself. I also use voice recorders and audio recorders when I'm trying to think of ideas in the moment. I'm much better at speaking than I am at writing, so using an audio recorder and things like that are definitely helpful. I am not a fan of using AI -generated voices. I think it is inauthentic and unreal, and I think if you're going to use a medium such as podcasting to speak to your audience, you want your true voice to be heard. You do not want some AI -generated voice to speak to your audience because that's not you.

And here we are all about authenticity and showing who you truly are. So now, how can you leverage AI in your own podcast? So number one, start small. Use AI for tasks that take up a lot of your time, like editing or creating show notes, transcribing, coming up with content ideas, things like that. Number two, try transcription services. AI transcription tools like PodCastle and Descript can quickly turn your episodes into written content, boosting your SEO and making your podcast that much more accessible to others. And number three, experiment with content repurposing. Use AI to pull short, engaging clips from your episodes for social media. These bite -sized videos are perfect for TikTok or Instagram and driving traffic back to your show. So those tools, I think Opus Clip is one of them that does that. Headliner is another one that does that.

So experiment with tools that work with what you're trying to accomplish. All right, next up is we're going to be talking about short form video content. So this is a game changer for the promotion of your podcast with over 5 million podcasts in 2024. Yes, you heard that right, 5 million in 2024. The competition is fierce. Short videos, usually around 30 to 60 seconds, are the perfect way to grab attention quickly. A whopping 90 % of marketers using video have reported a boost in brand awareness. And 68 % of those who haven't used it yet are planning to use it in 2024 and 2025.

Video clips are working wonders for podcasters. You can repurpose those clips, like we talked in the section before this one, from every episode to share across social media, driving listeners to the full content. So they may get a snippet of your episode, but then they wanna listen to more and they have access to even more of your catalog and more promotion for your podcast episode. Does that make sense? So here is how you can capitalize on this trend of short form video content. Number one, you can repurpose your podcast into short clips like we said before. Identify key moments or quotable insights in your episodes, then turn them into videos for platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Number two, use AI tools for clipping. Again, we talked about this one before.

Platforms like Opus Clip and Headliner use AI to automatically generate social media -ready clips from your content, making this process even easier. And finally, focus on engagement. Short -form content grabs attention, but make sure it includes a call to action to drive viewers to your full episodes. Now, this is something I myself am working on. If you follow me on Instagram or on Facebook or on TikTok, you'll see that every day I'm putting out a podcaster affirmation. Some of those affirmations in the comments or in the description, I'm doing a call to action. Some of them I'm forgetting to, so I'm trying to be a little bit more intentional with what I place in the comments or in the description

with more of a call to action. So even I am working on this myself. All right, next up, let's talk about the money. So a lot of podcasters get into podcasting specifically to monetize their podcast. Podcast monetization in 2024, 2025 is about to take a huge jump. Podcast ad revenue is projected to reach $4 billion, that's billion with a B, in 2024. And with 668 million podcast listeners expected by 2028, that's a lot of ears. So according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, brands like Amazon, Macy's, and Capital One are already investing heavily in podcast ads because they know it works. And listen to this, 46 % of weekly listeners in the US have bought a product after hearing it advertised on a podcast, that's incredible. Can you imagine the amount of ad space that you have in your podcast for your own products and services? It's huge.

So ads aren't the only way to monetize though. So here's three other ways that you can monetize your podcast. Number one, host live podcast events. 15 % 15 1 5 % of listeners say they'd pay 10 to $25 to attend a live recorded podcast. That's a fantastic way to boost revenue while engaging directly one on one with your audience. Number two subscription models, platforms like Patreon, Hello Audio, and things like that allow you to offer exclusive content, early access or bonus episodes to your most loyal listeners under a paywall. And number three, explore dynamic ad insertion. This allows you to target ads based on listener demographics and location, giving you more control over the kinds of ads your audience hears and whether or not they're going to hear them. All right, next up in rising trends is live podcasting. So live streaming podcast or recording episodes in front of an audience, kind of like that this show was recorded in front of a live studio audience, is growing fast with platforms like Podbean offering tools to help you host live events. This is something that's gonna be huge in 2025. Just last year, a podcast from the UK called Off Menu Podcast sold out multiple nights at the Royal Albert Hall. Now I don't know much about London, but I have heard of this hall and I believe it's a pretty large venue. So that's pretty amazing.

This is a great way to create an interactive experience that deepens your connection with your listeners. Plus, live events can generate serious revenue with 88 % of ticketed podcast events on Spotify selling out within just minutes. So here's how you can get started with live podcasting. Number one, plan ahead. While live episodes have a spontaneous element, having a rough outline or structure ensures a smooth flow. Number two, engage your audience. Make it interactive by taking questions or encouraging comments in real time. And finally, leverage the replay. After the live event, repurpose the recording as bonus content for your subscribers or share it with everyone in your audience, those that weren't able to attend.

All right, next up, we're going to talk about podcast swaps. You wanna know how to grow your podcast faster? Podcast swaps are where it's at. This is a powerful, powerful strategy. Cross -promotions are where two podcasters promote each other's shows. This can increase your listenership by over 20%. Cross -promotion is one of the most cost -effective ways to gain new listeners. By sharing audiences with another podcaster in your niche, you both get exposure to new listeners who are likely to be interested in your content. Now, what you want to make sure you're doing is you're collaborating with podcasters in your same niche, but not necessarily selling the exact same services that you're selling. Do it more as a collaboration and less as a we're both doing the same thing, if that makes sense.

So here's how you can use podcast swaps. Find podcasters in your niche. Reach out to shows with similar audience for a mutually beneficial collaboration, like I just said. Co -host or feature, invite them onto your podcast or guest onto theirs to promote both shows. I love being on other people's podcasts. And before I started my own podcast, I loved, like I said, being on other people's podcasts, but also promoting their podcast to my audience. They were gracious enough to invite me to their podcast. The least I could do was promote them to my audience as well. And then finally use it as a growth strategy.

Regular podcast swaps can help you boost your subscriber base over time. All right, now let's talk about the rise of video podcasts. So Spotify reports that video podcasts have higher retention and listenership because viewers get to see the interaction and expression between the hosts and the guests. Nearly one third of American listeners prefer video podcasts and with over 100 ,000 video podcast episodes already on Spotify, this trend is here to stay. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are fueling this growth. with video podcasts reaching wider audiences than ever before. Now, if you are one of these people who, like me, don't really like to record yourself on video because you don't feel like you're camera ready, and I totally understand. As you can see, this podcast is not video. It is all audio. I'm working on my mindset to feel better about being on video. but if you're like me and that's not you right now, that's fine. You can still enjoy the benefits of a video podcast. What I tell people is that if you are not,

if you're wanting to do a faceless video podcast, you can always, now that YouTube is a podcast platform, you can take a still shot of yourself or your cover art or whatever you want. I would suggest something with your face on it so they can see you and then have the audio in the background on that YouTube channel and just have it be your voice and Your photo and then people will get to know you and once you feel comfortable You've already got the channel set up and you can jump into the actual video Podcasts, that would be my suggestion. So here's why video is the future So first, it enhances audience connection. Visual elements like facial expressions and body language deepen the relationship with your audience. It builds the know, like, and trust that much faster. More promotional content. Video episodes can easily be broken down into clips for marketing on social media. You hear the trend here about repurposing, that seems to be the wave of the future. And monetization opportunities with videos, ads, and sponsorships, video podcasts open up that many more, Is that right?

Open up much more, many more, I'm not sure, new revenue streams. Basically what I'm trying to say is videos are opening up newer monetary streams. All right, so what's the bottom line here? Podcasting isn't going anywhere. It's the way of the future and the statistics back it up. There are over 450 million podcast listeners globally and that number is projected to grow to over 500 million by 2025.

Whether it's tapping into AI tools, monetizing your content, or using a short form video to promote your show, there are more ways than ever to make an impact in the podcasting space. Alright, thanks for joining me today on Your Voice Uncovered. I hope you're as excited as I am about these trends. Podcasting is evolving fast, and now is the time to jump on these opportunities and take your show to the next level. Remember, whether you're looking to educate, entertain, or inspire, your voice matters, and the world is ready to hear it, and they need to hear it. I'll see you in the next episode. Until next time. And that's a wrap on today's episode of Your Voice Uncovered, the Becaine Podcast. I hope you're feeling inspired, empowered, and ready to embrace the true power of your voice. Remember, your unique voice is what makes your podcast special, and I'm here to help you uncover it every step of the way. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like and subscribe so you never miss out on our journey together. And don't forget to share the love. Tell a friend who's ready to uncover their voice too. Thanks so much for joining me today, and I can't wait to connect with you on the next episode. Until then, keep on covering, keep connecting, and keep shining your light through your podcast. See you next time.