Podcasting in the great election year, 2024

ALSO: Let me buy you a drink

I’m hosting a drinks gathering on May 22nd at The Podcast Show in London. Thanks to the generosity of some of my professional pals (Cleanfeed, Podcast Radio, Hubwave, Distorted, Podspike, and my company, Podot) there will be an open bar. It’s invite-only so please don’t share this, but if any Future Proof readers want to come, you can RSVP here.

Part of the reason my Substack posts have been a more sporadic of late is that the British political world is starting to get on a war footing for the election. The same, I’m sure, is true of the US, where the cycle has been dominated by Trump vs Biden basically since 2019.

I remember Scott Galloway – a marketing professor at NYU Stern who inspires an almost cultish following amongst some aspirant VCs – saying at some point last year that he thought 2024 would be “the podcast election”. The ability of podcasts to narrowcast to specific demographics, he said, allows them to tackle, in-depth, specific issues, ideal for such a polarised election. I scoffed at the idea when I first heard Galloway propose it (and, spoiler alert, am going to continue scoffing at it) but now that the election cycle is rolling, it gives me an opportunity to reflect on where I think the market trends are heading.

There are a couple of practical things that jump out. Firstly, it seems self-evident that Big Tech platforms are going to get quite skittish about overtly political content in the coming months. There is a clear separation between a “News” podcast – which is largely explanatory or analytical – and a “Political” podcast, which often comes with a specific agenda to promote. I produce a Labour party focused podcast, The Power Test, which is unlikely to get featured on Apple’s carousel in the coming months, unless it was paired with, for example, a Conservative oriented show. Editorially the platform needs to be impartial, even if Apple Inc isn’t quite a neutral actor. In the US in 2024, Apple Inc has contributed $828,486 to Democratic candidates compared to $84,669 to Republican selections.