By Louise Wilson
What once was saved for fans, geeks and audiophiles has reached the masses. Over the past few years, podcasts have grown exponentially in prevalence and in popularity, going from a niche hobby for some to every influencer and celebrity feeling that it’s a necessary add-on to their online presence and brand.
Every other TikTok, and Instagram post on my fyp (for you page), dished up to me by the algorithm is a new podcast dropping announcement, a spin-off (think Jamie Laing having NewlyWeds and Private Parts at one point), or clips of best bits from recent episodes
Obviously, you have the hugely popular educational podcasts like The Rest is… or TikTok’s therapist of the month Mel Robbins who has provided self-reflection with the viral ‘Let Them’ theory, in her structured, practical personal-development content that cuts through the noise. But it does raise the question, are all of these countless podcasts still interesting or are they just a way for an influencer to boost themselves even more?
For many influencers, launching a podcast seems less about having something meaningful to say and more about brand extension, monetisation, or simply keeping up with their peers. It has become the new merch drop, the new YouTube channel, the new “we should totally start a podcast” cliché.
Many shows echo the same structure: two friends chatting about life. Influencers interviewing other influencers. Self-help advice you’ve heard dozens of times. There are so many podcast viral TikTok clips taken out of context, and it’s got me wondering, is any of this actually adding something new?
That’s not to say the entire space lacks originality. There are creators who have genuinely shaped and evolved the medium. Alex Cooper, (a personal fave) has brought a distinct style of intimate, confessional storytelling, evolving her show format as she has reflected and developed herself professionally. Her recent episode gave Whitney Levitt (cast member of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) the opportunity to do her final dance that she missed out on being eliminated in the Semi-Finals of Dancing with the Stars. This added a new element to podcasting that fans have praised, as well as appreciating the growth of vodcasting.
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But for every original creator, dozens of near-identical shows appear, providing life advice, and their own opinions with all the shows blending into one another. The result is ‘spamcasting’, an over-whelming number of algorithm-chasing shows that crowd the space. I’m not necessarily saying that people shouldn’t start podcasts, but I think people are becoming more selective of what they want to tune into and potentially if they can even be bothered to listen to conversations that have already been had.
I’ve personally stopped listening to a few shows because it’s the same things happening every week where I just tend to zone out and get bored.
With so many options, I think I would only start a new show if had a clear angle that actually makes the content stand out. The market tends to correct itself; many shows quietly fade after a few episodes, leaving only the ones with true purpose or passion behind them. It has made me think… is this abundance a sign of creative empowerment, or have we hit a point of podcast fatigue?
