Many of you know who Joe Rogan is.... some don't. Briefly, he was a comedian turned podcast star. Last month, his podcast series was licensed to Spotify for $100 million. Wow.. Spotify has never offered that amount to a musical artist. I'm not sure any late night talk show host has received that amount.. would be interesting to find out.
The world has turned to podcasts over buying or listening to new music. I don't think it's anything new except the platform these podcasts reside on. Selling music has always been a tough job. The consistency of output and amount of time required to make a great 3 minute song has become debilitating. Studio costs or buying required equipment is prohibitive. When someone like Howard Stern or Joe Rogan can get behind a microphone and just ask questions, the hardest part is getting the talent to show up and releasing the material on a regular basis.
Podcasts and talk show offer something often hidden by an artist... a glimpse into how someone really is as they walk through life. Podcasts offer insights and depth even if the result isn't how you wanted to imagine the guest was in real life. And a podcast can offer a learning experience. Maybe the podcast require a long attention spam and a real listening experience we've forgotten how to do with today's music.
I like podcasts and intend to create several shows.