Podcast listening dropped substantially as the coronavirus epidemic forced people to stay home. In recent years, many people found podcasts to be convenient distractions while commuting. Fewer commuters mean fewer podcast listeners.
Many people are also too busy working remotely while simultaneously caring for children, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Jeremy Morris, told Forbes. In addition, furloughed workers are busy trying to find new jobs.
Decreased Listening
The analytics firm Backtracks reports that podcast listenership fell 20% in the last half of March, according to Quartz. Downloads of podcasts overall dropped about 10% last month, according to Podtrac. Total unique listeners also dropped about 20%. Both metrics dropped precipitously around March 9, the day US stocks collapsed due to the potential impact of the virus and Italy went into lockdown.
“We’re down 19% for the last two weeks over the previous two weeks,” an anonymous independent podcaster told Podtrac. “But our rankings are a little better than usual. This makes us think that it must, indeed, be across the board.”
News, sports, comedy, society and culture, and true crime all saw listenership drop since March 9. The audience for true crime, once a growing subject for the sector, fell the most — by almost 30%. Murder mysteries evidently feel less appealing when illness and death dominate headlines.
Comedy dropped about 15% and society and culture fell about 17%. The audience for sports dropped by about 13%. Sports podcasts have another problem. With sport competitions cancelled or postponed, commentators have little to talk about. The news category dropped the least, 10%, and remains the most popular podcast topic.
Will Brands Turn a Deaf Ear to Podcasts?
Many brands found that podcasts offered a superb PR and marketing venue. Companies could advertise on podcasts or create their own branded podcasts. They could also arrange their top executives or subject matter experts to be guests on the programs since podcast hosts are often eager to interview interesting and knowledgeable corporate executives in their niche.
Brands may need to re-evaluate their strategies and perhaps curtail or postpone podcast investments. It’s not clear when employees will return to commuting. Having learned they can operate remotely, some organizations and their employees may decide to keep telecommuting arrangements.
While people at home have little time for podcasts, they’re making time to watch television news and read online news. Cable news network viewership saw percentage increases in the double digits, according to Nielsen data. That may seem like an opportunity for PR, but PR people must work hard to create a non-coronavirus pitch that gains media attention or find media pitches with a legitimate coronavirus connection.
Some Podcasts Gain Listeners
Some podcasts have gained more listeners. Steven R Boyett told Podtrac that his Podrunner podcast has seen more downloads. More people began using the workout-music series as gyms closed. His Groovelectric DJ podcast downloads are also up, but donations are way down as people face financial worries.
Broadway Podcast Network has also enjoyed more downloads. Giving audition tips, exploring old musicals, and shining a spotlight on creative professionals, the shows on Broadway Podcast Network offer listeners an escape from the rising death tolls and economic troubles dominating the news, writes Marc Hershbert in Forbes.
Bottom Line: The coronavirus has pulled the plug on the podcast boom. Many PR and marketing teams may review their podcast budgets and reconsider podcasts as a PR and marketing strategy.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
