Yahoo! Podcasts shuts down, what is the future of podcasting?
First Odeo was sold, bought, sold, then bought again. Now Yahoo Podcasts is shutting down. What is the future of audio podcasting? The market is clearly a video game, but is there a need for audio podcasts and can they be monetized? Our answer is a resounding YES! It is like saying “radio is dead” - which, of course, it is alive and kicking and transforming as well with HD Radio and Sirius/XM. This leads me to the following question:
Why are we still calling it “pod”casting? Why not just call audio “audio” and “video” video? Audio is more than just one device - it is about listening, and the last i checked, music discovery sites are being funded continuously.
Conclusion : we plan to continue to extend both our video AND audio capabilities. Audio travel stories, meditations, learning - all very popular audio programs - will continue to flourish. Video stories, vlogs, shows, and viral videos will, of course, grab the headlines. “All of your media in one place” is still a vision that is extremely attractive - and useful - to users.