Podcasting is growing in popularity year over year, and 2024 promises big changes to the game for producers at all levels.
If you’re an amateur podcaster, now is the time to take advantage of brand new tools (many of which incorporate AI tech) that will make creating content much easier.
It will also be important to keep your eye on the big podcast apps, such as Apple and Spotify, as well as emerging platforms. Audiences and pod hosts are making moves that could affect how you attract new listeners.
There’s plenty of opportunity to grow your podcast in 2024—but only if you adapt to the changing marketplace. Find our top podcasting tips and cutting-edge new tools below.
Start Using AI Tools
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. Those who use AI tools will soon surpass those who don’t. In the field of podcasting, AI is critically important.
Tools like ChatGPT make content creation and research much easier. Try using it for outlines, ad scripts, intros, and more. If you learn to use it properly, you can boost the value of each podcast and produce more content for your listeners.
ChatGPT isn’t the only tool out there. There are dozens of AI tools for podcasters to explore. Not all of them are worth it, so do your research before putting money on the table.
Here are a few of our favorite AI tools for podcasters:
- FineShare Voice Changer: Sort of like an audio deepfake. Modify your vocal tone or change your voice to imitate others (like celebrities).
- Eleven Labs: AI voice dubbing. Translate and dub your podcasts into different languages to start capturing audiences around the globe.
- Whisper: This tool by OpenAI (the creators of ChatGPT) is one of the best for automatically creating transcripts of your podcasts.
- Podcastmarketing.ai: Like an AI marketing manager, just feed your pod into the tool and it will generate show notes, episode descriptions, social media posts, and more.
Go Multiplatform
Apple used to dominate the podcasting space. But over the past few years, Spotify has been steadily gaining headway. In 2024, Spotify has more listeners than Apple, but Apple has more downloads.
Spotify continues to make major moves to dominate the industry, so it’s important to ensure that your podcast is available on both apps.
Smaller platforms are also experiencing growth, so you may want to make your pod available on apps like Luminary and Amazon.
The average podcast listener visits three or more platforms to get their podcast fix. That means the more places you host your podcast, the more listeners you’ll attract.
Make More from Ads
Podcast ad revenue is growing massively, and podcast platforms are making it easier for listeners to access products that you advertise.
As the popularity of your podcast grows, the competition between advertisers is also growing. Don’t be afraid to raise your rates for ad space on your podcast. 2024 is the time to do it.
Worried about annoying your listeners with ads? Don’t be. Research has found that 78% of listeners don’t mind ads or sponsored content in podcasts.
So, go ahead and start raking in those ad bucks.
Boost Recall with Music
Using music in your podcasts is an effective way to transition from one part of the episode to another. For narrative podcasts, it also makes the story more immersive.
From a marketing perspective, it’s becoming more important to use music to distinguish your podcast from others and to make it recognizable in videos and ads.
For example, having a theme tune for your podcast and using it in teasers and video ads can increase recall and keep listeners from forgetting about you.
But how do you legally use music in your podcast? You can’t just use your favorite song, as there is no legal way to get around copyrighted tracks.
Instead, search libraries of royalty free music to find a track that fits your brand. There are thousands of free songs out there to choose from. And, you don’t even have to use the whole song.
If you find a riff or a hook that you like, make it yours.
Invest in New Sound Effects
As podcasting grows in popularity, your voice won’t be enough to keep you on the top of people’s must-listen lists. You’ve got to improve your sound design as well.
While music is important for recall, sound effects are critical for immersion. If you want listeners to stick around for your entire podcast, add more sounds to keep them interested.
You may consider creating some of your own custom sounds—this will help you learn more about audio recording and sound design.
But if you’re not interested in becoming an audiophile, there are plenty of free sound effects online.
Don’t Be Complacent with Podcasting in 2024
Even if your podcast is growing, now is not the time to settle into a routine. Advances in technology have led to the creation of a bunch of new tools for podcasters—many of which are free. And the wars between platforms are creating new opportunities for you to grow your audience around the globe.
Take some time to retool your production process and refine your marketing machine for 2024, and you’ll be able to pull ahead of those who don’t.
