Sessions 3

The Golden Age of podcasts: Building revenue through audio

Location: 
ONLINE - CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME (CEST)

Since 2014 until today audio is definitely having its moment. Valued for their convenience, intimacy, and choice, podcasts are a unique growth point in today's media landscape. According to the latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report, the popularity of podcasts, despite the lockdown and the remote working culture, has not diminished, while the pandemic has been devastating to the economic side of the media industry. Audio offers publishers a unique and direct way to build a relationship with their audiences, increasing engagement and giving voice to new talent and communities.  In this context, Zetland has found in audio an original formula to reach its readers and grow subscriptions. For the last 3 years, they have been publishing their articles in audio format (available to their members) giving voice to their brand, their stories, and the journalists behind them. According to them, 80% of articles are now consumed via audio by Zetland's paying members and audio articles tend to be listened to all the way through, in comparison with their longform articles which have a much quicker drop-off rate. To date, Zetland has more than 20,000 paying members, some of them actively involved in the editorial process increasing the sense of ownership, and aims to hit the 40,000 members milestone in the next five years.

Moderator 

Speakers 

Shariff