## Colophon tags:: url:: https://archive.is/qCPKJ %% title:: The Growing Battle Over How to Define a ‘Podcast’ - Bloomberg type:: [[clipped-note]] author:: [[@archive.is]] %% ## Notes > in a world where YouTube is seemingly the dominant platform, and Spotify is moving into video, what even is a podcast anymore? And why does that definition matter? — [view in context](https://hyp.is/b3EILAMyEfCPcx_BOt_svQ/archive.is/qCPKJ) > Is this a podcast? Not long ago, a podcast felt easy to define. These audio shows were distributed to various apps, most technically referred to as “podcatchers,” through RSS feeds. The app ecosystem thrived with third-party providers, and the nature of RSS meant podcasters could press publish once and their show would populate everywhere. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/eV5sCAMyEfC3p2t4DQtJhg/archive.is/qCPKJ) > Today, things aren’t so simple. The most popular podcast service seems to be YouTube. Spotify, which previously defined itself as an everything-audio app, is pushing deeper into video. The business of podcasting, once centered on selling ads into shows, now consists of live tours, social media posts, newsletters, merchandise, books and more. The podcast stars of yore, who often cut their first tape in the public-radio domain, are losing market share to digital and video-first creators who bypassed cutting tape entirely. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/h0aNMgMyEfCYERf1HDBBag/archive.is/qCPKJ) > “It’s actually a really difficult thing to conceive of because just a year or two ago I could have answered instantly, but now I’m having trouble,” wrote Jeff Umbro, founder of the Podglomerate, in an email to me. “Basically, a podcast is a way for a creator to tell their story, but that doesn’t mean that the story can’t be communicated elsewhere through other mediums and channels as well.” — [view in context](https://hyp.is/lDpJUgMyEfC3qCt7RO5Nqw/archive.is/qCPKJ) > one panelist began openly workshopping a new word to replace “podcast.” “I’ve kind of thrown podcasting out of my own lexicon,” said A.J. Feliciano, general manager at The Roost Podcast Network. As a replacement, he’s tried “simulcast” and the idea of the “new broadcast.” But so far, nothing’s stuck. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/nDgFSgMyEfCse2fcvqaCIQ/archive.is/qCPKJ) > Already, we’re getting into nebulous territory. But trust me, this isn’t just a navel-gazing exercise. Whatever the definition ends up becoming actually matters more than you might think. In the past, podcast deals essentially revolved around controlling who could sell ads on shows. Lately, that’s been rapidly changing. If a “podcast” shows up on Netflix, or stages a live event or gives rise to a merch shop, who sells the sponsorships on those various products and events? And who shares in the resulting profits? Even just selling a show as a video versus an audio program could be complicated. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/3EOrYgMyEfCwhHeHcHDVdg/archive.is/qCPKJ) > Most prominently, this could present an issue if existing creators, who already have managers, agents and people working to make them money, enter podcasting anew. These deals could become much more complex. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/3WDDDgMyEfCf9OPTMMXpRA/archive.is/qCPKJ) > With celebrities of all types and digital-native creators becoming some of the biggest names in the space, the podcast networks will have to structure deals (and pay up) to ensure they have the rights to sell ads and make money off wherever the podcast business moves next — [view in context](https://hyp.is/AUyGzAMzEfCPT1dHWAua8g/archive.is/qCPKJ) > This idea of defining the market to cater to ad budgets has stymied podcasting for years. Are podcasters influencers, so they should be paid out of the roughly $9 billion market for influencer marketing? — [view in context](https://hyp.is/BhlNSAMzEfCtvmNXCghjFg/archive.is/qCPKJ) > The answer to “what is a podcast” could someday push the category into a new league – one that competes for big budgets and becomes a dominant medium — [view in context](https://hyp.is/QPcjwgMzEfCuHbsUD_kxgw/archive.is/qCPKJ) > One example: this past week, Netflix officially entered the podcast sphere with the green-lighting of an episode of Kill Tony for the streaming service. The program, which we’ve written about at length, is a play off The Gong Show , where aspiring comedians shoot their shot to try and impress comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and his panel of seasoned jokesters. Netflix’s taping of the podcast will film at Joe Rogan’s Austin comedy club, The Comedy Mothership, just like the podcast always does, and will premiere on Netflix on April 7. So is this a podcast? In its press release, Netflix calls it a “special. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/QQQjLgMzEfCf6FfHMhNsow/archive.is/qCPKJ) > The Growing Battle Over How to Define a ‘Podcast’ — [view in context](https://hyp.is/s6KwCAMzEfCHdxs5xbiRPw/archive.is/qCPKJ) ⬆️ date:: [[2025-03-17]] tags:: [[%tie]] [[i2]] [[%t]] [[podcasts]]