Podcasts - Commercialisation/Enshittification......

[Somafunk]

When did this become such a thing?.......



I've been listening for 20 odd years and used to listen as I drove around or at work/out on the bike and then adverts appeared at the beginning....no big deal...I didn't mind as I don't expect the podcasters to publish for free, then adverts at the end of the podcasts.....same...no big deal.



But over the past couple of years the amount of adverts on podcasts has reached the point that I can't be arsed/no longer listen. 2 or 3 adverts at the beginning.....5 mins of intro outlining the subject or person being interviewed then...advert...back to the podcast for 10 minutes then adverts, often more than one and back to the podcast....another ten minutes of discussion then break for more adverts, and repeat...........





Whichever adverts that are played are at such a volume as to deafen you if you are listening on iems/earbuds/headphones and don't attempt to play a podcast to help you drift off to sleep as all you'll hear is "HSBC>>>>>>>>THE BANK THATS WORKING FOR YOU>>>>" or some fucking crypto bullshit or Betterhealth or some other online doctor bullshit....



Everything is being sold/commercalised and fed back to a passive crowd that lap it up. I've emailed all the folk I used to listen to and told them why I'm not bothering anymore - if they could make good money with perhaps 2 or 3 adverts in an hour long podcast then why the fuck do we need 10 or more?



Rant over.....I'm out.

 

[Somafunk]

Just had a look at the figures for the industry, $50 billion at the moment expected to rise to $130 billion by 2030


Below is extracted from a search

Podcasts have more advertisements today because the medium has matured into a major corporate revenue engine, driven by rising brand demand, automated ad insertion technology, and the high cost of producing professional audio.

Why Ad Loads Have Grown

• Corporate Monetization: Podcasting shifted from a casual hobby into a professional industry where networks, streaming apps, and independent creators rely on commercial revenue to sustain their shows.
• Dynamic Ad Insertion: Technology allows hosting platforms to automatically inject targeted commercials into pre-set slots, meaning ads can change based on your location or time of listening rather than being permanently baked into the audio file.
• High Advertiser Demand: Billions of dollars are poured into audio marketing because listeners tend to stay highly focused, making brands eager to buy up multiple slots per episode.
• Platform Additions: Major listening apps often overlay their own sponsored breaks or automated spots onto shows, even if you pay for premium music tiers, because podcast licensing deals are handled separately.

So yeah….the corporate money grabbing bastards and cunts have got their claws into yet another magic money tree and are going to milk it till it dies a death