The podcast in Spain: from evolution to revolution

Idoia Cantolla, Head of Content de Come on, reflects on the present of the podcast in Spain and advances some of the keys to its nearest future.

When you asked anyone what a podcast was 10 years ago, they pretty much no one knew what you were referring to. It was a budding leisure product that only the great followers of the technological world knew, offering them the opportunity to speak and comment on the topics on which they considered themselves experts. However, these online broadcasts were carried out as hobby, they did not grant them any type of economic benefit, at least not directly.

However, in the middle of the last decade, the audiovisual streaming platforms, con Netflix y HBO to the head. The objective was clear, manage to seduce the digital user in a country with an audiovisual industry decimated by piracy. And boy did they succeed. Nowadays, no one dares to question the success of streaming content to the point that it is rare to find a person under 60 years of age who does not subscribe to at least one of these platforms. And that's where the podcast saw the opportunity.

In our country, the podcast sector has been evolving and gaining followers over the years, especially since 2019. This fact has been influenced, on the one hand, by the aforementioned success of the audiovisual platforms and its attractive subscription models (here Spotify was the first, providing income to creators) and, on the other, the technological revolution brought about by the appearance of smartphones, he increase in supply of quality content, immediacy, the personalization o to accessibility at more competitive prices. And now, as 2022 begins, the takeoff of audio content at all levels it's a reality.

The rise of the podcast in Spanish

Listening to podcasts and audiobooks is becoming a global phenomenon, already being a format listened to by nearly one billion people around the world. Audio content connects with the audience on a very deep level, while allowing the user to immerse themselves in the stories, away from the screens that flood our lives. It is estimated that the income generated by the podcast and audiobook industry is will multiply by 4 in less than 10 years, going from an industry that today represents around 6 million dollars, to an industry of 28 million dollars by the end of this decade.

In fact, at Podimo we have recently published a study on the behavior of our app in Spain and Latin America which confirms that the degree of commitment on the part of podcast listeners is very high. They dedicate an average of 15 hours a month listening to podcasts and audiobooks, consuming these types of products twice a day, with sessions between 20 and 30 minutes.

Regarding audio content in Spanish, these they don't stop growing and, although the difference in terms of the maturity of the podcasting industry is still important, there is already an offer of more than 100,000 podcasts in Spanish. Without a doubt, this is a clear indication of the commitment that the markets are making for this type of content and its potential. If we add to this that there are more than 500M Spanish speakers around the world, the future sounds exciting.

Industry support

And this audio revolution is not only observed among consumers, but is going beyond. This format is increasingly demanded by companies, institutions, content creators y relevant figures of society who want to communicate and tell stories to their followers through a podcast. We have seen a clear example of this with the former president Felipe González, who bet on us to launch your own podcast, something no other Spanish-speaking president had done before. Likewise, large production companies, more associated with audiovisual content, are betting on this format. We have the examples of iHeartMedia, Wondery, The Terrace, The Cannon Shot o Ecos Media, which are in a constant podcast creation process, offering quality content and, therefore, professionalizing the sector.

The objective is not to displace the rest of the formats that we are used to, but rather that these complement each other, at the same time that they are consumed at different times thanks to the multi-screen or at times when we need to not have our eyes fixed on a screen or a piece of paper, when we drive, for example. And, as has been proven, the sector has a promising future. It was only a matter of time before it was adopted by the Spanish as another way to enjoy their leisure time.