I’m thinking a lot about Apple Podcasts these days.
And video.
And my new job here in the nation’s capital.
As a multimedia journalist, I look forward to posting video on Apple via one of the inaugural four publishing partners in the months to come. But Apple embracing video podcasts feels long overdue.
Like several years overdue.
I remember sitting in the cozy lobby at the Hotel Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles during the Evolutions conference several years ago. I was there to meet with Jake Shapiro and Ted Hosmann from Apple. At the center of our conversation? Video. Yes, video.
At that time, Westwood One had some major video podcasts in its line-up, including Ben Shapiro and Dan Bongino. So the crew from Cupertino wanted to hear how things were going.
Fast forward to today and Apple’s adoption of video feels like a Hail Mary pass; a last minute heave to win the game. I have iOS 26.4 on my phone and I get the public beta updates. I just got this message this weekend.
When it comes to app usage, Apple has been trailing YouTube and Spotify badly. In a just released report, Edison Research found Apple a distant third.
And Triton Digital revealed last month that Apple usage has steadily eroded over the last four years.
So will video help? Is video a game changer for Apple? Or a desperate play?
Too soon to say.
As a longtime Apple user, I look forward to seeing a robust rollout this Spring. If you want to read more, Apple has provided some useful information here.
Still, I have two nagging concerns.
Discoverability
How extensive is the editorial curation going to be? Will I find video podcasts easily? Will Apple create a special tier on the home page? Or a special tab? Will a podcast with video get flagged or promoted differently? Can I type in “video podcasts” and find a new show?
The Wealth Gap
I also worry Apple embracing video is going to widen the gap between the Have and Have Nots in podcasting. I know Apple says it is going to let creators keep “complete control” over their content and monetization. But publishing video is such a serious commitment. It requires lots of investment and significant resources to be done right. Most of my consulting work this past year focused on video and I saw too many podcasters - barely getting by revenue-wise - want to roll the dice on video. So I fear the rush to keep up will only push some podcasters into the poor house.
No hard evidence. Just a gut feeling.
Cumulus Chapter 11
Speaking of getting pushed into the poor house, my old employer has fallen into bankruptcy. I wish my old friends and colleagues at Cumulus Media the best of luck. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Westwood One. At one point, we had an amazing team under president Suzanne Grimes. We turned the podcast network into a major force.
Cumulus has already moved out of its beautiful office overlooking the Hudson River at 300 Vesey Street in New York City. I had a six-pack of Coke Zero in my office. I hope someone grabbed my soda before shutting off the lights.
This used to be the view from the corporate boardroom...
FOMO Part One
I missed Ashley Carmen’s Podcast Business Summit in Brooklyn last month. Amtrak canceled my trains to and from New York so I missed the summit for the first time in five years and missed seeing Cathy Csukas, Owen Grover and Steve Wilson. Damn blizzard.
FOMO Part Two
I also missed Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW. The war with Iran has been keeping me and the rest of the Fourth Estate busy these days. I heard only good things about the new format. I love Austin so I hope to get there next year.
Next Up - Vegas Baby!
Are you heading to the NAB Show in Las Vegas next month? Then come watch my panel presentation on Hot Digital Trends: What to Know About Video, Podcasts and AI. The NAB Show draws more than 50-thousand attendees from all over world so it’s an amazing opportunity to network and learn. Thank you Inside Radio and Radio Ink Magazine for mentioning my upcoming event.
In podcasting since 2006, John Wordock served as Executive Editor & SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024. He also worked as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He now works at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as a business reporter and multimedia journalist. You can contact him here.
I wrote a blog post a while back called "Playing the game on the field."
I think one thing that's blinded the podcast industry is that many of us are Gen X and Xennials who grew up with iPods and iTunes. In so many ways, we think the industry still revolves around Apple Podcasts.
But when I think about my 16-22 year old kids... they grew up on YouTube. And, they're consuming a lot of "podcast-like content" on YouTube.
To me, a lot of YouTubers look an awful lot like podcasters: sitting at a desk with a microphone, pontificating about various topics (pop culture, gaming, the news).
Eventually (fingers crossed) my kids will graduate, get jobs, and have a commute (bus ride, car, Waymo). What will they be consuming then?
Will they use Apple Podcasts? Or, will they keep going to the platform they've been raised on: YouTube?