I question applying the word “business” to podcasting as a concept.
There are some podcasters that can and do make a lot of money off of the podcasts. The reason for this is they set out to do it as part of an overall marketing plan, of which the podcast played a part.
Take Joe Rogan for example.
He has one of my favorite podcasts ever. His podcast is not his sole means of support. He is absolutely making money from it, though, as he has sponsorships and a syndicated radio deal out of it. It also allows him to promote his comedy and other appearances, making him more famous, and able to command higher pay checks.
I have been a guest on a bunch of different kinds of media (tv, radio, podcasts, etc) and I can tell you that the thing that everyone has in common is sponsorships and promotion. If they are just out their for a hobby, that doesn’t make it not fun, but it does make it less likely that anyone will be listening to you.
So, that said, podcasting is a “hobby” unless you actually have it as part of a real business plan, of which I’d put it in the marketing strategy section and not depend on it for revenue generation.
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/Why-is-podcasting-business-so-not-profitable
Originally Posted On: 2016-03-04