Episode 2: The Explosion – Mainstream & the Pod-demic

After Serial broke the sound barrier, podcasting went from niche to everywhere—fast.

In this episode, we follow the industry through its Hollywood makeover, the rise of podcast celebrities, and a pandemic-era boom that flooded the market with new voices.

Hear from insiders like Bryan Barletta, Pete Birsinger, and the Meiselas Brothers on how podcasting became a business, a brand builder–for D2C brands and podcasters’ personal brands alike–and a battleground for independence.

From million-dollar deals to the chaos of overproduction, this is the story of podcasting’s wildest decade.

For the most comprehensive picture of what podcasting means to consumers today, check out our accompanying white paper with Edison Research, “What is a Podcast?: Preserving its Essence, Structuring for Expansion,” featuring quantitative and qualitative data compiled from over 4,000 Americans.

Download the White Paper Here: https://oxfordroad.com/whats-a-podcast 

And if you’re really invested in the future of podcasting, there’s something you can do today. Help us bring YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms to the table—not to regulate, but to collaborate. Sign our petition for a shared definition, an open measurement framework, and a future where podcasting remains open, inclusive, and built to last.

Add Your Name to the Petition Here: https://chng.it/6S5S7bPrjR

Watch Here

Listen Here: Spotify

Listen Here: Apple