In a room with no smart speaker, Alexa can't hear you scream
Apr 28, 2021
Dive into the fascinating world of audio as the hosts discuss the rise of live audio platforms and emerging features from major players like Facebook and Reddit. Explore the implications of a 72% drop in Clubhouse downloads and the significance of their NFL deal. The conversation shifts to monetization strategies, comparing Spotify's creator-friendly approach to Apple's model. Plus, discover how niche indie creators might thrive amid shifting landscapes in podcasting and the creator economy.
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insights INSIGHT
Podcast Listenership and Demographics
Podcast listenership is growing, with one-third of Americans tuning in monthly.
Podcast listeners tend to be affluent, making the market attractive to advertisers.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Smart Speaker Anecdotes
Natasha Mascarenhas' family debates having smart speakers due to privacy concerns.
Alex Wilhelm's father-in-law buys smart speakers in bulk, creating an omnipresent Alexa experience.
insights INSIGHT
Pandemic's Impact on Audio
The pandemic revitalized audio as a low-commitment way to connect with others.
People sought alternative forms of communication beyond video conferencing.
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For this week’s deep dive Natasha and Alex and Danny and Chris dove into the world of audio. Sure, you've heard of Clubhouse, but there's lots more going on than just a single app's cultural rise. So from the biggest companies to niche startups, we compiled all the recent audio news into a single show for all our delectation.
Here's the rundown:
Facebook is building a number of audio products, including a Clubhouse clone and a short-form audio service that we think could be neat.
It's not just the established social networks that are trying out live audio. Peanut, a social networking app for women, added live audio "Pods" to its platform. It kicked off a conversation on what it takes to win this market, and what's a smart versus silly bet.
While a drop in downloads doesn't necessarily mean a drop in active users, it's worth pointing out that Clubhouse's monthly downloads dropped 72% in March. Where is that gosh darn Android app?
And Alex explained why the Clubhouse-NFL deal matters for the company, as it could molt into something more akin to a platform over time.
Danny explained how Apple and Spotify are building paid podcast services -- more here, and here, respectively -- and we have thoughts about which service is being more fair with the money. Natasha tied in how sentiment around the creator economy might be driving some of these individual-friendly business models.
All told there's quite a lot of excitement around the spoken word. Which is good as Equity is a podcast? Right?
Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.
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