By Ammar Lari KUWAIT, Oct 6 (KUNA) -- The podcast revolution is here and it has changed the media landscape, ushering in new audiences and possibilities, rivaling traditional media such as television, radio, and newspapers.
While some might think that podcasting is a new trend, it has actually been around since the early to mid-2000s.
The word "podcast" is a portmanteau of "iPod" and "broadcast" and in its basic form involves a set of microphones, an interviewer and an interviewee, recording software, as well as a method to broadcast -- usually through websites, streaming platforms, and other channels.
Podcasting has a huge impact in today's world with German analytics and statistics company (Statista) revealing that around 3.5 million podcasts exist with some 175 million daily episodes available for listening. Current statistics, according to the company, project that by 2026, there will be some 600 million people listening to podcasts around the world.
When considering the economic impact of the medium, Statista revealed that advertising revenues reached around USD 4.46 billion in 2025, with the possibility of growth by 4.7 percent to reach USD 5.36 billion by 2029.
Beyond the economy, podcasting played a major role in politics with Edison Research -- a leading provider of Audio Research, Election Research, and Market Research -- revealing that it impacted the last US election.
Current President Donald Trump took part in 20 podcast interviews in an effort to reach the largest voting base in 2024, while his rival former Vice President Kamala Harris only did eight.
Trump's participation in the podcast interviews helped garner 23 million listeners on a weekly basis, said Edison Research, while Harris only attracted 6.4 million.
The impact of podcasting is undeniable, and this was reflected in several KUNA interviews with local podcasters.
Ease of access to audiences is perhaps the most attractive quality of podcasting, said Faisal Al-Aqel, host of the Kuwaiti Podcast Bidon Waraq (without paper) as well as founder and CEO of Sard Group.
People before podcasts usually got their information from regular outlets such as radio and television; however, with the advent of digital platforms such as podcasts, the playing field has been reshaped and become highly competitive, said Al-Aqel.
He said that podcasts have no defined themes; they can cover any topic that comes to mind and without restriction, which could be viewed as a blessing or a curse.
Touching on the investment side of Podcasting, CEO and Founder of Hayat Vision, Khaleel Hayat, said that marketing in the podcasting world differs from traditional marketing.
The podcast advertising a product must focus on the audience and make sure the product fits the theme of the program or the topic of the podcast, he added, saying that there are some "smooth" strategies to introduce any product during the course of the program without it being apparent or too obvious.
Hayat said that companies had the right to reuse the advertisement even after its use in a podcast, affirming that this creates a thriving ecosystem for commerce, financing, and investments.
Providing an academic point of view, Professor of Media at Kuwait University (KU), Dr. Mohammad Al-Otaibi, affirmed that podcasts have transcended being a medium for entertainment, and have became impactful in all fields.
The interconnectivity between the audience and podcasters and non-time-binding aspect of podcasting have made it more attractive to people, he asserted, predicting that technology would only make more leaps in the future, and pushing podcasts to become one of the main sources of information and entertainment for years to come. (end) al.gta