Bilal Hassani and Sundy Jules, Louise alias MyBetterSelf, Cyprien, Marion Seclin, Victor Bonnefoy from In The Panda or even Kyan Khojandi … If these names evoke YouTube videos with millimeter visual effects, licked Instagram posts and sometimes product placements, they have another point in common: that of having launched their podcast, often supported by big names in the ecosystem, such as Spotify or Acast. In recent years, influencers, YouTubers or more broadly content creators have been sweeping the podcast world with relative success, bringing with them a community more accustomed to smartphone screens than to headphones.
If we have heard a lot about the podcast format in recent years, it is actually a rather old format, as Manuel Diaz, president of EMAKINA / INFLUX, a digital agency specializing in the management of influential creators, reminds us: ” we can go back to the first conferences of Steve Jobs! Apple made Keynotes popular with audio formats “. If the format stagnated for a number of years, the succession of innovations allowing you to listen to sound everywhere, all the time, from the iPod to connected speakers, is a game-changer. Unlike good old radio, listeners can consume whatever content they choose, anywhere, anytime, rarely being interrupted by pop-up advertising. ” If we zoom in, we realize that since the time the podcast has existed, it is time for it to break through », Analyzes Manuel Diaz.
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And this breakthrough has already started in the ears of the French: according to Mediametry, in September 2021, nearly 136 million French podcasts were listened to or downloaded worldwide. An increase of more than 40% in one year, which makes the sector one of the most promising in the media market… while having difficulty finding its economic model. For Céline Lim and Yann Thébault, respectively communications manager and general manager France and Germany of Acast, a platform for hosting, monetizing and supporting the growth of podcasts, “ there is more and more interest in the podcast format, which is part of a communication strategy and as a new, freer field of expression “. In its catalog, Acast displays big names on YouTube, such as Kyan Khojandi (377K subscribers on YouTube), Marion Seclin (250K subscribers) or Victor Bonnefoy from In The Panda (317K subscribers).
The platforms that produce and / or broadcast these native podcasts even see them as a social phenomenon, boosted by the mobility of listening devices (from smartphones to wireless headphones) and prolific production. ” It allows you to do something at the same time, to get out of the screen … It’s a change in practices »Confirms Yann Thébault. For creators already present on YouTube or Instagram, the podcast then represents a territory to be conquered and explored.
“It’s a format where we speak more directly to our community, where we allow ourselves to doubt, to reflect”
Benjamin Brillaud, known for his Nota Bene channel with almost 2 million subscribers, on which he talks about history, also joined Acast in 2021, to launch Nota Bene, the History podcast. According to him, the arrival of content creators to the podcast format is not a massive movement, but visible thanks to some prestigious names. ” As a creator, author, director … it’s always fun to explore new avenues »He affirms. This is also the first reason that pushes them to invest in the native podcast. Dealing with new subjects in more depth, taking the time, breaking away from video codes… and above all developing a more intimate and sincere relationship with their community.
” Creators who go to podcasts, launch their own or participate in others take advantage of this long time that they are not used to, they can tell their stories in detail. And the audience loves this long time, of intimacy »Explains Manuel Diaz. He launched with his agency EMAKINA / INFLUX the podcast #TechOut, where with Youtubers Romain Lanéry and Léo Duff, they discuss entrepreneurship, creation and social issues. ” We have great audience scores, we get lots of questions… It’s a format where we manage to speak more directly to our community, where we allow ourselves to doubt, to reflect He adds.
From left to right: Romain Lanéry, Manuel Diaz, Léo Duff. Together, they host a podcast called TechOut. Photograph: EMAKINA / INFLUX.
For Benjamin Brillaud, of the Nota Bene channel, the podcast project was born in early 2021, after being ” got to a point where I felt mature enough to take people with me only with the power of audio », Explains the creator. No way for him to start without a net, and for a few episodes: he wanted to do things “well”, especially since the exercise of the microphone is a little different from that of the video. ” We do not have the visual support, we must be able to arrange the scripts we are going to write. On the podcast, the goal is to reach out to other audiences, who are not on the video or on the book »He analyzes. After receiving an email from Acast, the creator begins to collaborate with the platform, first of all for logistical reasons (centralized management of advertising campaigns, statistics, etc.) but also for support. Because for platforms, having big names from YouTube or Instagram in your catalog is a non-negotiable advantage.
On the platform side, the promise of attractive content and a community
For the large platforms that host and / or produce podcasts, these big names with several hundred thousand or even millions of subscribers are a ready-made audience base. For Yann Thébault d’Acast, these content creators “ already benefit from an existing audience, unlike other creators, and take less time to take off “. The risk of investing in these productions is therefore lower, especially since Youtubers and other influencers often have editorial content and their own identity, and are therefore more able to work with brands.
But the podcast, unlike other online content, has little to do with virality. For Claire Hazan, podcast director at Spotify for France and Benelux, assures us: the success of podcasts is long-lasting. ” Creators have to want to work with audio, understand the format. The goal is not to replicate what is happening on YouTube »She explains. Last September, Spotify launched a major campaign to promote its original podcasts: Tony Parker, Bilal Hassani and Lauren Bastide are now part of the projects supported by the platform. ” We want to be the destination for audio, both music, podcasts, lives or audiobooks. What is important to us is the diversity of voices and talents »Explains Claire Hazan.
Especially since podcasts still suffer from a very Parisian-centered image, reserved for the upper classes who have passed their thirties. Through creators from YouTube, the platforms are trying to attract a younger audience. ” The podcast is a rapidly developing format. We have a focus on Generation Z, which consumes more video content, we are looking at how to offer audio formats that speak to them. Among 15-24 year olds, a third listen to a podcast in replay or native per month »Explains Claire Hazan. Thus, for the La Fabuleuse podcast, around Youtubers Bilal Hassani, Sundy Jules, Sparkdise, Sulivan Gwed and Wesley Krid, Spotify offers a video feature, to support this new sound use.
The podcast, an alternative to partnerships and product placements?
However, as Manuel Diaz explains, “the current challenge of the podcast is to find its economic model”. In a new and growing industry, monetization remains anecdotal compared to platforms like YouTube. Acast, which operates across the entire value chain of a podcast, was among the first to offer dynamic advertising insertion, making monetization more effective. “Our occupancy rate is good, it’s easier to go see brands, to have creative campaigns and more extensive activations” analyzes Yann Thébault. In 2021, Acast recorded + 92% new advertisers.
For Manuel Diaz, by launching #TechOut, the objective was not to monetize. “And then we came to us quite naturally, because we created an editorial line and a tone,” he explains. For brands too, partnering with a podcast carried by names known to the public gives them better visibility and more impact. “More and more, this is an option that I present to partners, it is the assurance that the podcast is viable, that I can pay everyone correctly” unrolls Benjamin Brillaud of Nota Bene. Monetization makes it possible, as on YouTube or Instagram, to finance projects, to pay its teams and to ensure the viability of the project.
Especially since the models are still diverse between the platforms that only host the podcasts or those that produce. “There are those who only broadcast on our platforms, and who will, for example, offer bonus content on subscription, and there we provide them with tools. For already existing projects, we pay an exclusive broadcasting right, and for Spotify Originals projects, we think together and we do the production together ”explains Claire Hazan. The Swedish company thus wishes to develop its tools available to independent creators, in particular with regard to monetization.
Despite the rise of the podcast format, its resonance remains reduced. “It’s still a small market share compared to YouTube. With the podcast, we are around 200,000 listeners per month, while YouTube is 5 to 6 million views per month ”testifies the creator of Nota Bene. But for creators and platforms, the format is set to become more democratic and to grow. “Just last year, we tripled the number of projects,” says Claire Hazan. At the risk of saturating the market? “There is still room, everyone has their own identity and their way of dealing with content. Due to the different formats, they will not step on each other! »Assures the Acast team. Perhaps the future of influence and content will play out in a few years… in our ears.