Podcasters have adapted during the pandemic, but between changing listener habits and new challenges, there are obstacles to overcome
Fearne Cotton recently interviewed Ricky Gervais for her mental health-themed podcast, Happy Place. The conversation was going well enough, until Cotton mentioned that she was recording under her duvet. Gervais remarked it must be “very comfortable” to be in bed. “It’s not at all, actually,” Cotton replied. “But hey, weird times.”
Happy Place isn’t the only podcast having to adapt to the era of physical distancing. The lockdown has given the booming podcast industry something of a jolt. Those who want to survive the pandemic (the alternative is dreaded “podfade”, the term for when podcasts peter out) are having to adjust at breakneck speed. Podcasters are recording in cars, in pillow forts, in cupboards, and stocks of microphones are faltering, even on giant stockists such as
Amazon.