During recent years, more and more diverse podcast formats have emerged in the wide audio landscape. Where do we stand after the hype of the last few years, and how and where will podcasts evolve?
Entertaining the audience, Selina Gaiser ( Hessischer Rundfunk) started with Cold Mirror, the first major YouTube star in Germany, who gained fame while still a child. She transformed niche details about Harry Potter into an entire podcast, which has the most peculiar premise: discussing 5 minutes of the first Harry Potter movie. There are currently 30 episodes, and we have just reached the first title sheet. This is one of the largest podcasts in Germany to date. “It is super entertaining, a great incentive to learn German.” Even German speakers who understood the clip couldn’t help but laugh.
From laughter to fear right on stage.
With True Crime on Stage, Phillip Kurz (BR) introduced “True Crime Live” as an adaptation of the popular podcast. Through the use of real court documents, vivid crime scene images, etc., the podcast evolved into a proper show on stage. Trigger warning included.
“The Honeymoon is over,” said Maria Lorenz-Bokelberg, CEO of the largest podcast company in Germany, expressing her satisfaction that podcasts have reached a much more stable situation after the peaks of recent years. As a safe space, podcasts can now encompass formats that are both entertaining and more serious. During the discussion, all three of them provided a glimpse into the future, sharing their expectations for the evolution of the podcast landscape. They are looking forward to many more innovative ideas, perhaps even books or movies about podcasts. “While podcasts are still evolving, there is much to look forward to, but it is not enough to just turn on the microphone and talk.”
