Previously Audio was on Nobody’s Radar — In 2020 it was on Everyone’s Radar

When I started Amplifi Media five years ago I met with large and small companies, who had no audio strategy. Audio? Strategy? In a digital media world, audio was an analog relic, a wooden cathedral box radio with people sitting in their living rooms listening to FDR’s fireside chats. Podcasting had some digital chops but was primarily a public radio phenomenon.

Just a few years later, audio is an essential element of the media mix and on the mind of executives in C-Suites everywhere.

This Year’s Audio Story Extends Beyond The Roll-Up Of Spotify And SiriusXM

Even in this pandemic year, or maybe because of it, the growth of podcasting and smart speaker audio is worth reflecting on for a moment. While the mergers and acquisitions from Spotify and SiriusXM are fascinating, this year’s audio story extends beyond the roll-up of those two giants. It’s about companies that had no audio agenda, and a myriad of start-ups showing up at the party.

New entrepreneurial companies seem to pop up weekly, chasing some corner of the podcast world — so many it’s hard to keep track of who they are and what they do. Meanwhile, the next wave of big companies opened up their pocketbooks to stake a claim in the podcast space.