All ears on? A survey on podcasters’ profiles, practices and self-perceptions

Despite the continuous growth in podcast consumption among listeners and podcast offerings on various streaming platforms, there remains a lack of research concerning podcasters. This paper presents an exploratory analysis of the profiles, practices, role perceptions, and values of podcasters based on the results of an online survey among 1 073 podcasters from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The findings reveal that podcasters are predominantly male, middle-aged, and academically educated. Regarding their professional practices and profiles, the majority of podcasters lack prior experience in the field of journalism despite often taking on journalistic functions. Concerning their perception of their roles and values, podcasters place significant emphasis on the relevance of entertainment, education, and information dissemination. Overall, they demonstrate a strong orientation towards the needs of their audiences. As podcasts continue to gain popularity among audiences, studying podcast producers helps to better understand their content creation processes, prioritized topics, and approaches to engaging with their audiences.