In early 2016, science reporter Alie Ward built a Patreon community for her podcast. However, Ologies didn’t yet exist. Ward spoke with Melissa Locker of Timber.fm about the show’s unusual path to becoming a giant in the genre. Listeners do more than fund the podcast, Ward says. “The moral support is incredible.”
On the show, Ward interviews a wide range of experts (e.g., ecotoxicologists, fulminologists, archaeologists) with curious, relatable humor. Networks were uninterested early on “because the show was a little bit too niche and my listener base wasn’t big enough,” she says. Now, its ad revenue is donated to charities.
“I think what [Patreon] allow[s] people to do is really important in a society where we’re so used to having to get our money from corporate sponsors in the hopes that our listeners will buy something,” Ward reflects. This level of success certainly isn’t typical, but neither is her audience-first approach to podcasting.
Near the beginning of the pandemic, “Hollywood’s entertainers were among the most notable figures joining the nearly $1 billion industry.” The trend is likely to last for several reasons, according to Julie Miller of Vanity Fair. Celebrities have joined the game “for fun and profit” as well as instant gratification.
iHeartPodcast president Conal Byrne calls podcasts “the best sketch pad for ideas in the world right now.” Why wouldn’t Rob Lowe give it a shot? A source told Miller that a six-figure annual guarantee isn’t unusual, “with the biggest actors receiving between $1 million and $3 million to launch an unscripted podcast.”
Repurposed effort is a draw for comedian Adam DeVine, who launched a show with his fellow Workaholics in October. “Realistically, we wouldn’t be able to film this for another two years, but we can do this as a podcast now,” he said. “I’m trying to find all the fun ways that I can work at home and not put on pants.”
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