Podcasting's Homogeneous Beginnings

Shaan Puri and Sam Parr discuss how podcasting, particularly true crime podcasts, started with a homogeneous demographic but is evolving to include more diverse voices and styles.

Key Points:

• Podcasting Demographics and Evolution:

  • "Podcasting started off pretty homogeneously white"
  • Comedy podcasts began with "a lot of like white comedians in LA"
  • Now there are "so many really funny... two black comedians hanging out type of podcast, sports podcast"

• True Crime Podcast Characteristics:

  • Current true crime podcasts have a distinctive style:
    • "Midwestern NPR woman" aesthetic
    • Like "Serial" which was in the "NPR lineage"
    • Has that "Ira Glass" cadence - "today's episode... in this American life"
    • Feels "very produced and almost like New York elitist"

• Audience Demographics:

  • Sam notes true crime listeners are "basically me and a hundred million women"
  • "It's like 80% women I think who are into this"
  • Gender differences in perspective:
    • "Women listen to this from the perspective of how would I get out of this situation"
    • "Men listen to it from the perspective of like how would I get away with this"

• Market Opportunity:

  • They believe true crime needs more diversity in voices and style:
    • "It needs to be more country grammars"
    • Needs "somebody who listened to a lot of Nelly growing up"
  • Comedy angle in true crime is underexplored:
    • "There's an opening for somebody to do true crime but just with a comedy angle"
    • "In true crime there's nobody funny... so if you're even moderately funny you're the funniest true crime podcast"
    • One exception: "My Favorite Murder" which is "a true crime comedy podcast"

• Business Potential:

  • They've discussed true crime business opportunities for years
  • Multiple 9-figure companies have emerged in this space
  • Examples include Parcast (sold to Spotify for "like a hundred million dollars") and Law and Crime (acquired for "more than a hundred million dollars")