• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers

1

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
CommentaryApple

Why Amy Schumer—and Everybody Else—Wants Their Own Podcast

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 19, 2018, 10:14 AM ET
Celebrity Sightings In New York - October 25, 2018
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 25: Amy Schumer and Leesa Evans are seen on October 25, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin GC Images

This article first appeared in Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top tech news. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here.

Video killed the radio star, or so goes the famous Buggles tune. Maybe a more current update would ask if podcasts will kill what’s left of radio.

It seems the humble podcast, once the realm of rambling hosts and public radio personalities, is getting seriously into business. Sure, there are loads of great podcasts already, but total ad revenue in the market was just $314 million last year versus almost $14 billion for commercial radio. Now everyone from Spotify to Amy Schumer is jumping in, and the revenue growth should be rapid.

At one end of the new podcasting era, you have the big companies. Google just introduced its own podcast app for Android a few months ago—complete with a program library, suggestion engine, and search function. Just as important, or maybe more important, Google (GOOGL) also started a program to train and incubate new podcast hosts from diverse backgrounds. Called the Google Podcasts creator program, the effort is accepting applications through December 2 overseen by an advisory committee headed by two podcasting heavyweights: Jenna Weiss-Berman, co-founder of Pineapple Street Media, and Amit Doshi, the frequent startup player whose new venture, IVM Podcasts, obviously focuses on this space. Winners will get seed funding, training, and likely some pretty heavy promotion.

Apple (AAPL) has been obviously in the game since before the iPhone. The most recent wave of business interest comes after Apple introduced sophisticated analytics for producers starting at the end of 2017. The 2018 data shows a growing audience with advertiser-desired demographics that is devoted to their favorite podcasts—and rarely skips commercials.

Other big movers lately include Spotify, which added a podcast section with thousands of programs to its app a few months ago and is sponsoring a lineup of its own shows, as well. Pandora, soon to be part of Sirius XM (SIRI), is rolling out a podcast recommendation engine that’s based on its famous Music Genome Project, but with a roster that’s limited to shows from partner publishers such as NPR, The Ringer, and Gimlet. “Inclusion depends on a series of discussions and negotiations,” notes Nicholas Quah, whose weekly newsletter Hotpod is a must-read if you want to follow the industry.

But it’s not just big companies. As you may have read in the recent New Yorker article on podcasting that was one of our recommended weekend reads last Friday, this is a genre that doesn’t require huge backing to succeed—at least not yet. Weiss-Berman’s company, Pineapple Media, gets the profile treatment in the New Yorker, but there are many other startups. Plus, a growing number of celebrities are monetizing their fame, and often large followings on social media, via podcasts with notable examples including Gwyneth Paltrow, Anna Faris, and Dax Shepard. Of course, the large and small players can also cooperate. One of Spotify’s (SPOT) first deals to sponsor a podcast was with Schumer, who was recently a guest on Shepard’s show, Armchair Expert.

All the attention and investment will hopefully bring more quality programming, but it’s no guarantee. Most of the video that killed the radio star wasn’t so great. It took decades for our golden age of television to arrive. But there’s no stopping the powerful forces now getting into the podcasting business. Or as The Buggles might say: “In my mind and in my car, we can’t rewind we’ve gone too far.”

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

chase
CommentaryCities
San Francisco has $2 trillion in AI wealth and can’t fix its own city. That’s every city’s problem
By Chase GarbarinoMay 15, 2026
19 hours ago
lori
Commentarymental health
I run Valvoline Instant Oil Change and work with young people every day. They’re in crisis—and we all have to try to help
By Lori FleesMay 15, 2026
21 hours ago
michael
CommentaryEducation
AI is wiping out entry-level jobs. Here’s how colleges can fill the gap
By Michael HansenMay 15, 2026
21 hours ago
krishna
Commentaryregulation
The U.S. has 1,200 AI bills and no good test for any of them
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Gary Marcus and Stephen HenriquesMay 15, 2026
23 hours ago
gene
Commentarybatteries
I helped design the original Tesla battery. Here’s how America can lead the world again
By Gene BerdichevskyMay 14, 2026
2 days ago
newman
Commentaryphilanthropy
Newman’s Own Foundation CEO on steward ownership: succession when you don’t want to sell
By Alex AmouyelMay 14, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
4 days ago
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
3 days ago
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
Travel & Leisure
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
By Catherina GioinoMay 12, 2026
4 days ago
The airplane fuel shortage is a myth propagated by airlines who want to cancel unprofitable flights, says private jet CEO
Energy
The airplane fuel shortage is a myth propagated by airlines who want to cancel unprofitable flights, says private jet CEO
By Jim EdwardsMay 14, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 15, 2026
19 hours ago
Top economist says $39 trillion national debt leaves government worse prepared for recession than ever
Economy
Top economist says $39 trillion national debt leaves government worse prepared for recession than ever
By Eva RoytburgMay 14, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.