SAN ANTONIO, Texas � As broadcast radio moves further from its origins as a provider of longform audio content, podcasters are coming closer to capturing the essence of that programming, and perhaps gaining a similar cult following.
�Somewhere along the way that kind of programming disappeared and radio turned its attention to capturing quarter hours,� Audio4cast�s Jennifer Lane writes in her latest blog post. �Now we have �news and traffic every ten minutes� but the unique and creative storytelling approach to audio has in many cases left the broadcast building��
On the other hand, podcasts are ideal longform audio content to encourage binge listening, according to Lane. She explains that podcasts feature various versions of an �episodic approach to content that lends itself to binge listening.� Programs can can come in the form of serialized stories, themed podcasts or personality podcasts.
Weekly podcast consumers often listen to two or more podcasts per week, according to data from Edison Research.
Another study from Bridge Ratings indicates that podcast listeners spend an average of 33 minutes listening for each session (see the graph above for a more specific break down of podcast abandonment rates). Additionally, the same study showed that �an actionable number of consumers repeated listening to a specific podcast,� providing more evidence of the Netflix�like bingeing potential.
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