Podcasting in a Platform Age - (Bloomsbury Podcast Studies) by John L Sullivan (Hardcover)

About the Book

"John Sullivan explores how podcasting has developed as a medium in the 21st century, examining the impacts of professionalization, online platforms and monetization, and what the future holds"--

Book Synopsis

Podcasting in a Platform Age explores the transition underway in podcasting by considering how the influx of legacy and new media interest in the medium is injecting professional and corporate logics into what had been largely an amateur media form.

Many of the most high-profile podcasts today, however, are produced by highly-skilled media professionals, some of whom are employees of media corporations. Legacy radio and new media platform giants like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Spotify are also making big (and expensive) moves in the medium by acquiring content producers and hosting platforms. This book focuses on three major aspects of this transformation: formalization, professionalization, and monetization. Through a close read of online and press discourse, analysis of podcasts themselves, participant observations at podcast trade shows and conventions, and interviews with industry professionals and individual podcasters, John Sullivan outlines how the efforts of industry players to transform podcasting into a profitable medium are beginning to challenge the very definition of podcasting itself.

Review Quotes

"Sullivan delivers an essential investigation of podcasting's past, present, and future ... Highly recommended [for] all readership levels." --CHOICE

"This is the book we need, but didn't deserve. 20 years after the invention of podcasting, John Sullivan provides one of the first comprehensive accounts of the changing digital structures that podcasting exists within. Clearly written and with great attention to details, it lays out the ever fascinating interplays between the cultural, social, and economic dynamics of podcasting in the age of platforms. This is an important book, and it is essential for everyone who wants to understand the third decade of podcasting." --Aske Kammer, Associate Professor of Journalism Studies, Roskilde University, Denmark

"In Podcasting in a Platform Age, John L. Sullivan unravels the captivating journey of podcasting, from its grassroots origins evolving into dynamics of media and cultural industries. With keen insights, Sullivan navigates the core of its evolution, unveiling the tension between preserving podcasting's open essence and the pull towards centralization driven by a platform-centered scenario. This book offers a concise yet enlightening exploration of podcasting's history, present, and future, revealing why podcasting becomes relevant in the current digital landscape." --Toni Sellas, Course Leader Bachelor of Journalism, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Spain

"Podcasting in a Platform Age provides a much-needed study of podcasting's formalization during a period characterized by the rise of digital platforms. John L. Sullivan's rigorous yet accessible study also makes vital contributions to our understanding of the contemporary media industries and the rise of digital platforms. While the book is the authoritative text on US podcasting's post-Serial evolution, it is also essential reading for those seeking to understand the social, technological, and industrial forces shaping cultural production in a time of widespread platformization. Podcasting in a Platform Age is a remarkable work of scholarship that will help to define the emerging field of podcast studies while also making a significant impact in critical media industry studies and platform studies." --Christopher Cwynar, Assistant Professor, Trent University, Canada

About the Author

John L. Sullivan is Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at Muhlenberg College, USA. His research explores the links between media and systems of social and economic power. He has published articles on podcasting production in the United States, focusing on the processes of formalization and monetization of amateur and semi-professional labor. He is the author of Media Audiences, 2nd edition (2020).