The position of audio in 2022

While video has been in the spotlight for several years, one format is making a huge comeback: audio. Why is this happening? What is it for? For whom? Let’s have a closer look, shwall we ?!

The digital world is constantly changing. And while some trends are expected, others are a real surprise. Audio has become more important than ever in our daily lives. What can we expect from it? What does it mean?

The future looks bright for podcasts

The podcast, in addition to being a new format in the digital landscape, is also a new way of consuming content. No need to be in front of your computer, your TV or even your phone, the podcast can be consumed in a lot of ways, while driving, doing the housework or even while working.

Reappeared a few years ago, this meteoric rise is now undeniable. The podcast has become a must-have. That’s why giants like Spotify, Apple Podcast and Amazon Music have invested heavily in the format.

The podcast helps build a loyal audience thanks to its episodic nature and allows in-depth discussion on topics. It also allows you to generate engagement and keep control of your audience’s attention. It guarantees a good positioning in terms of referencing since Google announced to give it more importance in the search engines and thus to index it in the results.

The versatility and diversity of the podcast means that it can be used to reach any niche market. No matter what you offer is, there will always be a podcast with a suitable audience to target.

The future looks bright for podcasts. Not only is the technological landscape changing in their favour, but interest also seems to be growing rapidly, across all generations.

Still need to be convinced? Here are some figures that should do the trick.

• In January 2022, 195.2 million French podcasts were listened to or downloaded worldwide. 
• 80% of users say they listen to an episode until the end once they have started it.
• 54% of people say they are more likely to buy a product that has been promoted on one of the podcasts they subscribe to.

“When I’m in the production phase or in transit in the car or in transport, the podcast is my ideal companion. And there are podcasts for every occasion. Sometimes to listen to a radio programme again at a more suitable moment of the day. But in general, I like long podcasts, during which I learn things, and it can be on very diverse subjects (cinema, series, crypto, creativity, humour, history,…). 

One of the attractions of the podcast is its episodic nature (weekly, monthly, less regular, it depends), an appointment that we look forward to and that we regret when it doesn’t come.
Overall, the podcast is something that feeds me.”

Adrien, Creative Director @ La niche

 

Adrien’s podcast selection ❤️

• 2 heures de perdues (fr) : To laugh and hear a bit about (bad) cinema.

• Floodcast (fr) : Florent Bernard and Adrien Ménielle and their 2 or 3 guests.

• Previously (fr) : Podcast on cult series.

• Les gens qui doutent (fr)

• Office Ladies (en) : Behind the scenes of “The Office” by 2 of its actresses

• You must remember This (et son extension ‘You must remember Manson’) (en) : exciting!

 

Mathieu’s special marketing podcast selection ❤️

• Beyond Marketing (fr) : The best marketing tips from Sortlist and its guests

• TED Business (en) : Do we really need to go into detail? It’s obviously the TED Talks in audio mode!

• Marketing Mania (fr) : Entrepreneurs’ conversations about the web

• Bannouze, le podcast du marketing digital (fr) : Meetings and reflections to optimise your digital marketing campaigns

 

TikTok, king of trends

In recent years, it was clear that social network users were watching videos without sound. No need for background music and subtitles, which are essential for your audience to understand. And then… TikTok. TikTok came along and decided that its application would be based on a concept of music trends. it reinvents codes, challenges digital consumption habits and puts sound back at the heart of quality content.

Find a full article dedicated to TikTok on our blog.

“TikTok is my digital love at first sight. Far from the aestheticism and perfection of Instagram, on TikTok, it’s real life, no make-up, a lot of humour, a lot of creativity, a place where you feel good. TikTok allows people to speak out on important societal issues such as the LGBTQIA+ cause, but also to give a voice to everyone thanks to an algorithm that does not (yet) restrict small accounts. The companies present on TikTok are making the right choice, the choice of a communication close to their community, the choice of an application that has reinvented digital codes, but not only.”

Florence, Creative Content Strategist @ La niche

Clubhouse, sound only

Launched in 2020, the American app Clubhouse is born, shaking up the social networking world and seeking to establish itself as the leader in digital audio. It’s a revolution in the world of social media!

The concept? First of all, access to the app is by invitation. Then you can create or listen to conversations in digital rooms. No messages, no photos, no videos, just raw audio. Basically, Clubhouse works like a Ted conference or live podcasts, with the possibility for listeners to intervene.

A smashing success, everyone’s intrigue and an explosive number of downloads. Instagram and Facebook have launched Live Rooms, Twitter has created the same functionality by naming it Spaces, and most recently Linkedin has announced the beta release of Linkedin Audio Events.

Do you still have doubts about the importance of audio and the appeal of audio to users?

What about the Metaverse?

As a result of the pandemic, virtual concerts have been quoted in 2020 and 2021. Fortnite also added its own personal touch with concerts by Travis Scott and Ariana Grande. Inspired by this trend, some people talk about virtual concerts in the metaverse. The future of the music industry or too much of a trend? The future will tell.

On that note, spoiler alert: La niche is preparing some audio projects for you… 

We won’t say more but…stay tuned !

Florence’s TikTok selection ❤️

• Barbie’s account @barbie 
• Mini’s account @mini 
• Jean-Baptiste Djebbari’s account @jbdjebb
• Zara’s account @zara 
• The Bread Guy’s account @everyslice