Podcasting Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Being Misunderstood

Max Cutler of PAVE Studios’ recent declaration that “podcasting is dead” and that we should now call everything a “show” is provocative—but it’s also oversimplified. As someone who’s spent over two decades empowering indie creators, I see this not as a wake-up call, but as a mischaracterization of what podcasting truly is. His article, fresh off The Podcast Show in London, paints a picture of a $7.3 billion global market evolving into a video-first, platform-agnostic attention economy.

It’s bold. It’s strategic. And it’s deeply self-serving.

But here’s the thing: Podcasting isn’t dead. It’s just being misunderstood.

Let’s be clear: A podcast is and forever will be an indie audio format. Once you add video, livestreaming, or cross-platform distribution, you’re entering the realm of shows—television, reality content, or branded entertainment. That’s not a bad thing. But it’s not podcasting. That’s the differentiator.

🧭 The Soul of Podcasting: Audio, Authenticity, and Independence

In Altered Audio, I define podcasting not by its monetization strategy or distribution channel, but by its creative DNA:

• Audio-first: Podcasting is intimate, portable, and designed for listening—not watching.
• Creator-driven: It thrives on passion, not production budgets.
• Community-rooted: Indie podcasters build trust, not just reach.

When corporate media entered the space, it brought scale—but it also diluted the soul. The shift toward video-first content and platform-agnostic “shows” may be lucrative, but it’s a new category entirely. Podcasting lost a lot of its soul once corporate radio and media took it over.

📉 Metrics, Monetization, and the Myth of Efficiency

Cutler’s framing of podcasting as a $7.3B “attention business” glosses over a key issue: The metrics are still broken.

• Different platforms measure engagement differently.
• Video views aren’t equivalent to audio listens.
• CPMs vary wildly depending on format, region, and platform.

Advertising is coming to this market and touted as efficient—but efficiency is a myth when the data lacks consistency. This isn’t a unified ecosystem—it’s a fragmented one. And creators are the ones left trying to stitch it together.

🏛️ Corporate Narratives vs. Creator Realities

PAVE Studios’ statement feels self-serving—not unlike what iHeartRadio has done to pump up podcasting into the mainstream. But does it really need to be?

Podcasting doesn’t need to be rebranded to be relevant. It needs to be respected for what it is: audio. authentic. independent.

Yes, podcasting as defined by corporate media may be dead. But indie podcasting is alive, evolving, and still deeply authentic. It’s not backed by a corporate stakeholder attempting to pump up their bottom line by swallowing up what made it great in the first place.

💬 The Takeaway

We’re not all building “shows.” Some of us are still building podcasts—audio-first, community-driven, and creator-owned. That distinction matters. Because when you erase the format, you erase the culture that built it.

Podcasting isn’t dead. It’s just being redefined by people who never understood what made it great.

Want to keep podcasting real? Let’s talk about what it means to stay indie, stay audio-first, and stay connected to the communities that matter.