Beyond pigeonholing podcast formats as "better" or "worse", what is really important is to know the wide range of possibilities in this universe, their pros and cons and, above all, which one is best suited to the specific needs and objectives of each case.
Thinking about podcasting also implies thinking about its diversity because, although its emergence is relatively recent, the world of podcasting is still a very diverse one. podcasting has branched out in multiple ways, creating different possibilities, presentations and ways of producing sound shows... Therefore, in general terms, we can say that there are four major podcast formats, which, many times, can be mixed together and generate new hybrid or borderline programs.
It is impossible to say whether a certain type of show is better or worse than another, because it all depends on the objective pursued in creating it. However, each of these four formats develops its own style, with advantages and disadvantages, which can be analyzed taking into account objective aspects such as: its capacity to attract an audience, the investment of resources it requires, its technical difficulty, the charisma it demands from the audience, and the quality of the show. host or guests of the show, and their frequency.
So, let's put under the magnifying glass the ".big four" of the podcasting.
Fiction: the art of creating new realities ✨🚀
Ability to reach an audience: has demonstrated its immense power by quickly attracting millions of listeners, thanks to its natural proximity to the world of entertainment and its cross-cutting nature in terms of topics, interests, ages and genres.
In this sense, Case 63 is one of the most solid references in the world: the show about a time traveler who jumps between pandemic realities is not only one of Spotify's biggest hits in Latin America, but its popularity has spread around the globe thanks to adaptations in India and the United States.
On the other hand, this type of content allows for a much more transmedia exploration, in which, through different channels, a narrative universe is created to delve into different aspects of the same story.
Investment of resources and technical difficulty: Being fictionalized, this type of program requires a very high level of pre-production, with a team fully dedicated to creating the story, writing the script, editing the content and a stellar voice-over, even character acting... It is such a demanding process that, in fact, it could be closer to film art direction than to the usual podcast production.
Much of the success in a fiction podcast rests on how well it is written, and that level of storytelling is a non-negotiable of the format.
As is to be expected considering the investment of resources required, producing a successful fiction podcast entails a high degree of technical difficulty, which involves having professional recording and art direction studios throughout the process. Precisely for this reason, it is the most expensive format to produce in economic terms.
Charisma that requires host and guests: as such, fictional podcasts do not require the presence of host or guests on the program. However, this challenge is replaced with the difficulty of production and achieving a voice-over that is very close to professional acting.
Frequency: precisely because of the technical and human challenge of creating this type of content, it is very difficult to guarantee that episodes will be aired constantly with a high frequency. For this reason, it is very common for this format to be published in seasons, with a significant volume of episodes that, once they have been delivered, are no longer aired in order to resume production of the next season.
Round table: a conversation inherited from traditional radio 🎙
Ability to reach an audience: This format is one of the most popular in Latin America, probably the second most listened to after fiction. This is due precisely to its evident proximity to radio as we have historically known it in this part of the world, with a group of people -usually between three or six- discussing specific topics.
As with radio decades ago, much of the success of having a solid and loyal audience relies on the affinity between listeners and listeners. hostThe connection that is created through the conversation and that makes the listeners feel that they are a real and indispensable part of it.
On the other hand, the reinvention of this traditional heritage also adds points when it comes to gaining and retaining audience loyalty by adding a more modern touch to traditional content.
This is achieved by thinking of the format as an open door to innovation and playing with aspects such as the voices of the show and the sections created for each episode. In this sense, the same format allows for variations such as: having the same people in front permanently -Entiende tu mente or Máquinas de ventas, for example-, having the same people in front permanently -Entiende tu mente or Máquinas de ventas, for example-, having host The program is accompanied by other people who change each episode -such as Armchair Experts or Doubts are given away-, and create spaces such as questions from the audience, a series of tips, recommendations from an expert, counter-questions from the guest, etcetera.
Investment of resources and technical difficulty: Although any podcast format requires pre-production work, in this case it is more about understanding what would be the topics or components to be covered in each roundtable. Therefore, the time invested in this type of content can be lower compared to other formats: it requires pre-production, recording and post-production, but not on a large scale. In the same sense, its technical difficulty is not so high and it is not usually associated with large economic costs.
Charisma that requires host and guests: This is the Achilles Heel of this format. The success of a round table is deeply related to the charisma that one finds as such in their hostThe key to the success of the event: in the connection they have with each other and with the audience, in the genuine and natural chemistry felt in the atmosphere, in how friendly they are with other guests, in how pleasant it is to feel part of that conversation.
Of course, all this sounds great, but it is not so easy to achieve and, in that sense, this point is often a big barrier, for example, for companies that want to venture into this type of content even if its production is simpler.
Much of the success in a roundtable podcast rests on how charismatic your hostand that level of natural chemistry is a non-negotiable of the format.
Frequency: allows a very high frequency, so that some podcasts even have more than a weekly episode on the air or, in the case of news content, a daily publication.
Monologue: narrating the world with a single voice🔊
Ability to reach an audience: the number of people who listen to a monologue will deeply depend on who the person in front of the microphone is, how consolidated their personal brand is, how well built their community is and how interested they are in this new space.
If these requirements are met, there is a very high probability of having a good audience, as evidenced by the case of Diana Uribe -a permanent content in the Top 10 of Spotify Colombia-, that of Alejandra Azcárate -which after going viral on lives We are also proud of our success with Popularmente, which, in the voice of Vanessa Rosales, has reached nearly seven thousand listeners in just three months and seven episodes on the air.
At the heart of all these examples are still the protagonists of those shows - Diana, Alejandra and Vanessa - who in all cases already had their own consolidated audience that only had to migrate from other channels to their podcasts.
Investment of resources and technical difficulty: requires a strong pre-production in terms of content organization, search for external references, narrative rhythm and planning. of what will sound to listeners as fluid. On the other hand, in terms of post-production it also requires a heavy investment of time in editing to achieve that final friendly content that indeed seems to occur naturally.
Therefore, although it requires a strong work if the main voice of the monologue is well prepared, it does not have to represent a too high technical difficulty. In economic terms, it is vital to take into account the costs associated with the work and the presence of the main voice.
Charisma that requires host and guests: Even more than in the case of round tables, in the monologue the charisma of the speaker is practically everything: 90% of the success of a monologue rests with the one who leads the conversation, and that skill becomes a non-negotiable of the format. Basically, if the voice that is talking to the audience all the time does not generate a genuine connection with them, the central bet of this format is lost.
Frequency: if the host of the monologue masters the subject and is fully committed to the project, this format allows a very high on-air frequency.
Documentary: weaving many voices into a single purpose 🤝
Ability to reach an audience: At Naranja Media, this format is really our forte, that's why in these years of experience we can assure you that it allows for a good volume of audience. However, in general terms, these are not mass viewers but rather listeners from different niches, very specific audiences with particular interests in the subject matter of each documentary show. The success in audience traction depends directly on how well the message is targeted to the segmented niche, and the value and usefulness of the information shared.
Investment of resources and technical difficulty: involves a high level of pre-production because usually many voices are included in the same episode, with a high level of research and hours of interviews and previous conversations. In our podcast Truora's universeFor example, each episode condenses between four and six voices and nearly eight hours of interviews into thirty minutes.
The format's own demands in terms of high hourly dedication for pre-production -research and interviews-, production -creation of narrative arcs, messages, scripts, multivoces and use of external resources, such as fragments of TED talks- and post-production -editing and musicalization- increase the technical difficulty compared to other types of podcast and, although it is not as costly as fiction, it usually represents a higher monetary investment than a round table.
Charisma that requires host and guests: one of the great pros of this format is the fact that it does not depend on the charisma of any one host or guest because the production job is precisely to spin a solid and nurturing enough story that does not depend on any official voice.
This independence of a hostThe ability to deliver key messages in an entertaining and highly engaging way makes this format ideal for generating business content.
Much of the success in a documentary podcast relies on the ability to weave stories and prioritize information. Therefore, storytelling skills are a non-negotiable of the format.
Frequency: the narrative complexity of the format makes it difficult to air weekly, but it is perfectly possible to have a fortnightly publication of episodes. In that sense, it can be a middle ground between the challenge of the frequency of a fiction podcast and the ease of getting on the air that a roundtable allows.
So which format to choose? 🤔💭
Obviously, each format has its strengths and weaknesses that will interfere when creating a podcast. Therefore, when choosing a format, it is highly recommended that, beyond following trends or thinking about what is the most popular, the decision should focus on the strengths and weaknesses that you have as a producer and on the objectives of the show in question.
For example, if the production team has a strong influencer, an established personal brand and a powerful message to take to its own audience, then it may make sense to opt for a monologue. If, on the other hand, you are looking to reach a niche group of listeners, such as lovers of sustainability or innovation, with a story told in several voices and there is not a host then the best thing to do is to opt for the documentary.
In closing, it is important to keep in mind that podcast formats are not straitjackets. Although it is not common, exploring hybrids and mixing elements of formats in a new proposal is a possibility that can lead to interesting paths. However, this practice requires some care not to confuse the audience and not to lose the central ability to maintain a clear and forceful message. For this reason, experimenting by migrating very small elements from other formats in a specific episode -bringing small scripts to a round table or a short monologue to a documentary- may be more advisable than creating a totally hybrid format from the beginning.
On the other hand, we share with you the following article that may be of interest to you.