Have Apple & Spotify Become Too Big? with Dr. John Sullivan

The Q'd Up Podcast on Podcasting

As podcasting has grown, so too have the companies associated with it. But have companies like Apple and Spotify become too big and hold too much market share for the industry to continue to grow like it has?

On this episode of the Q’d Up Podcast on Podcasting, John and Matt are joined once again by Dr. John Sullivan to discuss the future of podcasting and whether the biggest players might control too much of the medium.

Show highlights:

Introduction

iHeart held the top spot in May (1:22)

As has become common, iHeart once again held the top spot on Podtrac’s chart, including some significant growth over last month’s total. The guys break down what the stats actually tell us and what it means for independent podcasters looking to compete.

The consolidation of podcasting (12:16)

The podcast industry is beginning to be dominated by the biggest players. The same goes for the podcast apps as well, with Spotify and Apple owning the bulk of the market share. John, Matt, and Dr. Sullivan take a closer look at the potential oligopoly happening in podcasting.

Are Apple and Spotify too big? (19:56)

With Apple and Spotify being the biggest players on the field, can others step up to dethrone them or are podcasters at the behest of these corporations? Dr. Sullivan gives his thoughts about the battle between Spotify and Apple, and whether other options even have a shot at competing.

The walled garden (24:20)

As John points out, Spotify and Apple are starting to create something called a “walled garden” by controlling so much of podcasting. However, Dr. Sullivan notes the garden might not be so green and a recent lawsuit could knock down the wall.

The open ecosystem (28:36)

The opposite of the “walled garden” is an open ecosystem. Dr. Sullivan explains how various platforms view you and your data, and what

Can independent podcasts still thrive? (38:28)

With Apple, Spotify, and major podcast networks creating their own content and owning the space, are independent podcasters relegated to a niche or can they hang with the big players? While Dr. Sullivan believes the goal of those large organizations isn’t to run small podcasters out of the business, he does believe it’s becoming increasingly difficult to launch strong.

Links:

Q’d Up - Website

Q’d Up - Instagram

John - Email

John - LinkedIn

Dr. John Sullivan - Twitter

Muhlenberg College - Website