Lauren LaRosa (13:56)
Now in other news, as we shift gears, there's been a new announcement. Netflix is getting into the podcasting business. Now you're probably like, what? Like I hear so many people say, please defund the podcast mics. Too many people have podcast mics and then you get this story about NetFL getting into the podcasting business because they just inked a deal with Spotify. It doesn't mean that they're going to run around giving everybody more podcasts. Spotify is already doing that Black effect. Does it? Better shout out to, you know, gang, gang. But what is going to happen is major podcast with viewership with video. Netflix is going to come in and say, come on over here. We got a home for y'. All. And how's the video podcast? And this is interesting to me because you guys know, and I've talked about this in, in, you know, several different conversations here on the podcast. When I went to Memphis to the podcast fest, the Pot Box Podcast Festival in Memphis, one of the things I talked about was in, when I got in the, you know, got into all of this podcasting because of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa, I didn't really understand the, like, what was the big deal about audio for me? I'm a visual person. I like to see things. I like to see people's reactions. I like to see the laugh, the upset, the cries, like, I just attach to things I can see. I like to see the coloring, the, you know, all of that. Podcasts that are only audio, I can't really think of too many of them. Besides, I will say the Read. The Read. And not necessarily recently, but I remember the Read being one of the first podcasts years ago that I was actually listening to religiously. And I didn't even know what the people looked like because I could only listen to it. And even right now, as I'm talking about the Read, I don't think about what the hosts look like. I think about what their art of their podcast is. You know, the two head figures that like pinkish salmon color, like it's branded around just the art of the podcast. Because they never had video. They still don't have video. Crystal, who now has stepped off and she's doing her own podcast that will be video, but they've never had video. And very successful podcast, but I didn't really understand, you know, what the business was behind the audio. So I feel like I'm learning that as I'm going. And I've really began to understand that with us and our success here at the latest with Lorana Rosa. But I always thought video was like the utmost and foremost important. And then I kind of took a step back from that. Y' all know, we're back. We do have a video component. But when I saw this Netflix deal With Spotify, I'm like, yeah, there it is. That's why. Because, I mean, it's always been a thing that you can do deals for the video Saudi a podcast with networks and like all the people, but for a big platform like Netflix would be like, come here. We need to be in business with y'. All. That means that there is growth happening on the video side of podcasts, and it's possibly growing to not just be a marketing tool, but an actual force in podcasting, because audio is a force. Like, I can't even describe to you guys how much audio from the radio to podcasting has changed my whole life in 365, but it really has. And now I'm reading this article and I'm hearing from, you know, the execs at Netflix and Ted Sarandos, who is the co CEO of Netflix, he gave Deadline a quote when they made this announcement. He says, as the popularity of video podcasts grow, I suspect you'll see some of them find their way to Netflix. And then they have some information here in the article that says last year, Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek said that the number of creators publishing video on Spotify had grown by more than 50% year on year. So with this deal, we will now see Spotify produce series from its Spotify studios in the ringer launch on another platform. One of these shows that that'll be coming on over to Netflix is the Bill Simmons podcast. Anytime you see something like this where a major platform is reevaluating their business structure and bringing something in because it's growing, that means that there's about to be such a centered focus around just that. And don't get me wrong, podcasts are the thing. Everybody's got one. Everybody. There's a lot of people who only do video podcasts, right? They don't even. They're not focused on the audio. For a long time, you know, that has been the. That's been a big no. No to not be focused on audio. And I still think with Netflix getting in the game, that'll still be a thing. Like, I think the way that podcast, the way that podcasts, the way that podcasts have been set up and positioned, audio is literally become like a daily part of people's lives. It's not. It's not live like radio. And I've learned that radio is that as a daily part of people's lives, but it's live like, you can turn me on and hear me while you're headed to your job, right? Podcasting Is that. But it's a bit more like scheduled. You maybe get them once a week, you know, maybe twice a month. The ladies will learn the Rosa we are every day. And we. I try to keep up with like, I don't like doing anything that is going to date itself that may seem old. Because I want to get as close to in the now as I can because of what I've experienced with growth, like just from being on the radio and being in that space. I say all that to say I don't think the way that people connect with audio and they're very intimate and personal moments, whether you're in the car with your children or, you know, you got something in your ears while you're cleaning up. I don't think that there's anything that can trump that, to be honest with you. Not podcasts that have been here and that have built really strong listener foundations. However, I do think with the right platform, AKA Netflix behind it, the right brands that will come. Because not only do these podcasts that are coming over already have their own numbers, but. But Netflix is going to bring a whole nother level of advertising. Podcast video, in my opinion, on a major streamer like a Netflix, it's good. It can potentially, if done right, it could potentially take over talk shows in the TV space, which I will say there's always been reports about how well talk shows in the TV space are doing, whether it's daytime talk show or nighttime talk shows, right? But imagine if your favorite streamer, your favorite, your favorite streaming platform aired a daily talk show that kept you up to date with whatever it is you love to know about. The same way your favorite local CBS or ABC or, you know, Fox Channel did. That's where I always, when I thought about, you know, a podcast and a show, that's what I always thought. I wasn't audio focused first until I got in it and realized the impact of it. But coming into this, I was always like, if we build out the video, we could end up on a streaming platform because that's where people are. And people used to like, even when people ask me like, what's your goal? And I'm like, one of my goals in storytelling is to have a TV show and to be on tv not just as a talk show host, but as an actress and all these things, when I'm thinking about it, I'm like, it's not tv, though. Not in a general and like, traditional way that we think of a TV show, or if I'm acting in a TV series, it's like it's streaming. But think about how many daily talk shows you have on streaming platforms. This is going to unlock a new character. Netflix is on to something here, I do think, and I'm interested to see. I was reading some of the shows that they have and that they will be leaning to in this, you know, first round of this partnership. I do think it's going to be interesting to see what shows serve best from Spotify and or YouTube and, you know, audio and just doing video as like their marketing piece and a visual piece now coming over to Netflix. But I'm also interested to see who's the first platform that's going to do it in a way where we can watch it live. Like, imagine if you take like a Wendy Williams style show, a ladies with Lauren LaRosa, and you put that show daily on a streaming platform, but you do it live with a live audience. So you're able to watch me on your favorite streaming, your Netflix, Amazon prime. And then whenever you miss the live episodes, it's just like On Demand, essentially, but it's meeting people where they already are, which is streaming. Whenever you miss my live episode, you go back and you binge via Netflix or via Amazon prime to be wherever so we look. Who knows? I'm over here trying to speak things into existence. But more so what do you guys think? Where does this, this new partnership with Netflix and Spotify? Where does this end us in a year? Will talk shows and TV shows be as relevant or will everybody be going to streaming for those too? I want to know. Get out there in the streets, in the tweets. Let me know how y' all feeling. It's Lauren LaRosa.
