What will the Singularity of podcasting look like? That's hard to predict. But I'm certain it won't be creator-focused advances that will bring it about. No, it'll be listener-focused advances that get us there.

Which ones? Well, don't quote me on this, but I think one (or more) of these five candidates has a shot. See if you agree:

Smart Speakers - It would make sense that a speaker, a device with a primary function to transmit audio to human ears that is semi-sentient, would bring about the podcast listening Singularity. That hasn't happened because the interface is really clunky. But it might not always be.

Voice Assistants - Today's phones are communication and control interfaces for our world. But for voice assistants really to power the podcast listening experience without visual output for and tactile input from the listener, they're going to have to get a whole lot better.

Wearables - When you wear a pair of modern wireless earbuds, you're really sticking two small computers in your ears. They have their own chipsets. They talk to one another. With some scifi-looking hand gesture tech, could they handle the complete podcast listening experience?

The Metaverse - I doubt that anyone will log into the Metaverse just to listen to a podcast. But they might goggle into the Metaverse to engage with podcast communities or attend podcast events. 

Web3 - There's far too much buzz/focus on what I see as rent-seeking/wealth-accumulation and far too little on the user-enabling benefits of Web3. However, the decentralized nature of podcasting and the decentralized nature of the blockchain ought to have some synergies. Just don't ask me how.

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Links

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Podcast Pontificationsis a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show....