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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Vanessa Thorpe Arts and media correspondent

Podcasts in pivotal moment as number of new shows drops by 80%

Microphone surrounded by lights
The decline in new podcasts marks a major change in direction, according to some in the industry. Photograph: Chnit Siri Kan Ti N Cheiynghim/Getty Images/EyeEm

Was podcasting just a passing trend – and one that’s already over? Surprising new industry figures have revealed that the number of new shows fell rapidly in the last year; a worldwide decline of 80% compared with the two previous years.

These statistics suggest the podcast balloon has burst, but closer study shows that the slowdown marks a major change in direction prompted by “a case of the jitters”, according to one leading British podcast producer.

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