Top Podcast Hosts Ask Their Listeners To 'Try A Pod'

This March the leading podcast publishers join forces to expand the podcast audience

Washington, DC; February 22, 2017 – For the first time, leading podcast publishers have joined forces to introduce new audiences to podcasts.

During the month of March, the hosts of hundreds of shows including Stuff You Should Know, Planet Money, Missing Richard Simmons, and Crimetown, will encourage listeners to introduce a friend, relative or coworker to a new podcast, and, show them how to listen if they don't know how. Listeners will be asked to share stories of why they listen and their favorite podcasts using the hashtag #trypod.

According to Edison Research, one in five Americans listened to podcasts every month as of early 2016 – a number that has grown by double-digits for five years. Even though podcasts are growing quickly and are available in more places than ever before, some people still don't know how to listen or where to start. Informally led by NPR, industry leaders including ESPN, HowStuffWorks, Pineapple Street Media, Midroll and WNYC Studios are working together to show new audiences how easy it is to listen.

"People come to podcasts for information and analysis to make sense of the world around them, to be entertained by excellent storytelling, to laugh and experience wonder," said Israel Smith, NPR's Sr. Director of Promotion.

Research conducted by comScore and Wondery suggests that listeners turn to podcasts when they're feeling curious and then as a result of listening they feel more connected, intelligent and energized.

"As podcast fans are such loyal listeners, it makes great sense to reach out to our collective audiences, urge them to connect with friends who haven't yet caught the podcast bug, and share what makes their favorite podcasts so meaningful in their lives," said Julie Shapiro, Executive Producer at Radiotopia.

Throughout March, more than 100 million people will hear and see messages from Guy Raz, Anna Sale, Bill Simmons, Tracy Clayton and Heben Nigatu, Meghna Chakrabarti, David Ridgen, Buster Olney, Jenna Wortham, Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, Sook-Yin Lee, Michael Barbaro, Wendy Zukerman, Marc Maron, Manoush Zomorodi, Stassi Schroeder, Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood, and dozens more in podcasts, in new videos, and on social media. The hashtag "trypod" stands for 'try podcasts.'

Podcast publishers participating in Trypod include:

Acast
American Public Media
Audiosear.ch
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
CBS Radio
Earwolf
ESPN
Feral Audio
First Look Media
FiveThirtyEight
Gimlet Media
Hot Pod
HowStuffWorks
iHeartRadio
KCRW
Libsyn
Midroll
The New York Times
Night Vale Presents
NPR
Pacific Content
Panoply/Slate
Pineapple Street Media
Podtrac
PopUp Archive
PRI
PRX
Public Radio stations including WHYY, WXPN, Louisville Public Media, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, WFIU, WDET, Montana Public Radio, WAMU, WJCT, WESA, Southern California Public Radio, Vermont Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, WFUV, KCUR, KQED, WSHU, WUNC, WILL, KPBS, New Hampshire Public Radio and more.
Quick and Dirty Tips
RadioPublic
Radiotopia
The Ringer
Stitcher
This American Life/Serial
WBUR
WBEZ
WNYC Studios
Wondery

Press Contact

Isabel Lara, NPR Media Relations
mediarelations@npr.org