What makes a podcast worth listening to? In this special episode, we welcome two guests for the first time and talk about what we do ourselves: podcasts. Pascal Streule (ZHAW) and Eric Andreae (ZHdK), together with an interdisciplinary team and the production company Podcastschmiede, have produced a comprehensive scientific analysis of German-language podcasts.
Thirty podcasts were examined, listeners were interviewed and productions were analysed from a film theory perspective. The result is a well-researched handbook that shows what makes successful podcasts stand out. Find out why formats such as ‘Gemischtes Hack’ and ‘Zivadiliring’ work so well, what dramaturgy lies behind them and whether we will all soon be listening to AI podcasts. We talk about the three basic types – story, talk and factual – and how many successful formats combine them consciously or intuitively.
Take Aways
- Podcasts structure everyday life. Many listeners have fixed podcast routines.
- Even spontaneous chat podcasts follow dramaturgical principles, often unconsciously.
- Parasocial relationships: Listeners develop a one-sided but intense relationship with the host.
- Podcasts as an accompanying medium: The multitasking model shows which podcast suits which activity.
- Podcasts are dramaturgically more oriented towards television than radio.
- Authenticity is more important than perfection.
Two major trends are emerging: video podcasts are becoming established, but audio remains the core medium. AI-generated podcasts are already demonstrating impressive quality in English-speaking countries, but human conversation remains central to talk formats.
For anyone who wants to start their own podcast
The crucial question is: what can I talk about? Successful podcasts thrive on expertise, personal attitude and enthusiasm for the topic. Without a good idea, even the best microphone is useless.
Podcasts accompany people in their everyday lives, create emotional bonds and offer space for knowledge, reflection and entertainment. Research by ZHAW and ZHdK provides the first scientifically sound basis for understanding how this effect is created and how it can be specifically designed.
The handbook is aimed at anyone who wants to create professional podcasts and offers:
- Scientifically based analysis methods
- Practical foundations for concept development
- Insights into the three basic types and their hybrid forms
- The multitasking model for target group analysis
- Dramaturgical tools for all podcast formats
Podcasts mentioned in this episode
- Operation Nord Stream (Story)
- Zivadiliring (Talk)
- Apropos (Factual)
- Weird Crimes (Talk with Story elements)
- Beziehungskosmos (Factual with Talk elements)
- Gemischtes Hack (Talk)
Further links
- Productions and offers from Podcastschmiede
- dezibel. The Swiss podcast event series
Schampar digital is a podcast that explains complex research topics from DIZH universities in an understandable way. Our goal is to provide insights into digital transformation and make current topics from various disciplines accessible.
Our hosts Frank Richter and Jessica Reust talk to experts from UZH, ZHAW, ZHdK and PHZH about their research.