What are you listening to or watching right now? We're willing to bet there are a fair few true crime series lined up. Compelling, horrifying deep dives keep us hooked. But increasingly, it's podcasts that are drawing people in more than ever. There’s something uniquely engaging as a listener hearing a dark, disturbing world slowly revealing itself through your ears.
And if you’ve thought about starting your own enticing series, here are five reasons why you should turn your true crime podcast idea into a reality…
1. Podcast downloads are rising: In the US, true crime is third only to comedy and the news, commanding 18% of weekly downloads. With 104 million weekly podcast listeners, that's a statistic you want to be part of.*
2. Podcasts are like no other media: Feeling like a fly on the wall is intimate and exciting. Your imagination runs wild and a whole different part of the brain is stimulated through aural consumption versus passive TV watching.
3. Podcasts have longevity: Serial, the weekly dramatisation featuring journalist Sarah Koenig's hyper-focused exploration of a 1999 Baltimore murder, took the podcast world by storm way back in 2014. It’s still attracting downloads almost 10 years on, showing just how deep the long tail effect in podcasting attracts audiences.
4. Podcasting can be your job: There are no guarantees, but a successful podcast will become self-funding given time and advertising opportunities. The popularity of true crime podcasts shows no sign of dissipating.
5. Your podcast can trigger additional content: Gated downloads? An ebook? Live events? Become well enough established and the opportunities to expand your true crime brand are endless.
If you want to create a true crime podcast that's anything but run-of-the-mill, the very best way to do that is to call in the experts.
Take a six-week course with GoCreate Academy and download the wisdom of their award-winning panel of podcast creators in this genre. They’ll take you from the very beginning to post-production and beyond, getting into the weeds of podcast scripting, recording, and editing. Sharing their experience of setting up music cues, what makes a successful narrative, and how to build tension.
If you’re looking for the most comprehensive, practical course in this podcast niche you’ve found it. Click here for more information and to apply today.
*Figures from business data platform Statista.
