Media and podcasting trends in 2020 show that there is a growing shift toward audio platforms. 

In recent years, the rise of fake news and biases in mainstream media reporting have eroded public trust in traditional news sources. As a result, people have turned to neutral and reliable online media to stay informed, driving the popularity of podcast platforms as aggregators for diverse, subscription-based content. Podcasts have flourished in recent years, with experts and individuals across industries launching unique programs that cater to their audiences. For younger, tech-savvy generations, especially those who stream music platforms during work, commuting, or chores, podcasts have become a preferred medium for entertainment and information.
 

The 2020 Reuters Institute Digital News Report revealed that approximately 31% of global respondents (across 20 surveyed countries) listen to podcasts monthly. Leading international media outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian have already launched daily news podcasts to reinforce their connection with younger audiences through audio-based storytelling.
 

In Taiwan, this trend aligns with the global podcast boom. The 2019 Reuters Institute Report indicated that 38% of Taiwan's population listened to podcasts, highlighting a promising market. The launch of the SoundOn platform in 2019 spurred growth in Mandarin-language podcasts. By 2020, Taiwan saw a sharp increase in podcast content, with major institutions like the National Palace Museum and media outlets such as CommonWealth Magazine entering the space to engage younger target audiences through this new media format.
 

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global political, economic, and media landscapes in 2020. The Reuters Institute report noted a temporary rebound in trust for mainstream media in early 2020, as people relied on television news to stay updated on governments’ pandemic responses. While online news and social media platforms remained the top sources for news consumption, podcast listenership experienced some disruption. Strict lockdowns and reduced commuting time caused a decline in podcast engagement during daily commutes. However, the overall podcast market still grew compared to 2019, with younger generations, particularly millennials, continuing to favor podcasts for current affairs and specialized knowledge.
 

In this digital era, audiences demand higher standards for media literacy and content quality. Beyond neutrality and accuracy, they expect engaging, distinctive, and well-produced content to maintain loyalty. Podcasts fill a gap that mainstream media often cannot: offering in-depth discussions on specific topics, building unique atmospheres through narrative voice and sound design, and increasing listener engagement with diverse guest perspectives and subscription models. In 2020, Spotify emerged as the leading platform for streaming podcasts in the U.S., and the Reuters report predicted the rise of paid subscriptions for premium podcast content. Notably, over one-third of respondents in the U.S., Canada, and Australia expressed willingness to pay for high-quality podcasts.
 

As more resources are invested in podcast production, competition will intensify globally. In Taiwan, professional podcast production teams like Atlas Branding eagerly anticipate explosive growth in the local podcast market.
 

2020年媒體及播客節目趨勢觀察
 

近年來，網路上的假新聞充斥，主流媒體對於新聞報導的立場渲染降低各國人民對於主流媒體的信任度。這不僅讓民眾轉向尋找中立、可靠的網路媒體資源來了解時事、新知，也促使如Podcast等資訊聚合器（Aggregator，指透過訂閱制的方式供民眾一次追蹤多元資源的軟體平台）的興起。Podcast在近幾年趁勝追擊，民眾及各領域專家紛紛踏入製播串流音檔的市場，推出具有自身特色的節目，而收聽Podcast節目也成為習慣使用網路串流音樂平台的年輕世代手機一族在工作、通勤、做家事時的另類嗜好。Podcast的流行趨勢，促使各行各業漸漸開始注意到這項新媒體的影響力，2020年Reuters Institute Digital News Report 報告更指出，全球約31%的民眾每月有收聽Podcast的習慣（以該報告追蹤調查的20個受訪國家民眾的回答來計算的平均值），而國際新聞媒體如New York Times, The Guardian等，也已推出每日Podcast新聞節目，以聽覺傳輸的新媒體來鞏固讀者族群。

反觀台灣，在2019年Reuters Institute Digital News Report 的報告中就指出，台灣有38%的人口收聽Podcast，可見台灣的Podcast成長趨勢對應國際間的Podcast市場發展。2019年SoundOn平台的開台，也驅使繁體中文播客節目的成長，而在2020年，台灣除了坊間的播客節目數大幅成長外，大型機構如故宮博物院、知名媒體如天下雜誌等，也開始製播自己的Podcast，用新型態的媒體媒介來接觸年輕世代的目標族群。

在今年上半年新冠肺炎疫情的影響下，各國不僅在政治、經濟、貿易等面向都受到疫情影響的衝擊，人民對於主流媒體的接受度及Podcast節目的收聽率也受到影響。2020年Reuters Institute的報告指出，今年上半年因疫情影響，各國人民小幅恢復對主流媒體的信任度，也因要及時了解政府應對疫情的處理方式，增加收看電視新聞的時間。而在網路世代，線上新聞及社群平台上的媒體平台仍持續為多數民眾閱覽新聞的首選。同時，部分Podcast節目雖受到疫情影響而有收聽率下滑的趨勢（各國居家隔離政策使得民眾通勤的次數及時間大幅下降，連帶降低通勤時收聽Podcast的機會），但整體而言，因年輕世代習慣透過收聽Podcast吸收新聞與新知（千禧世代特別喜歡透過Podcast收聽時事新聞報導及專業領域的知識），Podcast市場在2020年仍較2019年呈現成長趨勢。

在網路時代，民眾對於媒體素養及其產出的內容標準大幅提高，除了強調其中立性及內容正確性之外，更期待媒體製播具有質感及特色的內容，來維繫觀眾的忠誠度。Podcast正好補足主流媒體做不到的部分，除了能在音檔節目中針對特定主題內容進行深入的探討、以主持人口吻及音檔的設計來營造獨特的節目氛圍、以多元來賓的觀點分享來建立不同單元的節目特色，也以訂閱制來直接接觸主要聽眾，種種都是Podcast在製播時增加聽眾黏著度的方式。在2020年，Spotify已成為美國民眾主要串流收聽Podcast的平台，而Reuters也在其報告中預言，Podcast在未來有可能進入付費會員制，因美加澳等國有1/3以上的受訪者願意為優質的Podcast節目內容付費，可見未來會有更多人投更多資源進行優質Podcast節目的製播，Podcast市場的競爭也將越發激烈，而台灣專業播客製播團隊的天圖，也拭目以待台灣市場爆發性的成長。