Podcast listening is on the rise – in the US, 51% of the population has listened to a podcast (up from 44% in 2017) and avid listeners tune into an average of seven shows per week. Luminary, the latest start-up to enter the audio space, plans to follow a subscription-based model that will charge users an $8 monthly fee to unlock exclusive content. According to its co-founder, Matt Sacks, the company's goal is to “become synonymous with podcasting in the same way Netflix has become synonymous with streaming”. With a high-profile line-up, Luminary will offer creators large upfront payments in exchange for exclusive rights to their content, encouraging greater creativity and production while reducing the need to add sponsorship to content.

Luminary aims to be the netflix of podcastsAlex Biajan (2017)

Podcasting has long been known as a democratic form of communication, requiring little more than a laptop and a microphone. Most podcasters make money by selling ads, with revenue from podcasts projected to hit $659 million by 2020. A subscription-based podcast service, where big creators flourish and sponsorships vanish, will change what essentially began as a free outlet, hurting smaller creators in the process. With subscription services for everything from fragrances to children’s clothes to fresh food, consumers are beginning to ask if they really want to pay for another entertainment service. As people turn back to pirating, brands must ask themselves how they envision the future of media and what it look like in terms of democratic and creative freedom, for both its creators and consumers.

Tahmid Akthar is a History graduate, who’s worked as a content writer and researcher within the fashion and creative industries for the past 7 years. Outside of work he’s watching Arsenal through his hands over his eyes.