In late 2015,The Messageknocked podcast royaltyThis American Lifeoff the top of the iTunes charts. The eight-part series – from GE – attracted over a million listeners, becoming the most successful branded podcast to date. But why were people tuning into what’s essentially a long-form ad?

Starbucks has long been the place for people to catch up on news while grabbing a cup of coffee. The chain is now hoping to brew up a fresh digital following with its new series 'Upstanders', which aims to tell stories about inspiring Americans on topics ranging from homelessness to education.

Now that everyone seems to have a blog of some sort, many young Americans are looking for alternative ways to entertain, educate or express themselves. As a result, they're shifting their attention from sites to podcasts, ushering in a new golden age of audio.

Tech has transformed how we study, socialise and partake in sport – and it’s also having a huge impact on storytelling. Yet predictions that e-readers and video would supersede the written word have proven simplistic. So how exactly are the ways we write, publish and read stories changing?