Taylor Swift Chose a Podcast. That Tells You Everything.

As both a Swiftie and a podcasting nerd, I loved seeing Taylor Swift announce her new album on New Heights. At Goalhanger, we see this every day - podcasts are no longer just media, they’re the stage for the biggest cultural moments.

© New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce / Wondery, Inc.

For me, it's the confluence of two distinct but analogous trends happening in the music industry, podcasting, and media/advertising more widely.

On the one hand, Taylor's approach to her career is the best example of how artists have been able to take advantage of the digital revolution in music. Previously, you were reliant on the major label's recording, distribution, and marketing capabilities, but those costs have plummeted; why give up the rights to your music if you can make hit singles from your bedroom and reach your audience directly online? That's why Sony, Warner and Universal have been buying up artist and label services companies. Taylor and her team have been incredibly astute in realising that keeping control of her work gives her the most creative freedom to do what she wants and the flexibility to try new things - she's as much an entrepreneur as a songwriter. I saw this when I worked with them during my time at BBC Radio 1 - they want to do things differently and stand out.

Which is where the second trend comes in. With the barriers to entry lowering in all areas of media - from music, to TV, to podcasting - there's more content than ever before. The power of the legacy media gatekeepers is waning, in print and on our screens. Competition is between industries now; it's not Netflix vs Disney+ anymore, it's Netflix vs Spotify vs YouTube in the battle for your attention. And AI slop is beginning to wash over everything. So how do you stand out as a signal amongst the noise? If you're Taylor Swift, sure, you can amass a huge following on socials, but you're still reliant on someone else's platform and algorithm. And you realise the old media appearances and interviews don't have the cut-through they used to. The celebrities making the cleverest moves are the ones who've realised that they are the brand worth investing in, and there are lots of ways to do it; Stacey Solomon has built a really powerful newsletter business, Ryan Reynolds owns a gin and a Championship football team, and plenty more (like NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce) have launched a podcast.

Podcasting is bucking the trend of seeking to capture shorter and shorter attention spans with ever more bite-size content. Our average listening time is over 40 minutes and the relationship our hosts have built with their audience goes beyond habitual - they talk about them like they're their friends. That's super powerful when it comes to creating a like-minded community, and for expanding the IP into membership clubs, live shows and other formats like books; The Rest Is History is now a two-time Sunday Times bestseller! But it's hard work putting out multiple episodes a week, and there's loads of competition out there. Taylor isn't going to start a podcast herself, but she knows a really successful show where she can control the narrative and announce her new album on her own terms. We know Brian Verne and the team at Wave well, and they've done a great job in building out brand Kelce internationally. They've shown they can expand their world with another hit show for Kylie Kelce, Not Gonna Lie. Taylor has obviously liked what she's seen and wants to cross the streams of two incredibly engaged fanbases.

• Tom Whiter is Head of Content at Goalhanger and a former senior producer at BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra