Among listeners, podcasts are more popular than ever. But from a business standpoint, the industry has lost its way. Among listeners, podcasts are more popular than ever. But from a business standpoint, the industry has lost its way. The golden age of podcasting spanned from 2015 to 2022. During this time, shows like Serial popularized the medium, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to a boom in podcast production and engagement. Media companies began putting a lot of money into the medium. For example: Spotify invested over $1 billion into podcasting, acquiring Anchor and Gimlet, and inking multimillion-dollar partnerships with public