The 2026 podcast faces a new change, with Zhang Zetian and Wang Yizhi stepping down one after another, and Apple also making new moves.

This Spring Festival, did you listen to any podcasts?

On the way home, busy in the kitchen, or tidying up around the house, more and more people are choosing to fill the gaps in their lives with sound, keeping their ears engaged.

Earlier this year, Zhang Zetian and Wang Yizhi launched personal podcast shows, bringing more attention to this low-profile, slow-growing industry. Recently, Apple announced that this spring, they will introduce video podcast features for Apple Podcasts, allowing creators to dynamically insert video ads for the first time, providing more space for monetization.

From celebrity involvement to platform investment, this niche, slow-barming medium is entering its “breakout” moment.

A Richly Layered Niche Sector

Mainstream platforms like Xiaoyuzhou, Apple Podcasts, and Ximalaya feature top-ranked shows such as “Li Dan,” “Aotu Radio,” and “Limited Culture,” mainly consisting of casual chats and in-depth interviews, with episodes typically exceeding 60 minutes.

Why, in today’s fast-paced environment dominated by short videos, are hour-long podcasts becoming popular?

First, it’s important to distinguish between podcasts and traditional radio. Radio is linear live broadcasting, where listeners passively follow; podcasts are on-demand, allowing users to choose, pause, and replay freely. This “controllable companionship” perfectly fills fragmented time and satisfies emotional and cognitive needs through in-depth content.

“My fans are mostly young people aged 22 to 28, who experience anxiety and have a high demand for spiritual comfort.” Yang Yinyin, the host of “The Second Youth,” recalls that a listener once told him his podcast helped them through the most stressful and anxious period of exam preparation, providing great support.

In a sizable growth market, podcast development shows clear differentiation.

Celebrity involvement is a prominent trend. For example, Zhang Zetian’s “Xiao Tian Zhang” first episode features a conversation with Carina Lau, while Yu Ruoyun’s “Flowers in the Rock” builds deep dialogue through gentle listening, attracting widespread attention.

Zhang Zetian’s “Xiao Tian Zhang” first episode featuring Carina Lau clearly benefits from celebrity influence. (Image sourced from the internet)

Beyond stars and top hosts, a large middle-tier creator community sustains the podcast ecosystem.

Interviews reveal that many hosts started their channels not for “fan growth” or “monetization.” They already had a habit of listening to podcasts and possess strong desires to share and express.

“We just love listening to podcasts and want to share content we enjoy. It’s a long-term hobby,” said Yu Laoshi and Qian Qian, hosts of the general finance podcast “Shi Li Yan.” Their account, active for nearly a year, has a few hundred followers, and they continue to update regularly. “Podcasting is like a diary from childhood, recording our growth.”

Yang Yinyin has over three years of experience, with more than 2,000 followers. “My content is relatively niche, so growth is slow, but I see the podcast as a medium for self-expression and a record of personal growth.”

Data from Xiaoyuzhou confirms the current lively scene: by 2025, over 64,000 new podcasts and nearly 700,000 episodes will have been added, with creators ranging from celebrities to niche experts and amateurs, flooding into the industry.

The Challenge of Monetization

Popularity brings traffic; traffic naturally opens up monetization opportunities.

Ma Xiaorong, head of IP and commercialization at Ximalaya, explains that platform monetization mainly focuses on three areas. First, brand customization and co-creation, including spoken ads, scene integrations, and exclusive sponsorships, accounting for about 70% of revenue. Second, direct paid listening, such as Yang Tian’s paid podcast “Yang Tian’s High Emotional Intelligence Formula,” which has over 12,000 paying subscribers. Third, IP derivative development, like live broadcasts and offline events.

However, most commercial benefits are concentrated among top-tier hosts, while many ordinary creators are still on the edge of monetization, essentially “powering their passion.”

“Very few creators actually make money; probably over 90% see no income,” Yang Yinyin said. Mid-tier and lower-tier hosts find it hard to attract brand placements, and some, due to their content style, choose to decline commercial collaborations. Yang himself has refused brand sponsorships for entire episodes.

Overall, one root cause of monetization difficulty is the inherent limitation of audio media—it cannot visually showcase products, relying solely on language descriptions. Brands prefer to place ads with high-profile hosts for more effective ROI.

This is why Apple’s push into video podcasts is seen as a significant industry signal—this format can unlock larger monetization potential.

For example, “Luo Yonghao’s Crossroads” debuted with over 20 million views within 24 hours, with Luo Yonghao joking that the podcast’s revenue is “raking in money daily.” Besides the celebrity IP effect, the video format itself offers a more direct way to connect with commercial partners. Notably, one episode featured three brands appearing together.

In one episode of “Luo Yonghao’s Crossroads,” three brands appeared collectively. (Image sourced from the internet)

Domestic platforms are also advancing video podcasts. In March 2025, Ximalaya partnered with Pacific Insurance to launch “Walking Thoughts,” the first video podcast in China’s online audio industry. It surpassed 330,000 plays in 48 hours and over 10 million in 50 days. Ma Xiaorong said the platform plans to launch video podcasts across sectors like health, history, and urban culture.

Reactions among creators to this trend vary.

Qian Qian believes that from a commercial perspective, video podcasts have advantages, “because many products need visual presentation; relying on sound alone makes it hard to create impact.” However, appearing on camera also introduces new pressures for hosts used to hiding behind microphones.

Yang Yinyin insists that video podcasts are not the same as traditional audio ones; the former is fundamentally video content, while the latter remains an audio medium. Using video might cause creators to lose their original motivation.

Some hosts believe that whether it’s sound or video, the key to retaining users and achieving long-term success lies in content value and depth. Deeply cultivating niche areas is essential for healthy industry development.

Answering Three Simple Questions

Beyond the medium itself, the core to retaining users always comes down to content.

“Because of the companionship that podcasts naturally provide, our user stickiness is very high. At this stage, finding more loyal users is more important than viral hits,” said the host of “Black Water Park,” a leading sci-fi and film podcast, emphasizing deep niche engagement. “This is both a feature of our podcast and our team’s strength. Only by steadying this path can we sustain paid content and create a virtuous cycle.”

So, what are the business opportunities for newcomers?

From the content perspective, Ma Xiaorong observes: “Young users are reshaping the landscape of audio content. The fastest-growing niches are not just pure entertainment but show a clear dual focus on inward exploration and outward connection.”

Specifically, four popular growth areas include: workplace knowledge and “light assets” skills addressing young people’s anxiety in uncertain environments; emotional healing and mental health as portable self-help tools; cultural chats that find like-mindedness in thought and emotion; and specific hobbies like craft brewing, coffee, and plant care, which help rebuild a sense of control over life through deep engagement.

“Creators need to fully transform from ‘expressionists’ to ‘product managers’,” she explains. “Sharing experiences and emotions are raw materials, but a podcast that can be subscribed to, waited for, and recommended by strangers must be a deliberately designed ‘product.’”

This means podcast hosts must answer three fundamental questions:

First, who exactly is this show solving problems for? A program without a clear user perspective is essentially an advanced version of a social circle.

Second, how long can the content supply chain sustain? If after five episodes there’s nothing more to talk about, it indicates no sustainable content pool was established at launch. Planning before recording is the essential dividing line between productization and casual expression.

Third, how much effort are you willing to put into making sure users understand? Many newcomers with professional backgrounds tend to fall into self-indulgent expression, but a good podcast isn’t a thesis defense—it’s translation. Translating industry jargon into everyday scenarios and abstract logic into concrete stories.

“Once these three questions are answered clearly, personality presentation, private domain operations, and commercialization rhythm become the areas worth investing effort in,” Ma Xiaorong concludes. “First, create the right ‘product,’ then become a good communicator.”

Time may not wait. Celebrity involvement makes the Chinese podcast scene more lively, but the flip side is that audience attention is divided, narrowing opportunities for amateurs. The host of “Black Water Park” admits, “It’s definitely harder to grow now. When we started, there were fewer podcasts, and exposure opportunities were much greater. That was a first-mover advantage.”

For many creators, the challenge remains: how to find a differentiated path amid star-driven traffic siphoning, and how to balance “product thinking” with “sincere expression.”