SiriusXM’s Adam Sachs on why podcasts are showing up on the radio

In today’s streaming age, many people can’t imagine tuning into the radio for entertainment. Radio broadcasters, however, have discovered a new way to reach their audiences:We’re finding ways to bring audio content to our [listeners], whether it’s podcasts, streaming audio, or anything else.

Adam Sachs, head of Creative for SiriusXM Satellite Radio, has been at the forefront of this radio-podcast revolution. Sachs and his team have gone on a mission to introduce podcast content onto SiriusXM, and are seeing a major payoff — the podcast section is already the fastest-growing part of SiriusXM’s content library.

Sachs states that this move was partly driven by an “explosion of content” — a vast variety of podcasts that range from comedy and sports, to health and current affairs. People are always looking for new content to consume, and offering podcast content allows SiriusXM to keep up with modern trends.

But the most interesting aspect of Sachs’ mission is the merging of two different mediums — radio and podcasts — which have traditionally been viewed as being at odds. Sachs believes that this fusion is beneficial for both parties: “I think we’ve opened up our platform to let more people hear what has been made available, but at the same time, we [also] offer something that podcasts don’t have — the power of radio.”

Radio already has a large existing fanbase, including those who may not be as tech-savvy and those who prefer the shared experience that comes with radio. SiriusXM mixes this with its podcast offering in order to reach a wider range of listeners.

“We’re allowing our listeners to discover podcast content that otherwise went undiscovered,” says Sachs. At the same time, SiriusXM is able to bring podcast creators to a much larger audience, exposing them to people who may have never tuned into a podcast before.

Ultimately, Sachs believes that this will drive greater podcast engagement: “We’re creating a path of discovery.” This is a great opportunity for podcasters to broaden their community in a unique and effective way.

SiriusXM’s move towards a hybrid podcast-radio platform is a big step for the traditional radio industry, but one that seems to be paying off. By introducing podcast content, SiriusXM is bringing radio content to even more listeners, creating a new era of radio that blends the best of both worlds.