Podcasts are Smoking Hot! Don't Miss Out.

Hollywood loves IP. We’ve seen comics, novels, plays, even news articles become blockbuster movies and hit TV shows. Now that trend is turning to podcasts (or ‘audio dramas’) for source material. 

Audio IP now rivals books as Hollywood’s go-to source for inspiration with many of this year’s hottest TV dramas like Gaslit, The Dropout, WeCrashed (just to name a few) all based on podcasts.

So if you’re a screenwriter or a podcaster with a great audio drama, here are 5 reasons why adapting a podcast could equal your next big script sale (and what executives are hungry for right now):

1. They are more than source material, they’re proof of concept.

Not all IP adapts easily to TV. Some IP provides too much material (like a novel) or too little (like a news article), and some don’t fit into the structure of episodes well. The magic of a podcast is that it already has the basic structure of a TV show. It’s divided into episodes, and (if it’s done right) it already has built in twists, turns, and cliffhangers to keep an audience emotionally invested and “binging” the episodes. These are the exact same qualities a TV series needs to succeed in today’s ridiculously competitive environment.

2. There is a lot of money to be made.

Apple, Amazon Audible, and Spotify are pouring more and more money into original podcasts. Even Netflix is starting to “dabble” in the podcast space. Why? They can get “two for the price of one” (aka. secure an original podcast as well as the film and TV rights). Also, if you’re thinking this is a passing fad, think again - the number of podcasts currently in various stages of development to be adapted is well into three figures.

3. Listening is more exciting than reading.

Getting an executive to sit down and read a 107 page script is a hell of a lot harder than getting an executive to listen to a podcast on their drive home from the office. Not only are podcasts more exciting to listen to, you immediately get the tone and pace (as opposed to trying to lift those off the page). This is why a lot of execs, Showrunners, and actors fall in love with these shows and become determined to make them work in a visual medium.

4. Don’t just take my word for it…

Here’s what some of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters are saying about the podcast market right now:

“Podcasts have become the sexiest IP. If you have a successful show, it’s highly likely someone is eager to turn that into a TV or film project.” - Caroline Edwards, Director of Podcast Initiatives at ICM Partners

“Podcast source material is more popular than ever. In the last year alone, podcast networks that have historically concentrated on producing chat shows are now incorporating original limited series into their slate.” - Oren Rosenbaum, Head of Emerging Platforms at UTA.

“The market is on fire in terms of IP in general. Podcasting is an interesting phenomenon and people are shopping them before they ever air so you have to get ahead of them just like you do with books.” - Scott Nemes, UCP’s EVP, Head of Development.

5. So, what is Hollywood looking for in the podcast space right now? 

Comedy.  Don’t just take my word for it, here’s what Caroline Edwards, Director of Podcast Initiatives at ICM Partners told Deadline: “There is a massive opportunity for whoever can crack a great, scripted comedy. What’s difficult in an audio-only format is sound design: horror and drama more naturally lend themselves to the medium because you can easily create the theater of the mind. So the person who can figure out what a podcast sitcom sounds like is going to be a huge success.”

Looking for tips to turn your blazing hot screenplay into a blazing hot fiction podcast script: Check out THIS POST for tips on how to do just that.

Do you have a fiction podcast you plan to turn into a TV series? What are your best tips and tricks? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!

For more industry info and tips check out these additional resources:

For the ultimate guide to pitching a TV show that sells, check out my e-book, The Ultimate Guide to a Killer Pitch

To learn how to create your “personal logline” read my free e-book, Tell Your Story in 60 Seconds.

For my in-depth video course on breaking into the business go to: Carole Kirschner’s Hollywood Boot Camp.

And you can find my book, Hollywood Game Plan on Amazon or at Michael Wiese Productions (MWP).