Independent podcasters now often do video, and try to become influencers.

“All of these companies, new and old, public radio and private, threw a bunch of money into podcast departments. And I think they quickly learned that the economics of this high-quality journalism is complicated,” said Micah Loewinger of “On the Media.”

Spotify, the pioneering music streaming service, is entering the world of podcasts by acquiring two big players: Gimlet and Anchor. The Swedish company is aiming to be the No. 1 audio platform with these acquisitions. But there are risks. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

There's "more of a wokeness to these founders," he says.

Producer Jenna Weiss Berman bets "yes."