The political economy of podcasting in Turkey: Local and independent content creators' situation against global and corporate publishers

Podcasting emerged in the early 2000s as a rapidly developing alternative media format, offering wide opportunities for amateur and independent content creators. However, in recent years, particularly with the platform services provided by tech giants such as Spotify, podcasts have transformed into a commercial market, initiating a process of transformation that questions the original independent nature of podcasts and their future role. This study examines podcasting not merely as a technological convergence but as a new media production, distribution, and consumption area that opens doors to global and local platforms, markets, and services. In this context, it analyzes the power relations that arise from podcasts becoming tools of capitalist accumulation; specifically, it interrogates the opportunities and limitations faced by independent and small content creators against global and institutional actors. Accordingly, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 podcast producers, 5 podcast networks, and 2 podcast platforms; the production and distribution processes of podcasts, as well as the legal and political atmosphere of this field, were critically analyzed within the critical political economy framework.