Daily news, a genre of podcast which explores one story every day, is proving to be an extremely popular and valuable format. They make up less than 1% of all podcasts but they are punching well above their weight with audiences, particularly in the US where four of the top five shows are daily news according to Podtrac.

A number of publishers are now taking on this format with different approaches. Public service broadcasters such as DR in Denmark and Radio France have launched new daily shows while Apple has begun its own daily podcast, the first from a tech platform. This is a very competitive and crowded market but there is also evidence of strong growth as listeners search for quality journalism they can trust.

Founded in 1919, the New York Daily News was the first successful tabloid newspaper in the United States. It was once the largest newspaper by circulation but by the mid-20th century it had been largely overtaken by rival rivals such as the New York Post and was struggling financially. However, in recent years it has made a series of bold digital moves and is now a thriving business again.

In the world of audio it has benefited from its own digital transformation, embracing digital audio as its core business. This has enabled it to grow its audience through streaming, which in turn has supported the launch of a new daily news podcast. The Daily is a daily show from the Times which features a single in-depth piece of journalism each day and is voiced by former BBC journalist Manveen Rana.

The Daily has been a huge success, reaching tens of thousands of subscribers and regularly breaking stories. The show aims to take a unique and in-depth look at the story of the day and is produced by Wireless Group, which operates Talk Radio in the UK. This brings the resources of a large publisher to the format including professional studios and extensive journalistic networks.

Publishers taking on daily news face many challenges, including balancing the time requirements of a daily show with other publishing priorities. They are also having to adapt to changing audience expectations with respect to production quality and the use of data and research. In addition to the time commitment there are also increasing costs with the introduction of professional studio equipment and the need to hire dedicated staff for the production of a daily show.

As the sector continues to grow and competition intensifies, there are concerns about how the medium will be able to sustain itself. Some publishers worry about getting their new shows discovered amongst a sea of competitors while others fear that smaller, more niche publications will be unable to compete with the big players. There is also the question of how long a daily news show can remain a profitable proposition in an era where consumers are moving to shorter podcasts.