The majority of podcasts I listen to are almost exclusively supported by Patreon and I think they probably need to be considered an entirely different thing tha

The majority of podcasts I listen to are almost exclusively supported by Patreon and I think they probably need to be considered an entirely different thing than ad-driven podcasts. The former is likely to persist consistently, albeit as possibly a more niche role than some currently occupy as opposed to a full time job for loads of people. One consistency among the Patreon sponsored ones is that they tend to involve a much looser approach and function almost as a kind of social substitute (very fluid run times, casual vibe even if they've been immaculately researched). In fact, there's a few I listen to where it's pretty clear the main reason they still exist is so the hosts have an excuse to hang out more than anything else. The latter type seems to be either at or past the point of total saturation where they're just too much work to keep up with and the format is just too sterile to garner the kind of stickiness that the smaller and more casual ones can generate. The kind of quality required to garner a substantial audience for this kind of podcast is nearing the point of major TV shows. The peak was probably about two years ago when any crappy true crime thing could become a bit of a sensation (I'm looking at you, Dirty John)