Search Engine

Unlocked: The State of Search Engine 2025

December 12, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The hosts of Search Engine are navigating a challenging new internet landscape dominated by short-form video, which makes finding a natural home for their long-form audio show difficult. 
  • Despite market headwinds, Search Engine secured a favorable advertising deal for the next 12 months, bolstered significantly by direct listener support, which currently accounts for one-third of their budget. 
  • The most popular episodes of Search Engine in the past year focused on personal challenges related to the current internet, such as reducing phone addiction, indicating listener desire for smart conversations on how to live better online. 

Segments

Mubi Ad Read
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Sponsor promotion for the film streaming service Mubi.
  • Summary: The episode begins with an advertisement for Mubi, highlighting the film ‘The Mastermind’ directed by Kelly Reichhardt.
Origin of Board Meetings
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(00:01:04)
  • Key Takeaway: The annual board meeting originated as a way for the independent show to solicit voluntary listener funding.
  • Summary: The host explains that the ‘board meeting’ format started years ago when the show was not monetized, allowing listeners to voluntarily pay for production costs. This evolved into an annual, formal check-in.
Internet Wasteland Analogy
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(00:03:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The current internet mirrors the 1960s TV ‘vast wasteland’ because consumers lack good options.
  • Summary: The host quotes former FCC commissioner Newton Minnow, applying the ‘vast wasteland’ concept to the internet, arguing that algorithmic curation provides poor choices rather than what people truly want.
Navigating Podcast Network Offers
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(00:06:20)
  • Key Takeaway: Podcast networks offered less money for the show’s renewal, anticipating a harder ad market due to the shift to video.
  • Summary: The team shopped the show to networks seeking guaranteed income. Offers were lower than the current budget because networks project that the ad market will favor video over long-form audio.
Audio vs. Video Future
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(00:07:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Search Engine’s long-form audio format does not naturally fit the current internet dominated by short-form video.
  • Summary: The show doesn’t fit the ‘TV internet’ dominated by TikTok and YouTube shorts. While they considered video, they declined network money without a clear path to making great video content.
Securing Next Year’s Budget
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(00:10:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The show secured an advertising deal and remains stable due to significant direct listener support.
  • Summary: The show is confirmed as an audio podcast for the next 12 months, thanks to a trusted ad partner and the fact that one-third of the budget comes from paid subscribers.
2025 Performance Metrics Review
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(00:14:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Per-episode downloads grew by 30,000 listeners in 2025 despite fewer total episodes being released.
  • Summary: Slides show modest overall download growth but strong per-episode growth, indicating efficiency. The top episode was about reducing phone addiction.
Addressing Past Production Pain Points
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(00:18:39)
  • Key Takeaway: The team resolved issues with studio space and staffing, but video/social strategy remains underdeveloped.
  • Summary: Updates on 2024 pain points: they secured a new studio and hired an associate producer (Emily Maltaire). They made minimal progress on video/social media.
Bergheim Movie Deal Announcement
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(00:23:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The options for the two-part series on the Bergheim nightclub were purchased to be developed into a feature film.
  • Summary: The hosts announce that Bo Burnham and Matt Rogers purchased the rights to adapt their Bergheim story into a movie, which they are excited about.
Incognito Mode Subscriber Stats
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(00:24:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Paid subscribers make up 2.5% of total listeners but contribute a significant portion of the budget.
  • Summary: The hosts thank the ‘small but mighty’ paid subscriber base for funding the show. They also apologize for technical issues related to switching subscription platforms to Supercast.
Listener Q&A: Title Testing
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(00:27:50)
  • Key Takeaway: The show rarely A/B tests titles but sometimes changes a title weeks later if an episode underperforms.
  • Summary: A listener asked if they test titles. The host explains that RSS publishing doesn’t easily allow for A/B testing, but they occasionally revise titles post-launch for underperforming episodes.
Listener Q&A: Short Clips for Growth
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(00:29:57)
  • Key Takeaway: The team wants to use short clips to advertise the long-form podcast, provided the clips are entertaining and look high-quality.
  • Summary: A listener asked about clipping the long-form audio for short-form platforms. The hosts agree it’s a good idea but must be done thoughtfully to serve as a true advertisement.
Listener Q&A: AI Tools
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(00:31:33)
  • Key Takeaway: AI is used carefully for transcription (Descript) and initial research, but not for critical thinking or final content.
  • Summary: The hosts use AI for transcription services like Descript to save time, and as a first-stop research tool, while remaining wary of its tendency to hallucinate.
Listener Q&A: Failed Story Ideas
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(00:33:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Most ‘failed’ story ideas are shelved rather than fully abandoned, as the team hopes to find a hook for them later.
  • Summary: The hosts discuss ideas they couldn’t fully develop, like the ’trash in a volcano’ question, noting they rarely discard good material entirely due to their small size and ambition.
Listener Q&A: Segment Formats
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(00:41:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The show’s core format is already similar to the narrative explainer style of Reply All’s segments, but highly produced conversational segments are production-intensive.
  • Summary: The host discusses the difficulty of replicating the conversational yet narratively structured segments from Reply All, noting that such hybrid formats require immense production hours, which they try to limit.
Closing Remarks and Gratitude
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(00:48:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts express deep gratitude to their audience for supporting a counter-trend audio show.
  • Summary: The host thanks the listeners for funding the show, acknowledging that they are currently ‘counter trend’ by making an audio show with a dedicated paid audience.