Understanding audience willingness to keep subscriptions in digital podcast: A dual identification perspective

Podcasts have gained popularity with the advent of sound consumption. Based on the social identity theory and through a dual identification framework, this research investigates why audiences are willing to pay and keep subscriptions to digital podcast platforms. The data are collected from 321 podcast audiences in Taiwan and analyzed via a structural equation model. The results herein find that audiences’ parasocial relationship, self-congruity, and personal self-concept have a direct and positive influence on podcaster identification. At the same time, audiences’ conscious participation and enthusiasm have a direct and positive influence on group identification. Podcaster identification and group identification are positively associated with listeners’ willingness to keep their subscription. Furthermore, companionship partially moderates the impact of identification on continued subscription intentions. Insights from this study extend the social identity theory, podcaster-audience interaction, and subscription behaviors to a new and emerging context as well as help marketers better understand how to engage more effectively with podcast audiences.