The dealer and art podcasts: getting invited to gain visibility

01The art podcast landscape in France and internationally

The French-language art podcast landscape has grown considerably. "L'Art est la matiere" on France Culture, hosted by Jean de Loisy and subsequent presenters, addresses contemporary art with a depth and rigour that make it a reference. "Le Podcast de Artips" popularises art history with an accessible tone reaching a broad audience. "Concordance des arts" on France Musique explores bridges between artistic disciplines. "Si j'etais" from Beaux Arts Magazine offers portraits of art world figures. These shows represent potential platforms for the dealer wishing to share experience and market vision.

Internationally, the landscape is richer still. "The Art Newspaper Podcast", produced by the art world's publication of record, reaches an audience of international professionals and collectors. "Talk Art", hosted by Russell Tovey and Robert Diament, combines artist interviews with market reflections in a relaxed tone that has won a broad following. "Artcurious" by Jennifer Dasal explores art history through surprising anecdotes. "The Great Women Artists Podcast" by Katy Hessel focuses on women artists with a militant commitment and intellectual rigour that have earned its host international recognition.

These podcasts command audiences ranging from a few thousand to several hundred thousand listens per episode. Even the most modest reach an extremely targeted audience of people sufficiently interested in art to devote thirty to sixty minutes to an in-depth conversation on the subject.

02Why the podcast format particularly suits dealers

Podcasts offer dealers a speaking space that traditional media rarely grant. A specialist press article gives the dealer a voice through a few quotes integrated into the journalist's text. A television appearance often amounts to a few formatted minutes. The podcast, by contrast, proposes a conversation format of thirty to ninety minutes allowing the dealer to develop their thinking, recount their journey, explain their curatorial approach and share anecdotes that humanise their practice.

This extended duration is a major asset in a profession where trust is built through personal knowledge. A collector who listens to a dealer speak for an hour about their artists, market vision and conception of the profession develops a sense of familiarity that subsequently facilitates the commercial relationship. The dealer ceases to be an anonymous figure behind a gallery desk and becomes a person whose convictions, tastes and expertise are known.

The audio format offers an additional advantage: it can be consumed while doing something else. A collector listening to a podcast while driving, running or cooking devotes to the gallery attention time they would never have given to written text or video. This captive attention, even shared with a parallel activity, creates a progressive absorption of the gallery brand in the listener's mind.

03How to secure an invitation

Obtaining a podcast invitation does not happen by chance but through a structured approach. The first step is identifying podcasts relevant to the gallery. A dealer specialising in emerging contemporary art will target different podcasts from one specialising in photography or modern art. Attentive listening to several episodes helps understand each show's tone, themes and typical guest profile.

Initial contact is generally made by email to the producer or host. The message should be concise and propose a specific editorial angle: rather than asking to be invited to "talk about the gallery", the dealer proposes a subject that interests the podcast's audience. For example, a dealer inaugurating a major exhibition can offer to discuss the curatorial process behind the project. A dealer who has lived through a significant experience at an international fair can draw an instructive narrative from it. A dealer who has developed expertise in a specific domain can position themselves as an expert on that subject.

Timing matters. Proposing an appearance to coincide with strong news — an exhibition opening, fair participation, catalogue publication — offers the podcaster an editorial pretext that facilitates acceptance. Podcasters, like journalists, seek topical subjects justifying an episode's publication at a given moment.

04Preparing the appearance

Once the invitation is secured, preparation is decisive. The dealer should listen to several recent episodes to understand the interviewer's style, the usual exchange duration and the expected depth. A general-audience podcast does not require the same preparation as one aimed at art market professionals.

Preparing a few concrete anecdotes is essential. The podcast format values stories, specific examples and lived experiences far more than abstract discourse or marketing pitches. A dealer who recounts discovering an artist in a suburban studio, convincing a hesitant collector or seeing an exhibition transform an artist's perception captures attention far more effectively than one reciting dates and figures.

Galerie Perrotin has been a pioneer in using audio media to promote its artists and exhibitions. Emmanuel Perrotin himself is a regular guest on French and international podcasts, sharing with ease accounts of his journey that combine personal intimacy and professional expertise. Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, through its directors and curators, regularly appears on international podcasts to present exhibitions by its artists.

05Maximising the impact

A podcast appearance only produces its full effect if relayed and amplified by the gallery. Sharing the episode on the gallery's social media, in the newsletter and on the website extends the episode's lifespan well beyond its publication date. A podcast episode remains accessible for years, unlike a press article or social media post whose lifespan is measured in hours or days.

Integrating the episode into the gallery's communication tools is good practice. A podcast link in the dealer's email signature, a mention in the gallery's press kit and integration on the website's about page create lasting contact points between the podcast audience and the gallery.

The dealer can also offer the podcaster exclusive content in return: a private gallery visit, access to an artist for an interview, an opening invitation. These reciprocal gestures strengthen the relationship with the producer and increase the chances of being invited again or recommended to other podcasters.

06Developing a long-term podcast strategy

A one-off podcast appearance is useful, but regularity produces the most significant effects. A dealer who appears on two or three podcasts per year progressively develops an audio presence positioning them as a recognised voice in the art world. This repetition creates familiarity with the public that translates, over time, into increased renown, gallery visitor flow and commercial contacts with collectors who discovered the gallery through this channel.

Monitoring new podcasts matters because the landscape evolves rapidly. New shows appear every month, some produced by institutions, fairs or media, others by independent enthusiasts whose audience sometimes grows spectacularly. A dealer who identifies a promising podcast in its early days and participates early benefits from visibility that multiplies as the show's audience grows.

For Artedusa partner galleries, podcast appearances can be highlighted on the gallery's platform page, offering collectors who discover the gallery online the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the dealer and their approach through these extended conversations. This content enriches the gallery's digital presence and reinforces collector trust in an interlocutor whose voice they can hear and whose vision they can understand before even crossing the gallery threshold.