CampfireFM: New German player on the social media market

Entertainer Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, former professional soccer players Toni and Felix Kroos, journalist Markus Feldenkirchen, and author Sophie Passmann – their podcasts are among the most widely read audio productions in the country. Since mid-May, the hosts have shared another commonality: They've all gathered on a newly launched, digital social platform – made in Germany. The name of this app: CampfireFM.

"Campfire means campfire and represents a sense of community, and FM stands for radio, or rather, for audio," explains Felix Kroos in the podcast "Einfach mal Luppen." The show hosted by him and his brother, former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos, is one of the most popular sports podcasts in Germany—it currently ranks fourth on Spotify.

Now the creators are promoting the new social audio app. It's not just a player for new podcast episodes, like Spotify, Apple, or Amazon, but a place "where the podcast community meets and discusses," according to a press release.

A symbiosis of social network and audio. That might catch some people's attention. Haven't we seen that before? Indeed, CampfireFM isn't the first app to venture into the app stores as an audio-based network. In 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic, the Clubhouse platform enjoyed a hype . At one point, it was the most downloaded iOS application in Germany. But the trend ended just as quickly. Clubhouse disappeared from Apple's top charts after just a few months; no one was interested in it anymore.

The failure of Clubhouse was no surprise, says communications scientist Wolfgang Schweiger, whose chair at the University of Hohenheim focuses on interactive media and online communication, among other things. "I was skeptical from the start." While the app "never fit with traditional social media logic," the online researcher says, he sees "a very good outlook" for CampfireFM.

On the one hand, according to Schweiger, the new online network is backed by "people who know the market, who know social media, and who have a lot of good ideas." Among those listed as managing directors are Tobias Bauckhage, co-founder of the Berlin-based podcast company Studio Bummens, and digital and AI expert Sascha Lobo. The latter is a "competent analyst of online phenomena, including in connection with democracy and the rule of law," according to Schweiger.

There's certainly an idealistic approach behind CampfireFM. Journalist Markus Feldenkirchen makes this clear in the news podcast "Apokalypse und Filterkaffee." For his audio press club, where he debates the week's topics with colleagues every Saturday, he wanted a space "where our listeners can participate in the discussion. Engaging, constructive, and open to other opinions and perspectives on the world." The established social media channels are no longer that place for the "ApoFika" creators.

The hosts of the entertainment podcast Baywatch Berlin, presenter Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, television producer Thomas Schmitt, and TV author Jakob Lundt, share similar sentiments. The developments on X (formerly Twitter) "made us sick, too," Schmitt says.

Especially since its takeover by Elon Musk, the short message service has been accused of no longer being a place for free and fair expression . Calling X "a toxic place, a breeding ground for right-wing extremism, science denial, hatred, and conspiracy theories," more than 60 German journalists, authors, scientists, and institutions left the platform at the end of 2024. Baywatch Berlin host Jakob Lundt says CampfireFM offers an alternative: "So it's everything social media can do, in one app, specifically for podcasts."

The enthusiasm, however, is no coincidence. "It was friends who founded this company and developed this app," says Schmitt. Development took over a year, he says. According to the data portal Northdata, the company's founding can even be dated back to 2021.

Unsurprisingly, the Campfire community has so far been joined primarily by podcasts from the Studio Bummens cosmos, the company that produces “Baywatch Berlin,” “Einfach mal Luppen,” and “Apokalypse und Filterkaffee” – and whose boss is CampfireFM co-founder Tobias Bauckhage.

But external hosts are also involved, including the "OMR Business Podcast" with Philipp Westermeyer. "It's obviously a smart move to start with prominent podcasters," says communications scientist Schweiger. But the offering is actually only attractive when there are enough creators and other users who are also active there. Schweiger calls this principle, which most social media platforms are subject to, "network effects."

Whether CampfireFM is successful "also depends on how many people realize how sexy the whole thing is," explains Schweiger. For podcasters, at least, the app seems to be a welcome additional channel to reach people. This could also bring long-term economic benefits. However, it's not yet clear what business model this could be—ad-financed or through sales revenue. The app is currently free for users.

Schweiger isn't yet sure whether the idea will work for users. According to an ARD/ZDF media study, a third of the German-speaking population uses podcasts at least occasionally. The weekly share is 21 percent. So, there's a general interest. The app's handling is realistic, and registration—including entering a mobile number and real name—is also simple.

However, he fears that "it might all be a bit too complex and too intellectual for mass success." Listening to podcasts, discussing, commenting, and liking at the same time—"something like that can work quite well with the usual chatty podcasts."

Even though young people are used to multitasking through their online media consumption, the expert sees limits – especially when it comes to more sophisticated formats and journalistic products.

TikTok, on the other hand, thrives on its simplicity. "That's what a platform should be like that reaches billions of people worldwide in a short amount of time. CampfireFM certainly won't be that." But it's probably not the creators' goal, but rather "to delight those who enjoy listening to podcasts with an additional community feature," says Schweiger.

"I can imagine it will work," he concluded. There is only one caveat: "In the medium term, we unfortunately always have the problem with German platforms that they are swallowed up by international competitors." The people responsible for the CampfireFM app did not respond to a request from the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).