Does a project exist that pays users in crypto for creating podcasts?
Steemit has a project built on top of it called Dsound that rewards people for creating podcasts. It is imitating soundcloud hence the name is similar.
The project homepage / website: https://dsound.audio
DSound currently has 993,109.539 Steem delegated to it. So, it has more than enough Steem power to reward users. If you make good podcasts constantly, you most likely will receive many upvotes from them.
The key is posting good content constantly. Tailor your podcasts and edit them to improve their quality for better success. Make sure the voice quality is good and use a good microphone.
The project currently requires your private posting key to login. This is why I still haven't signed upto them. I don't think it is wise to give away my private keys to random websites.
I hope they will add steemconnect authorization soon. If they do, then it will be more secure and you won't have to give away your private keys to login. So, I am keeping a good watch on this project.