Podcasts are a recent communicative technology that not long ago took off as a major source of communication and entertainment. According to this report by Statista, 41% of Americans, which is about 116 million have listened to a podcast in the past month. Many big name tech companies have also jumped on the wave of Podcasts such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio.
A podcast is defined as an episode based audio media that centers around a particular topic or theme. It combines the notion of a radio show and episodes to create a more user friendly audio media. To be considered a podcast, the media must be formatted as an RSS Feed which is a computer-readable format. Although audio blogging and radio shows were created before podcasts, the organization of episodes and user-friendly format is what sets it apart from prior archaic media. The compelling and gratifying quality of podcasts is that users are able to subscribe to a podcast series and listen to a new episode when it comes out. Much like a TV show where a new episode releases weekly, podcasts also offer that quality where viewers have something to look forward to. They also offer a variety of subjects ranging from politics, sports, crime documentary, or pop entertainment. With a diverse platform, these audio episodes offer inclusivity to any listeners wanting to learn something about any given subject. Podcasts are defined as long-form content which basically means that it is an in-depth source of information for that specific topic and targets many different scopes and aspects of the topic being discussed. The unique idea behind podcasts is that it has simple usability that allows people to listen and learn while doing mundane tasks like driving to work, walking to class, or cleaning the house. The problem that podcasts helped solve was that many people who are simply not great readers or don’t have the time to sit down somewhere to read a book are able to put free podcasts on as it offers audio based storytelling that people can listen to rather than reading or watching. While watching T.V. makes people use their sense of hearing and vision, podcasts just need you to listen to whoever’s narrating the podcast. For people who tend to not like reading, podcasts are the easiest solution to get whatever scope you’re in the mood for.
The evolution of podcasts was not an instant phenomenon like Instagram or Television shows. Although its true creation was started in the early 2000’s, it wasn't a major hit or form of information and entertainment. The takeoff of the audio storytelling platform would be landmarked by major Podcasts series that would later start a demand. According to this article by the Wire, some very early, popularized podcasts would include We’re Alive, which would be described as an audio-movie of a zombie/apocalyptic world. Welcome to Night Vale, was also a major broadcast of the news via audio in a podcast format. Investigative and crime podcasts also took off as it created an appetite for true crime, which is seen in early podcasts such as Serial and Black Tapes. The term podcast was a mix of iPod & broadcast. Though the true creators of podcasting have been credited to Adam Curry and Dave Winer in 2004 as they created one of the first podcasts known as The Daily Source Code which was about the news, music, and podcasting in general.
Podcasts are said to reach a younger generation and just like any other media, it provides a mouthpiece that is able to reach a wider scope of people. Podcasts offer convenience, diverse subjects, and relatability to listeners. With a wide range of coverage, podcasts provide an easy way to hear discussions about social issues, justice issues, and environmental issues but also gives the audience the option to listen to less intense topics like recent entertainment gossip, crime series, scary stories, etc.
An issue with podcasts is that it lacks a two way interaction between listeners and the podcast speakers. Unlike platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikToc that offer live and instant back & forth dialogue, podcasts offer no way for the audience to offer input. The accessibility for interaction between the storyteller and audience is important because it offers room for improvement as a creator and clarity from the listeners. People also tend to be more active on platforms where they can be vocal and their thoughts are able to be heard by the creator.
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