Sometimes it feels like everyone on the planet has a podcast.
What’s the story behind this form of audio entertainment?
The idea was to enable people to attach sound and video files to RSS feeds.
Irina Popova st / Shutterstock.com
Winer was also the author of theRSS format, and podcasts were included in RSS version 0.92.
The first podcast is considered to beIT Conversationsby Dough Kaye.
It started in 2003 and ran all the way until 2012.
Spotify
Two years after it started, Apple added podcasts to iTunes.
This played a huge part in podcasts' eventual popularity.
Previously, you needed a separate “podcatcher” program to download podcasts.
iTunes made the process much easier.
The addition of reviews made iTunes into the defacto home for podcasts for many years.
Beyond iTunes, Apple can also be considered responsible for the term “podcast” itself.
“Podcast” is a combination of “iPod” and “broadcast.”
iPods were some of the very first devices that could download podcasts on mobile devices, thanks to iTunes.
The term was coined by Ben Hammersky forThe Guardian.
Related:What Is RSS, and How Can I Benefit From Using It?
What Is a Podcast?
“Podcast” may seem like a weird name, but it’s actually a very simple concept.
The idea is very similar to radio shows, but with one major difference.
Podcasts can be listened to on-demand.
The show is recorded and then uploaded to a hosting service.
All you need is the link to the podcast’s feed.
This makes podcasts much more accessible than streaming music and video services.
The colloquial definition of podcasts has evolved past on-demand audio shows.
Some podcasts are recorded live, some also have video versions or are only available as video.
“Podcast” now is its own genre of entertainment, essentially a modern version of talk shows.
The “average” podcast has a couple of hosts who talk about a topic.
Episodes are usually around 30-60 minutes, released on a weekly schedule.
The good news is it’s never been easier to get started with podcasts.
All you need is a unit with access to the internet.
There are a few popular methods for listening to podcasts.
There are more options than Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Pocket Casts is an excellent podcast player foriPhoneandAndroid.Stitcheris another popular provider.
Some podcasts are exclusive to platforms.
For example, Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” is only available on Spotify.
“Hooked” is a true crime podcast only available on Apple Podcasts.
Once you’ve got your podcast app, it’s just a matter of subscribing to podcasts.
It’s the same idea as subscribing to a YouTube channel.
you’ve got the option to also listen to the back catalog of episodes.
Listening to a podcast is basically like listening to music.
it’s possible for you to pause, fast forward, rewind, and usually adjust theplayback speed.
They’ve changed a lot over the years, but the same general concept remains.
Go forth and listen to people talk.
