When Were Podcasts Developed
In the year 2000, the podcast concept was created by Dave Winer, a software developer and Adam Curry, a former MTV VJ who was very interested in early adaptation of broadcast via the internet. Originally the two were talking about automated media distribution – specifically video.
Winer felt the internet simply had not evolved to the point where it would support large video downloads, not to mention the cost of delivering content. His analogy was that it was taking longer to download video than it was to play it, and many times the video was poor quality.
Curry’s idea was to look at internet connections differently, he wanted a software solution that could download items that he subscribed to. This really wasn’t a new idea, but there were no tools to do this in an efficient manner at the time.
Their collaboration in 2004, led to the first capture and download of an audio post Curry had hacked together using AppleScript and embedded in his weblog.
The term podcast is credited to the BBC journalist Ben Hammersley who in early 2004 coined it in an article he wrote for The Guardian newspaper. Podcast is a portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcast”.
Podcasting Today
Today there are a reported 2.4 million podcasts with over 66 million episodes. Globally there are 383.7 million podcast listeners as of June 2022. It is predicted that there will be about 424 million podcast listeners worldwide by the end of 2022. The number of podcast listeners is predicted to reach 464.7 million by the end of 2023 and 504.9 million by 2024.
Big numbers for a recorded medium that is still considered new in many circles.
Podcasts today are available on a variety of dedicated directories such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio and TuneIn as well as social media platforms such as YouTube.
Popularity
Why have podcasts become so popular? Primarily because you can listen to them whenever and wherever you want.
There is a high demand for people to have access to online content whenever they chose to access it. Whether it’s music, news, TV, or social media, with mobile technology people now have instant access to the content they enjoy, no matter where they may be.
Unlike streaming video which dominates social media platforms, podcast users can listen to podcasts without needing to watch the screen, allowing them to listen virtually anywhere. On walks, on public transit or when driving.
Podcasts are also generally longer forms of content with the optimal listening time around 30 minutes.
Whether you’re interested in cars, gardening, are an avid murder mystery fan or a bookworm seeking reviews and in-depth discussions of different books, there’s a podcast out there for you!
Once you find a podcast suited to your tastes, you will find that you become part of a community of like-minded people. Podcast communities are more engaged than those you might experience with a film or television show, mainly because they are all interested in the same subject matter. Plus podcast creators tend to be more engaged their listeners, which makes for a more personal and connected listening experience.
Dedication to Production
Though some might have assumed that podcasts would simply be a fleeting social media trend, statistics indicate that podcasts are here to stay.
Podcasts are a great way to “talk” a subject as well as provide access to dedicated audiences for companies wishing to communicate directly with specific interest groups.
That is why we have created the Drive Along podcast, to showcase the format. That has prompted us to dedicate resources to develop and produce client-based podcast projects.
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