Why Are Podcasts An Essential Medium In Communications? The Scoop
Photo by Jonathan Velasquez on Unsplash
It has been suggested over the years that the origins of the podcast came on to the scene in 2004 with MTV personality Adam Curry (the show was called the Daily Source Code) and the help of Dave Winer, the software developer behind RSS and the Morning Coffee Notes podcast . Although unique, the new medium of communication didn’t become readily popularized by the world at that time. Why? Many people saw podcasts as the amateur version of syndicated radio and often wondered what the purpose of listening to audio files of people talking for hours at a time meant.
Over a decade later, the expectations of podcasts have increased in both the quality of the audio and the popularity among listeners. With that, it was reported in 2019 the 51% of Americans aged 12 and older have listened to a podcast in their lifetime. This is over 140 million Americans (roughly half of the population) which is astronomical. How did podcasts eventually end up becoming game changers in the communications realm today? What makes it a unique medium?
People tend to look at the world through a narrative lense which often leads to enjoyment in stories. This lense then becomes more informal, personal, and authentic in presentation which is very charming. It’s definitely safe to say that people desire the companionship of another person talking to them over artificial intelligence. In addition, while podcasts can be informative or news oriented ( The New York Times The Daily podcast) , podcasts can also be used to emotionally engage and entertain.
Circling back to the revolution of podcasting, certain elements of podcasts seemed less than groundbreaking when it first emerged: basic technology, easy to distribute , and cheap to make. All someone needs to produce a podcast is internet connection, recording software or app, and a microphone. What makes this so intriguing, however, is that these same distinguishable traits of a podcast are what made the rise of the podcast inescapable.
The development of podcasts further has been studied in terms of experimentation, and the congruency that it has on trends such as 20th century seasoned radio shows, modern radio talk shows such as Politico’s Women Rule , and the digital music movement on platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, and Soundcloud. Podcasts host a plethora of topics ranging from nonfiction narrative, politics, gossip, pop culture, beauty and television show discourse.
All in all, podcasts will and continue to thrive because they allow people to take in really powerful and enigmatic stories- ones in which the imagination can be stimulated , learn about new topics or listen to topics that generally peak common interests.
As listeners, we couldn’t be more grateful for a medium like this. Podcasts are essentially perfect to target these personal preferences in an intimate way even if other obligations arise throughout the day. It’s just like talking to a dear friend about what’s on the mind , passions, and society unfiltered.